The no-nonsense tips that made Kim Woodburn the original Cleanfluencer, plus the 10-minute method that brought her fame

The Sun

18-06-2025

KIM WOODBURN has made us laugh, cry, and get our act together when it comes to cleaning.
The TV personality and cleaning whizz has given us much-needed life advice over the years, which is even more appreciated after the sad news of her passing away earlier this week.
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The 83-year-old is reported to have passed away from a short illness, leaving her husband and friends heartbroken.
Kim rose to fame in Channel 4 's hit series How Clean is Your House where she showed people how to really keep their house in order.
Here, we look back on her 11 no-nonsense tips for a spick and span home that she previously shared with Fabulous.
Clean as you go
Now listen, lazy bones. If you put a drink back in the fridge and it falls over, you think you'll get back to it tomorrow. Oh no, you don't – clean it up it right away! It takes seconds to clean things up as you go. You've no need to make a song and dance about it.
Steam your shower walls
You know those little steamers you can buy to steam your kitchen floors? What they don't tell you is they are perfect for cleaning your shower walls, too. They are as light as a feather and it cleans the tiles up a treat.
Use old towels to clean your oven
All the old towels you've got, never throw them out, my loves - cut them into strips. They're rough and ready. Dip them in some warm soapy water with a bit of bicarbonate of soda to clean your oven.
Hot wash your sheets
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 degress if you can. You're lying on them, dear, doing all sorts. You might be a very passionate person.
Sack off your sponge
Don't use a sponge to wash up – they are filthy. You need a flat cloth or a dish-washing brush so if there's any dirt in there you can rinse it under the tap. But a sponge, my loves – they're the most unhygienic.
Shop around
The Pound Shop have some extremely cheap cleaners. There's no excuse for anyone to say they can't afford them. There are so many choices, so hunt around. If not, use lots of vinegar and warm water to clean the windows. It does a super job - it's the old remedy.
So long, shoes
You go out in your shoes down the road and there's dog pee that you step in or spit on the pavement. Make sure you have a good, rough carpet so when you stand on it, rub your shoes. You only have to pick up that rug and bang it on the outside wall - my God, you'll go blind.
Deep clean your fridge
Once every couple of months, take all your fridge out - it takes five minutes. Get a nice towelling cloth and some warm water. Dip it in bicarb and lovie, it's spotless. Do not leave your fridge for more than two months. When you start going over that, my loves - by God, you're asking for trouble.
Toaster terror
Take out the tray at the bottom of your toaster at least once a week. Whip out an old newspaper and thump that toaster and the crumbs all come out. Then roll up the paper, dear, and throw it away. People say: 'Oh, my toaster smells of burning.' Yes, it's year-old breadcrumbs you lazy pigs.
Filter fail
If you've got a vacuum, do yourself a favour and clean the filters. You see people run a vacuum up and down the rug, but it's not picking anything up. Does it not occur to you that the filter's full? Use your common sense.
10 minute method
Kim has also shared her hack for making cleaning tasks a bit easier with the Express.
Clean as you go and throw as you go. If you do that you can't go wrong. If you let it build then you have a huge task ahead of you. It only takes a small amount of time. Ten minutes every day and you can keep everything manageable