We recently enjoyed a lovely catch-up with ITV’s favourite cleaning expert, Iwan Carrington, aka Mr Carrington, to explore what habits he swears by to keep his house clean. He didn’t hesitate to pinpoint the three main areas he focuses on, revealing a very quirky cleaning method that the w&h team has now adopted.
As the author of Clean in 15, an instant Sunday Times best-seller nonetheless, and a key member of the team on Stacey Solomon’s Sort Your Life Out, there’s no one better to get fast, efficient cleaning hacks from than Mr Carrington – and he certainly didn’t disappoint.
Mr Carrington’s tidy home tips: 3 quick & easy cleaning tips
When time is of the essence, carrying out a top-to-bottom house cleaning routine isn’t always possible, especially for busy households. That’s where Iwan’s top tips for maintaining a spotlessly clean, decluttered home in less time can be a saviour.
Here are three habits he swears by to keep his house clean in no time…
- Having a multi-purpose product that you can use all over the home: “So I talk about making up a very simple spray with white vinegar and water and a dash of washing-up liquid in it that you can basically use everywhere,” Iwan tells w&h. “You can use it on mirrors, radiators, kitchen surfaces, tables, high chairs, the lot. And so just by having that with a cloth to hand is a really good one. So it’s basically just using a multi-purpose product like that. So whether you are going around cleaning, you can just use it everywhere.”
- Tackling things immediately as they happen: “I’d say tackle accidents when they happen. So whether it’s a spill, a pet accident, a stain, something that’s been slopped down a kitchen cabinet, these are all things that if you just wipe them up and deal with them in the moment, they’re so much easier [to clean] in that moment than waiting where things have solidified, soaked in further, burnt on, you know.”
- Use a sock as a duster: ” I use a sock on my hand for dusting. And actually, if you go on a little dust hunt, essentially with a sock on your hand, you can do the entire home. It can be a dry one, or it can be wrung out in some warm water, with a dash of washing-up liquid in it if you’d like to. And with that in your hand, you can just go around. You can do tops of door frames, tops of picture frames, surfaces, radiators, door handles, the little intricate bits on your doors, all of that. And get loads done. So, that’s a really good one for maintaining the dust in your home.”
Lakeland
1 Litre Empty Reusable Trigger Spray Bottle
Naturally, after learning of this new, quick and easy cleaning method, I immediately put it to the test. Turns out the sock idea is actually pretty handy (no pun intended) because it makes it easier to wipe your hand more freely over surfaces and catch all the dust.
(Image credit: Tamara Kelly)
Once you’ve finished dusting, you simply pop the sock in the laundry, and it’s as good as new. Although I would suggest shaking it outside before washing if you are tackling very thick dust, because you don’t want a build-up of debris in your washing machine.
Keep an eye out for more expert advice from Iwan, aka Mr Carrington as we chatted to him extensively about his favourite cleaning products and more – all featuring in an up and coming issue of woman&home.
Will you be giving any of his easy tips a try when tackling your big spring clean?
