Chances are that you'll already be familiar with Mrs Hinch (aka Sophie Hinchliffe), but if you're not, the mum-of-two is a cleaning influencer who shares home cleaning tips on her Instagram account, first created in 2018. With 4.6 million followers and five books to her name, Sophie is the person to turn to when trying to keep your home clean and tidy as easily as possible. To save you from sifting through her Instagram, we've pulled together our top ten Mrs Hinch cleaning tips to send you on your way to keeping your home spick and span.
1. Mattress
Trying to get rid of a mattress stain? Mrs Hinch likes to sprinkle bicarbonate of soda directly onto the area using a sieve. You can then rub it in while wearing gloves to help eliminate odour. Leave for at least an hour before vacuuming off.
2. Oven racks
Get rid of food debris on your oven racks by removing them from the oven and leaving them to soak in warm water with washing-up liquid. Simple!
3. Mirror
You probably have lots of mirrors around your home. To prevent streaky glass when cleaning, use a tumble dryer sheet to get rid of any dust before spaying with a glass cleaner or white vinegar which you should buff in with a dry sheet of kitchen roll. Finish by running a glass and window cloth over your mirror.
4. Bin
We all know that kitchen bins can sometimes produce a really unpleasant odour. To get rid of nasty smells from your bin, simply spray a sheet of kitchen roll with diluted Zoflora, and lay it in the bottom of the bin before putting the bin liner in as usual. Don't forget to replace the kitchen roll sheet when it's time to change the bin.
5. Blinds
Cleaning vertical or horizontal blinds can be seriously fiddly, which is why Mrs Hinch suggests attaching a clean microfiber cloth to some kitchen tongs with rubber bands. Then you just need to close the tool over each slat, pulling it across the length to get rid of all that pesky dust.
6. Taps
Instead of using a strong limescale remover, keep your taps shiny by using half a lemon. Just rub the lemon on your chrome taps before wiping them to keep them shining.
7. Skirting boards and woodwork
It's natural for scuff marks and dirt to occur on the skirting boards in our homes and thankfully, these are easy to fix. "I love to wash my skirting boards and woodwork (doors, frames etc) with a mix of fabric softener and water, and we can’t forget Minky, the star of the show!" Sophie says. "Makes the house smell absolutely divine and works a treat at getting any scuffs off without wrecking the paint."
8. Microwave
If you use your microwave frequently, you might notice how quickly it can get dirty. Keep your microwave clean by popping in a bowl of warm water with a few slices of lemon and then turn it on for a few minutes. The condensation and fresh scent will make it easy to clean and leave it smelling lovely and fresh.
9. Sinks
Kitchen plugholes can get clogged from to time, resulting in an unpleasant smell and slow draining. Pour three-quarters of a cupful of soda crystals down the plug and leave for between two to three minutes. Then pour down a cup of white vinegar and leave for ten minutes. After this, pour a cap of Zoflora down and leave it for one minute before finally pouring a full kettle of boiling water down the plug to wash it all away.
10. Washing machine drum
It's one of the most used items in our homes, which is why it's important to clean your washing machine as much as possible. To leave the drum sparkling, just add a capful of white vinegar and a scoop of bicarbonate of soda into the drum then put it on a quick spin cycle.