ARE you one of the millions who have admitted only washing towels once a year?
If so, Kim Woodburn thinks you need your “brain examined”. The Queen of Clean, 81, says there’s no excuse to be dirty in today’s world when we have so many cleaning tools at our fingertips.
Kim, who shot to fame on telly’s How Clean Is Your House?, told The Sun: “I’m speechless!
“You need to clean as you go and throw as you go.
“You’ll feel happier . . . and smell a lot better too.”
From tongue scraping to saying no, here are 12 health trends to try in 2023
Here, Kim tells Georgette Culley the number of times you should be cleaning everyday items.
MOBILE PHONE
Once a day
WE love our handsets, but why don’t we clean them?
You can see people on the train impeccably dressed but their phone screens are filthy.
Many mobiles carry ten times more bacteria than most toilet seats.
Folks, it amazes me that I have to point this out to you.
Please attend to them.
Wipe your phone down daily with an antiseptic wipe.
PILLOW
Every six months
How to de-clutter if you have a beauty stash to last you a lifetime
YOU need to launder your pillow, not just the pillowcase, to keep it fresh, hygienic and free from dust mites.
Make sure your pillow is washable and try to do it on a sunny day.
The heat will have them dry in about six hours then once the moisture is gone, finish them off on a radiator.
Always check the care label on your pillow before putting it in the washing machine as some materials need to be handwashed or dry cleaned.
To protect the pillow, always use a good, protective case.
CARPETS
Every three months
FIRSTLY , take your shoes off as soon as you get home.
It amazes me that people wear shoes around the house – think of all that dog pee, rat vomit, spit and chewing gum you’ve trodden on.
How often you wash your carpets depends on the level of your indoor traffic.
But if you will not take your flaming shoes off, or if you have kids or pets, you need to do a deep clean every three months.
You can hire a Rug Doctor cleaner from most supermarkets such as Asda and Tesco from £24.99 for 24 hours and from £29.99 for a 48-hour period.
TOASTER
Once a week
TAKE out the tray at the bottom of your toaster at least once a week.
Whip out an old newspaper and thump that toaster until all the crumbs come out. Then throw the paper away.
People often say: “Oh, my toaster smells of burning.”
Yes, it’s year-old breadcrumbs, you lazy pigs.
You don’t want to start a fire.
BEDSHEETS
Once a week
ALL sorts of things fall off our bodies, especially if you’re very hairy.
Put your sheets on a hot wash at least once a week, no lower than 60 degrees, or 80 degrees if you can.
You’re lying on them, dear, doing all sorts. You might be a very passionate person. Please, please, once a week.
TEA TOWELS
Every day
I HAVE a plastic bowl with hot water and detergent in it and I bung my white tea towels in it after every use.
They can sit there for two or three days soaking until I have enough items to wash.
Then I ring them out and pop them in the machine on a 14-minute cycle.
As they’ve been soaked I can wash them on 30 degrees, which is more economical.
TOOTHBRUSH HOLDERS
Every day
SOMETIMES a whole family of four or six will put their toothbrushes in the same holder.
Can you imagine the dirt that will build up?
It takes ten seconds to check what’s lurking at the bottom, so have a little peep every day.
If you spot something, take the brushes out and give the container a little rinse and a wipe.
And for heaven’s sake, do not leave the holder anywhere near a toilet. Every time you flush the loo, little bits of urine and faeces could fly on to the toothbrushes.
COMPUTER KEYBOARD
Every day
LOTS of naughty people do not wash their hands after going to the loo or blowing their nose.
They also eat and drink at their computer and spit all over the keyboard when they’re talking – making the unassuming keyboard dirtier than a toilet seat.
Studies show 3,000 organisms occupy every square inch of the average keyboard.
It takes a minute to quickly clean it with an antiseptic wipe and you can do it while you’re enjoying a cuppa.
MAKE-UP BRUSHES
Twice a week
HAVE you ever looked inside a woman’s make-up bag?
It’s not a pretty sight.
Foundation brushes should be cleaned twice a week and eyeshadow brushes at least twice a month to avoid build-up of products.
Run the brushes under a warm tap and clean with some washing-up liquid.
Then dry with a bit of tissue and leave facing upwards in a cup.
Dirty brushes can cause acne and skin problems.
BATH TOWELS
Twice a week
PLEASE don’t use them any more than three times a week without washing.
Four times is the absolute max.
Once you go over that time, you’re picking up bad bacteria.
If they’re badly soiled you need to launder them at 60 or 80 degrees.
And make sure you hang wet towels up to dry after use so bacteria can’t fester.
