
I was a royal cleaner at Buckingham Palace – 79p B&M buy will leave your mirrors & glass sparkling without any streaks
And you probably already have the budget-friendly buy in your bathroom.
3
This staple product is used by Buckingham staff to achieve the perfect gleam on mirrors and glass.
'It's probably sitting in your bathroom right now, half-used and squeezed in the middle," said Anne Simmons, who spent over 15 years working inside Buckingham Palace as part of the royal cleaning staff.
The 57-year-old spoke to Show Plates World, about the surprising cleaning hack, which has been passed down behind palace gates for generations.
Originally from Berkshire, Anne worked at the iconic royal residence where most of her duties involved maintaining antique furniture, priceless vases, and carpets.
However, she also developed a handy hack for making dull glass surfaces look as good as new.
She recalled how a "surprise inspection" led to the surprising discovery.
With nothing "fancy on hand" to wipe down glass surfaces, she remembered an old trick her mum swore by.
"I ran in, grabbed a tube of toothpaste from the staff bathroom, and gave [the surfaces] a gentle scrub. Minutes later, they looked brand new," she recalled.
And just like that, a cheap tube of whitening toothpaste saved the day.
Since toothpaste contains mild abrasives that help remove plaque and stains from teeth, that same gentle scrubbing action can also lift oxidation and grime off other surfaces.
I was gutted when scrubbing didn't get my 'stained' blender clean, then remembered a £3.25 spray I had in the cupboard
'Anne's tip is safe, simple, and effective," the team at Show Plates World said.
Anne swears by toothpaste for a wide variety of polishing tasks, and with 775 rooms in Buckingham, there were plenty of surfaces to wipe down.
You can pick up a tube of Oral B toothpaste for just 79p from B&M.
'I've used it on cloudy shower screens, tea-stained mugs, even old taps that lost their shine,' she said.
'If it can brighten your smile, it can probably handle a bit of limescale."
5 cleaning hacks
Say goodbye to ironing
Don't have time to smooth out the wrinkles of a shirt with an iron? Lenor 's Crease Releaser makes wrinkles vanish - simply hang up creased items, give them a quick spritz and smooth against a hard surface.
Teabags for trainers
When trainers smell a little squiffy, pop a used (and still moist) tea bag inside and leave for about an hour. The tannins will seep into the sole of the shoe to fight nasty-smelling odours.
Remove limescale without scrubbing
When bathroom taps start looking a little grimy with limescale, slice a lemon in half and sprinkle on baking soda. Rub the fruit over the taps and with a gentle clean they will come up sparkling. Use a toothbrush to get in all the nooks and crannies.
Streak-free mirrors and windows
White vinegar is a handy secret weapon when it comes to keeping mirrors and windows streak-free. Mix one part white vinegar with four parts water in a spray bottle. Squirt then wipe with a microfibre cloth and voilà, clean glass in an instant.
Make your home smell amazing
For dust-free skirting boards, pour some fabric softener onto a cloth and give them a quick wipe. It will stop dirt collecting so quickly and, as an added bonus, make your home smell amazing.
But just make sure to follow these simple tips to achieve the best results.
Opt for a white, non-gel toothpaste and make sure to avvoid anything with stripes or microbeads.
Use a soft cloth or sponge and gently scrub yoursurfaces in small circles for a few minutes, then rinse with water and buff dry.
Finally, finish with a protective layer by applying a small coat of furniture polish to slow future fogging.
Anne also shared a 5p tip that will leave your car smelling fresh all the time.
