Lynsey, Queen of Clean - How To Clean Your House

About the Author

Lynsey, Queen of Clean is one of the UK’s most popular cleaning bloggers with over 100k Instagram followers and a blog reach of around 40/50k per month. Her devoted followers turn to her every day for her expert tips and tricks. Lynsey was first seen back in 2014 on Channel 4’s Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners where she was a regular cast member cleaning some of Britain’s dirtiest homes. She runs a successful cleaning company and regularly appears on UK shopping channels.

Copyright

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2019

Copyright © Lynsey Crombie 2019

Lynsey Crombie asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Ebook Edition © March 2019 ISBN: 9780008341954

To my three amazing children, Mollie, Olivia and Jake, who have given me the strength to become the person I am today. I wouldn’t be able to face life’s challenges without you.

Contents

Cover

About the Author

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Introduction

PART 1: BACK TO BASICS

The Perfect Cleaning Caddy

Queen of Clean’s Homemade Cleaner Recipes

Tried and Tested Cleaning Methods

PART 2: SIMPLE TIPS FOR HOUSEHOLD CLEANING

Practical Methods for Everyday Jobs

Keeping dust at bay

Kitchen cleaning

Bathroom cleaning

Bed care

Sofa care

Kids’ bedrooms and playrooms

Beginner’s guide to laundry

How to iron

How to declutter

How to make your house smell amazing

How to look after beauty products

Nifty cleaning tips for pet owners

How to look after your car interior

PART 3: STAYING ON TOP OF THE MESS

Organisation and Planning

Motivation

Routine

Monthly cleaning calendar

The daily to-do list

The weekly deep clean

Getting the family involved

PART 4: DON’T PANIC!

Tips for the Worst Cleaning Challenges

Spring Cleaning: A Step-by-Step Guide

Surviving the Festive Season

A–Z Hacks: Top Cleaning Tips of All Time

Acknowledgements

About the Publisher

Introduction

Why do I call myself ‘The Queen of Clean’? Well, I’ve always had a huge obsession for cleaning, but when I joined the cast of Channel 4’s Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners back in 2012, one of my lovely friends presented me with a bright pink apron emblazoned with the slogan ‘Lynsey Queen of Clean’ and it has stuck with me ever since.

To explain to you where my major obsession for cleaning began, let me take you back a little. When I was young, growing up in London, my mum was always cleaning. Whenever I visited either of my nans, I saw that they were doing exactly the same – cleaning was definitely in the blood! I used to help my mum around the house a lot and I honestly believe that this is a really good move to make when you have young children – it teaches them basic life skills and encourages them to look after their belongings.

When I was 21, I moved out of home with a boyfriend. I stuck a rota of cleaning tasks on the fridge door, which my friends used to laugh at, but I was so proud that my little flat was super clean and organised. The skills I had learned when I was growing up certainly helped.

Jumping ahead a few years, tragedy hit me. I was married, living in Newcastle and pregnant with twins. I thought I had married a man who would offer me the world, but shortly into the marriage I made a terrible discovery about him and the shock sent me into labour, resulting in my twin daughters being born extremely prematurely. With no specialist facilities available in Newcastle, the girls were flown up to a special care baby unit in Edinburgh, where I found myself alone with two very poorly babies after my world had been completely turned upside down. I don’t want to go into more detail here but I have discussed this previously on my blog if you’re interested to hear more about my story.

The connection with my ex-husband sent me into cleaning over-drive. I scrubbed and scrubbed everything in sight to wash away the pain that my husband had caused me. In addition to this, special care baby units are very sterile places – you are encouraged to constantly wash your hands before you touch your babies. This situation added fuel to the fire of my cleaning obsession.