Cleaning: once a chore, this year, a trend...
2019 is the year cleaning became officially cool, thanks in part to Sophie Hinchcliffe - a.k.a Mrs Hinch - whose enthusiasm for domestic work and cleaning hacks have inspired us to look on housework in an entirely new light.
While Mrs Hinch’s tips are certainly helpful, choosing the right cleaning products are essential too. Which is why we’ve scoured the market to bring you some of the best-performing sprays, polishes and tools around. We reckon you’re pretty au fait with the likes of Mr Muscle and Toilet Duck, so we’ve taken care to feature products you may not have heard of before.
Whether it's daily tidying or proper deep cleaning you're looking to do, here are the best products and tools to get your home gleaming.
Products
Method Multi-Surface Cleaner
If stylish gym clothes can encourage you to exercise more often, can snazzy-looking cleaning sprays inspire you to clean more? That’s a theory eco-cleaning product company Method seem to be testing. Their latest collab with artist Morag Myerscough sees a range of products wrapped in vibrant, limited edition prints that look so good you’ll want to keep them out on the counter for spontaneous wipe-downs. This multi-surface cleaner is a great all-rounder using a biodegradable, non-toxic formula which leaves nothing behind but the clean, fresh scent of watermelon.
£3 | Tesco | Buy it now
Oven Pride Complete Oven Cleaning Kit
If your oven is covered in grease and grime, you need to either call in the big guns (professional cleaners - effective but costly) or try Oven Pride Deep Cleaner. This kit includes 500ml of the formula, as well as a pair of rubber gloves and a bag for the oven racks.
All you need to do is leave the formula to soak, ideally overnight, and it will melt through the gunk ready to be wiped off in the morning. Be warned though; it holds some seriously strong chemicals, so take care to protect your skin during application and keep children and pets away while the formula works its magic.
£6.75 | Amazon | Buy it now
Jeyes Fluid BBQ Cleaner Spray
Summer BBQs lose their appeal somewhat when you remember your dusty grill has been trapped all winter long in the shed. While it may be tempting to start afresh by buying a new BBQ, save the environment by reviving the old one with a good clean; it needn't be as painful as you imagine.
Jeyes Fluid BBQ Cleaner Spray effectively cuts through burnt-on food and grease on BBQ equipment as well as chimeneas and cooking utensils, without leaving odours or stains. Loosen hard grease off your grill with heat and steam first, before spritzing the cleaner on. Give it a few minutes to sink in, then wipe away - nothing to it.
£3.50 | B&Q | Buy it now
ECOS Furniture Polish & Cleaner
Return wooden sideboards, chairs and tables to their lustrous, glowing glory with this eco and cruelty-free cleaner from ECOS (Earth Friendly Products). Perfect for use on natural and unfinished woods - as well as formica, particle board and vinyl surfaces - the non-polluting formula is completely biodegradable and made with sustainable ingredients. It’s gentle enough for everyday use and is a great non-toxic option to use around infants and pets.
£3.31 | Ethical Superstore | Buy it now *On sale from £4.14
Windolene Emulsion Original Cream
Sunlight streaming in through clean windows is the best. Get those panes sparkling with Windolene’s original emulsion cream which uses white spirit to powerfully clean glass. Just apply to your windows and use a cloth to polish off for clean, clear and streak-free results every time. Its pink colour enables you to see when you've missed a spot too.
£3.29 | Robert Dyas | Buy it now
Nilglass Window and Mirror Cleaner Spray
Shower divides, glass cabinets, conservatories and mirrors get dirty and dusty easily. But there’s no need to give yourself sore arms from endless buffing. Use Nilglass Window and Mirror Cleaner Spray, which works on all kinds of reflective surfaces around the home.
The unassuming bottle has been hailed one of the best cleaners ever by reviewers, getting the job done quickly without leaving smears. It promises to save you hours of effort in a spritz. We’re sold.
£3.99 | Lakeland | Buy it now
1001 Carpet Fresh
A Mrs Hinch favourite, this fast-drying carpet, rug and upholstery freshener will revive home textiles in minutes. Simply spray a light and even coating of foam (a precise) 38cm from the carpet – and that's it! It’s ideal for neutralising unpleasant pet, cooking and tobacco odours from the home and there’s no need to mop or vacuum afterwards either. Leave your windows and doors open if you're covering large pieces of carpet or rugs though, to ensure there's adequate ventilation.