And another budget-friendly item will leave your wooden floors sparkling.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
Pharmacy warning of unsustainable demand for weight loss medication
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has issued a warning that the burgeoning demand for weight loss injections may be unsustainable, citing a significant mismatch between public interest and clinical suitability for the treatments. The NPA, which represents over 6,000 independent community pharmacies, highlighted this concern. A poll commissioned by the association revealed that 21 per cent of respondents had attempted to access weight loss treatments in the past year, either online or directly from a pharmacy. This figure surged to 35 per cent among 16 to 34-year-olds, contrasting sharply with just seven per cent of those over 55. There were also 41% who agreed they would opt for weight loss treatments on the NHS if they were made available to them. This figure rose to 64% among 25 to 34-year-olds, despite many of these patients being unlikely to be clinically eligible. The NPA says the poll, in which 2,002 people were interviewed, reflects an increasing demand for private and NHS weight loss services. NPA chairman Olivier Picard said: 'Weight loss jabs are one of the biggest drug innovations this century, but growing demand for weight loss treatment highlights the need to make sure this is appropriate for those who want it. 'It's clear from this polling that many more people are interested in getting weight loss jabs than would actually be suitable for treatment. 'We want to make sure supplies are carefully managed so that those in most clinical need can benefit from weight loss medication.' Spiralling demand, fuelled partly by social media, could see people being tempted to resort to unregulated online suppliers instead of regulated pharmacies staffed by medical professionals, they fear. Online suppliers may not be offering weight loss jabs alongside a structured programme aimed at helping them change their behaviour. Wegovy and Mounjaro are among a number of drugs that are recommended to help tackle obesity on the NHS. Mounjaro and Wegovy are licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in patients with a BMI of over 30 or between 27 and 30 but with a weight-related co-morbidity. This occurs when an individual who has obesity develops another medical condition due to their weight. The NHS currently rolls out Mounjaro to patients with a BMI of over 40 and at least four co-morbidities, the NPA says. The NPA is calling for new regulations to protect patients buying weight loss medication online, so there is a full two-way consultation and all relevant historical medical records are reviewed before the treatment is prescribed. They are waiting for more details about the role pharmacies could play in the rollout of the NHS weight management programme. At least 85% of weight loss medication prescriptions were made by pharmacies in April this year, the NPA estimates. Mr Picard said: 'Pharmacists are experts in medication and many have extensive experience delivering weight loss injections as part of a package of care, including lifestyle advice. 'Pharmacies are well placed to help roll this treatment out on the NHS, and help people make the best use of these powerful medicines.'


The Sun
29 minutes ago
- The Sun
Millionaire family who blow £40k per holiday muck out sheep on Lancashire camping trip, in Rich Holiday, Poor Holiday
A MILLIONAIRE couple, who have £2500 a week in disposable income were left horrified when they had to muck out alpacas as a "fun" activity on Channel 5's Rich Holiday, Poor Holiday. After giving the Leaf family a glimpse into their lives by taking them to a hotel in Malta that cost more per night than their monthly rent, the Dissont family were whisked off to rural Lancashire for a budget break. 3 3 Health and Aesthetics clinic owners Sam and Andre, who earn up to £80,000 a month, blow up to £40,000 on a single break, so they were less than impressed by the Leaf's glamping holiday, with Andre describing the glamping pods as akin to a "sewage silo." "It's smaller than some of the bathrooms in the hotel's we've stayed in", said Sam, who is used to five star luxury. "I've never been on a holiday where I could touch all four walls at the same time", Andre admitted. The couple and their 14-year-old daughter were immediately unsure whether they would be able to hack the trip. "There's no holiday feel to it, it's just endurance", said Andre, after having to lug his suitcase across a muddy field. The posh family, from Cheshire, who blew £155 on a guided tour in Malta, were shocked to find that the same cost was their entire spending budget for the four-day Lancashire trip. "That is so tight", Andre fumed. "We spend that much money just on getting to the airport." The holiday doesn't get off to a great start, with Sam moaning about the cold temperatures and the fact they're "stuck in a field", with nowhere to go. The couple were horrified by the communal bathroom, and couldn't believe that they had to cook food for themselves. Inside 'real-life Love Island' where super-rich 'drop £3k a day' and kinky clubs sweep up boozy Brits booted out from Ibiza "When it comes to a holiday, I want to be catered for", Andre said. Sam completely refused to use the shared shower and decided to fast rather than eat a breakfast of eggs on toast. Activities on the trip included volunteering with alpacas and paddle boarding, which Andre described as "holiday hell." And although the family did enjoy cuddling the animals, they were less than impressed when it came to mucking them out. Top Hacks for Holidaying with Kids IF you've got plans to go on holiday with your little ones this summer, here's some advice to take on board. Plan Ahead: Book accommodations with family-friendly amenities. Research kid-friendly attractions and activities. Make travel arrangements that accommodate your children's schedules. Pack Smart: Create a packing checklist to ensure you don't forget essentials. Pack a mix of familiar and new toys to keep kids entertained. Bring snacks, extra clothes, and emergency supplies in your carry-on. Travel Comfort: Use neck pillows and blankets for a more comfortable journey. Download movies, games, and music on tablets or phones. Schedule travel during nap times or overnight to maximise sleep. Stay Organized: Use packing cubes to keep clothes and items sorted. Keep important documents, like passports and tickets, in a dedicated folder. Utilise apps for itinerary management and navigation. Engage and Entertain: Plan interactive activities like scavenger hunts or travel journals. Explore local parks, playgrounds, and kid-friendly museums. Involve kids in trip planning to get them excited and engaged. Maintain Routine: Stick to regular meal and sleep times as much as possible. Bring along comfort items, like favorite blankets or stuffed animals. Allow for downtime to avoid overstimulation. Stay Flexible: Be prepared to adjust plans based on your children's needs and moods. Embrace the unexpected and make the most of impromptu moments. Keep a positive attitude to set the tone for a fun and memorable trip. These hacks can help make your holiday with kids smoother, more enjoyable, and will ensure that you return home with wonderful memories! "I work hard anyway, I don't need to do that when I'm on holiday", Andre fumed. The Dissont's couldn't wait to get home to their huge mansion, after admitting that their perspective on budget holidays hadn't changed. However, daughter Kasia said she enjoyed the £900 Lancashire break just as much as the £16,000 Malta getaway. The rich family showed their generous side though, by offering to pay for the Bolton-based Leafs to go on holiday to Greece. "You totally deserve it", they told the "selfless" family. In floods of tears, the grateful family said the gift was "incredible".


