Pregnant Mrs Hinch reveals how she deals with EVERY stain inside her own home
Who would have thought it possible to become rich and famous by simply enjoying cleaning?
Well, indeed it is, as the Instagram sensation Mrs Hinch – who is currently on 2.2 million followers and counting – can testify.
She says herself she doesn’t know quite how it happened, but for the Insta-uninitiated, Sophie Hinchliffe, a 29-year-old hairdresser from Essex, has single-handedly revolutionised attitudes towards cleaning simply by being so very excited about it.
Her devotion to her favourite cleaning products is quite something.
They live in a cupboard she dubs ‘Narnia’, and she has cute names for them all:
- Dave the duster
- Barry the brush
- Victor the Vileda vacuum
- Derek Dishmatic
- And her most cherished item of all, Minkeh (to be said in her dad’s northern accent), the name for her Minky anti-bacterial cleaning pads.
To clean has been rebranded ‘to hinch’ (it’s in the urban dictionary), and while we might never have the time nor the inclination to reach her sanitary standards (she takes her curtains down and washes them once a month, for goodness sake), we like a good tip for a cleaning hack as much as the next person.
Mrs Hinch, who lives with hubby Jamie and their ‘fur baby’ cocker spaniel Henry, and is expecting a baby boy, shares her favourite products and tips for spring cleaning success…
Let’s be honest, does everyone else just stand there looking at a stain thinking, ‘What the hell do I do?’
Here’s how to deal with the most common household stains…
Flower pollen: Lillies are the worst for this.
If you catch it early, the best thing to do is to use Sellotape to lift the pollen off the fabric.
But if the stain has settled, apply a small amount of undiluted detergent to the stain and massage gently with a cloth.
Then pop this in the washing machine on a cool rinse setting.
Red wine: Lift as much as you can with a dry towel, then cover the entire stain with salt.
Leave the salt to soak in – it will absorb the wine and help lift the liquid.
Once dry, vacuum everything up.
Urine: Make a paste with bicarb and white vinegar. Massage into the problem area and hoover away. Finish with a spritz of Febreze.
Sweat: Soak in cold water and white vinegar for 30 minutes, then wash in the machine as normal.
Ink: Spray the problem area with hairspray, wait for 30 seconds, then wipe away with a clean damp cloth (I advise doing a patch test first for this one).
Wax: Lay a brown paper bag across the wax stain and iron over the top.
The bag will absorb the wax, leaving your carpet or rug looking brand new.
1 You need to turn and refresh your mattress once a month, guys!
2 Hoover it to within an inch of its life – you’ll get rid of all the dead
skin cells and dust.
3 Using a flour sieve, shake bicarbonate of soda evenly all over the mattress. Then…
4 …Leave for a few hours, before hoovering it off – it will lift out any nasty whiffs, especially good if you have kids who have had an accident in the bed! Urine smell, see ya later, mate!
1. Hoover up all your unwanted findings, from crumbs to God knows what else that ends up down the side of the sofa seats (check for coins, you don’t want those being sucked up. Finders keepers!).
2. Brush your lint roller over the sofa itself and the seat cushions to pick up any lint and loose hair.
3. Mix warm water, two capfuls of fabric softener and a capful of Ariel Gel in a large bowl. Then…
4. Dip a white cloth into the mixture (always white to avoid colour transfer) and wring out as much as possible. Hold the cloth tight and scrub away at the sofa cushions, the arms and the back of the sofa to get rid of dirt.
5. Give it a gentle brush all over with a body brush to help revive the fibres.
Henry has his own Tessa tea towel, which lives in his basket with his lead, poo bags and coat.
If he comes into the house after a walk, I’ll wipe his paws with it.
I keep my carpets fur free using the Squeegee/window scraper method.
It’s great for getting rid of hair and fluff, and for grabbing tiny hairs you wouldn’t even know are there.
Make sure you wash your dog or cat collars.
Henry has a few different ones I rotate. You can wipe with a leather cleaner, or fabric ones can go in the washing machine.
If they get mud on the carpet, whatever you do, don’t try to wipe it off when it’s wet.
You may be staring at it wanting to cry, but you’ll be much better off waiting.
Once it’s dry I use a Barry bristle brush to brush away the nasties, hoover away dried mud, then use Dr Beckmann Carpet Stain Remover to get rid of any marks.
● Dr Beckmann Carpet Stain Remover
‘It’s the one. The only one! I love that the brush comes attached to the bottle.’
● Bar Keepers Friend
‘It’s great, but it’s very strong, so you need to be careful with how long you leave it on stainless steel so it doesn’t strip it.
It’s amazing stuff, but it does try to eat away at your sink if you leave it too long.’
● Lenor Fabric Conditioner
And not just for the obvious, nice smelling laundry reason…
‘I dilute it with water to wipe down the painted woodwork, from skirting boards to door frames to banisters.
Minkeh obviously joins in on this.’
● Lenor Tumble Dryer Sheets
These are multi-purpose in the Hinch household.
‘They’re anti-static, so they’re especially brilliant for picking up pet hair and dust. I use a tumble dryer sheet to clean my blinds and the dainty crystals on my chandeliers.’
And that’s not all.
‘I pop them inside my cushions and pillowcases, under the sofa seat cushions and between clothes when packing a suitcase to keep them all smelling beaut.’
● Pledge Electronic Wipes
‘It shocks me that people still use wet wipes on their TV, which could do it real damage.’
(Oops, guilty as charged.)
‘I’d be devastated if my TV was injured!’
● Zoflora
It’s fair to say that Mrs Hinch is quite a fan of this brand of concentrated disinfectant.
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I have so many spray bottles labelled with my favourite Zofloras (Springtime is my number one).
It’s just an amazing product with so many uses – it’s also pet-friendly when diluted correctly.’
● The Pink Stuff
‘They call it the miracle cleaning paste, and yes it is.
I mainly use it on the base of my pots and pans, tile grouting, oven, hob, ceramic sinks and ornaments.
It does a cracking job, never lets me down.’
● Bicarbonate of soda
‘Such a magic product and so cheap to buy. Try it as a mild abrasive or scouring agent on shiny materials, as it can clean without scratching.
Bicarbonate of soda is a fab deodoriser, and it can be used in the fridge, on carpets, vinyl, and in bins and drains.’ She has another great tip for the old bicarb too.
‘Pour some into a small organza bag and hide in a convenient location to help keep odours at bay and for wardrobes and drawers to stop clothes smelling musty.
And leave a small dish in the microwave when switched off to eliminate odours.’
NB: Hinch Yourself Happy by Mrs Hinch is published by Michael Joseph, £12.99. © Mrs Hinch 2019 .
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