£2.80 | Sainsbury's | Buy it now
Flash Clean & Care Wooden Floors Mandarin & Cedar Wood Liquid
Run your vacuum over your laminate flooring to pick up debris as and when necessary, but going over it with a damp mop can pick up tough stains and leave your floors fresher and free of harmful bacteria. (Only do so occasionally however, as over-wetting them could cause the layers in the laminate to buckle.)
A solution like Flash Clean & Care Wooden Floors Mandarin & Cedar Wood Liquid is perfect for sanitising and disinfecting; simply dilute with water and immerse your mop, before sweeping over floors that have already been cleared of dust.
£2.05 | Waitrose & Partners | Buy it now
Ashley & Co InSink Dish Wash
From Auckland-based fragrance company Ashley & Co comes this new washing up liquid that’s kind to your skin but tough on stubborn dish stains. It’s made without harsh ingredients and free from sulphates, parabens, minerals oils and synthetic fragrances – so you can retire your marigolds… from the kitchen sink, at least. It also smells amazing thanks to the blend of citrus, clove bud and cinnamon bar essential oils. The initial price tag may feel hefty, but if you use refill packs after the first purchase you’ll be cutting down on harmful plastic waste.
£16 | Amara | Buy it now
Tools & Equipment
Minky M-Cloth Dual Sided Anti-Bacterial Cleaning Pad
Another heroic household cleaning item championed by Mrs Hinch, this Minky cloth temporarily sold out when she recommended it on her Instagram page. Minky make a plethora of products, from dryer balls to lint rollers and scouring pads, but the Hinch favourite is this one, the Minky M-Cloth Dual Sided Anti-Bacterial Cleaning Pad. It’s a multi-use piece of cleaning kit, ideal for use on ovens, countertops, bathroom surfaces and more, and it’s machine-washable so you can reuse to your heart’s content.
£2.50 | Dunelm | Buy it now
Greener Cleaner cleaning equipment
Greener Cleaner offers a range of eco-friendly high quality cleaning equipment made from recycled materials as well as things like bamboo, the world’s fastest renewable source. Including dustpans and brushes (£6.49), the company offers items like telescopic floor brooms (£14.99), window squeegees (£3.99), dish brushes (£3.99) and ostrich feather dusters (£14.99). Best of all, one per cent of Greener Cleaner product sales go to organisations such as Surfers Against Sewage.
Shop the full range at Greener Cleaner
E-cloth Microfibre Cloths
If you have allergies or just don’t want to use potentially toxic chemicals to make your home spick and span, there is a solution that uses just water to clean. E-cloths pack 480,000 polyester and nylon fibres into every square centimetre, which scrape surfaces of oil, dirt and over 99 per cent of bacteria at a microbial level. All that’s needed to clean the cloth is a quick rinse under the tap – impressive, no? There are cloths specifically for floors, kitchens and windows, as well as general purpose ones. Cover all bases with the eight-pack home cleaning set and get ready to revolutionise the way you clean in the future.
£30 | E-cloth | Buy it now
OXO Good Grips Extendable Duster
A spring clean means a comprehensive sprucing up of all nooks and crannies, so if you need extra inches to reach those hard-to-dust areas, OXO’s extending pivoting duster should do the trick. Made from lightweight aluminium, it has a full reach of 137cm while the duster head turns to 270° and has a locking mechanism so you can go over the back of bookshelves and top of ceiling vents and lights until they're pristine.
£15 | John Lewis | Buy it now
Dyson V8 Animal Extra Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
Anyone with pets knows their beloved critters have a knack for shedding hair on every possible surface. Where regular household hoovers may struggle to get rid of compacted hair effectively, Dyson V8 Animal Extra Cordless Vacuum Cleaner captures hair from awkward spaces (such as car interiors and stairs) as well as virtually all dust and allergens, while expelling cleaner air. The cordless design comes with a charging dock that is wall-mountable and has a run time of up to 40 minutes, which should be enough for most cleans. Comes with six detachable nozzles for all your vacuuming needs.
£299.99 | Argos | Buy it now
Shark S6001UK Klik N' Flip Steam Mop
The humble mop and bucket has had an update in recent years and now there are futuristic models to get the job done more effectively than ever before. Our favourite is Shark's Klik n' Flip, which uses blasts of steam and double-sided machine-washable pads to thoroughly clean smooth, hard flooring with a run time of 15 minutes. If anything will get you excited about mopping, this model will.
£79 | Currys | Buy it now
