Lynsey ‘Queen of Clean’ Crombie’s top cleaning hacks

A cleaning expert has revealed her cut-price cleaning tips for a sparkling home – some using little more than a half lemon and tea bags. 

Cleaning expert Lynsey ‘Queen of Clean’ Crombie, from Peterborough, appeared on This Morning on Monday to share her favourite household hacks using items you’ll already have in your cupboard – no expensive products required.

They include lemons, tea bags, potato peel and even a used mascara wand. Read on for Lynsey’s best household hacks.

Lemon

A lot can be achieved with half a lemon and some bicarbonate, according to Lynsey. 

‘One of my go to products is lemons,’ she said. ‘The beauty about them is the smell.’ 

Lynsey uses a non-expensive cleaning solution that can be obtained with half a lemon and some bicarbonate soda.

‘What I do always advise is go to the supermarket later in the day when prices drop, so you’re not spending so much money on it,’ she said. 

Sprinkle some of the bicarbonate onto the lemon’s half and give it a small squeeze. 

Half a lemon goes a long way when you pair it with bicarbonate soda and even some salt. It can help fight persistent soap scum and limescale all over your house (file photo)

Lynsey also recommends using the solution on a dirty draining board. She says the trick can work for limescale, water marks and soap scum. It is also successful at getting rid of hard water marks in the shower. 

Once you’re done, she says, ‘you can just shove your lemon on your tap to get rid of limescale. Then shove the lemon on the bottom of your tap to get rid of limescale.’ 

In order to make the most of your lemon, let it set for ten to 15 minutes before washing it up with boiling water and a microfiber cloth. Once you’re all done, the fruit can still be useful: pop it into your dishwasher and keep unpleasant smells in check. 

Lynsey insists the lemon solution can also work wonders on a chopping board. 

Give your old mascara brush a second life by cleaning it and using it to clean dust that’s hard to achieve like in vents and plugs (file photo)

For better results, use the same combination of lemon and bicarbonate, sprinkle a dash of salt on the board and scrub with the lemon before leaving it for ten minutes and rinsing it off. 

Mascara

We tend to throw them away when they’re done, but why not give our old mascara brushes a second life? These tiny brushes can be used for small spaces that are hard to reach like vents where the dust can sit or kitchen plugs, says Lynsey.

Tumble-dryer 

For clothes that need emergency decreasing, pop the item you want to straighten up in the tumble dryer and add three to four ice-cubes with it, Lynsey suggests. 

Turn it on for five to ten minutes; the steam created with decrease the clothing and will save you some ironing time. 

Instead of going through the trouble of ironing, just pop the shirt you want to de-crease in the tumble-dryer with four ice-cubes and turn it on for up to ten minutes. Your clothes will be ready to wear

Cleaning expert Lynsey, Queen of Clean appeared on This Morning on Monday 

Kitchen Hob

Use some sharp scissors and cut out some tin foil. Then roll it up into a ball and dip it in soap before using it to scratch your pans.

Shiny knives and forks

Use potato peels to make your cutlery brand new. Rub the peel again the knife, fork or spoon you wish to clean. It will get rid of stains.   

Shoes and trainers 

Stock four tea bags in a pair of shoes and place them under a radiator to save them from odious smell. Tea is a natural deodoriser.

Toothpaste is great to whiten your favourite trainers as well.