The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
I tested all the supermarket cinnamon swirls – the tasty winner was £1.20 cheaper than M&S
CINNAMON buns are rolling in the sweet taste of more success. Waitrose recently reported a surge of 381 per cent in online searches for them. 9 But if you don't want to pay over the odds for costly versions to go with your coffee in a shop, which supermarket 's version is best to enjoy at home? Laura Stott tucked into a selection and gives her verdict. Danish Cinnamon Whirl x 2 , Sainsbury's bakery, £1.75 SMELLING exactly as sweet and spiced as you want, sadly they are more like the Danish pastry part of their title than a traditional big bouncy bun. What you get is thinner and flatter puff pastry spirals with a brown sugar filling woven through. More cinnamon flavour would be welcome but what's there is evenly dispersed and the pastry is rich and buttery. Despite these positives, they seemed small compared to the others I tried and it is noticeable that they have no icing on top. Also very messy to eat as when you bite into it, the wheel shape quickly starts to unravel meaning your cake falls apart. Not very satisfying. Rating: 2/5 'You can spend just 1p in Lidl & get free food' savvy shopper says as she nabs a bakery treat without paying every time' The Cake Shop Cinnamon Buns x2, Morrisons, £2.39 VERY sweet and smothered with soft cheese icing. In fact, they are drizzled with so much topping, you can barely identify anything else. I like icing on top but this was too much for me. It was so abundant it had dripped all over the whole pastry as well as all over the packet. Not only did it make these exceedingly messy to eat but you could barely taste the cinnamon spice that should have been the star of the show. The bits of the cake I could taste were nice enough and they are a good size, raised in the middle with a very generous serving. But it was hard to get beyond the thick and gunky topping. Not cheap either, for supermarket own buns, these were noticeably pricey compared to others. Rating: 2/5 Cinnamon Buns x 2, Tesco, £1.80 VERY tasty buns from Tesco that are full of flavour. I thought they were just as enjoyable as anything you could buy from a fancy bakery. They are generous in size with lots of height and volume and covered in cream cheese icing. When you bite in they are soft, tasty and plump. There is also a visible amount of brown sugary cinnamon running throughout and plenty of topping – but it is not so much that the treats become sickly. They are very sweet but they look lovely and smell delicious. They are a great price, too. Impossible not to wolf down in one go. Perfect with a cup of coffee in the sunshine for the cafe experience without the inflated cost. Rating: 5/5 Cinnamon Buns x 2 Asda, £1.74 A LOVELY dark golden hue gives them that fresh bakery appeal that should start to make your mouth water. And when you tuck in, these are tasty, rich and generous with a generous portion of warming cinnamon filling, giving you a nice sugary hug for the ultimate comforting pick-me-up. Well balanced with a nice amount of icing which is plentiful enough to ensure the buns are sticky and gooey – and there was quite a lot of the icing still stuck to the packaging! I'd happily buy these again if I fancied something sweet. Very well priced too, these won't blow the budget. Rating: 4/5 Cinn-a-yum Buns x 6 M&S/ £3 I LIKED the tear-and-share style of these iced buns. They are smaller individually than others but they are designed to be bite-sized, it's not that you've been offered a stingy treat. The petite size makes them ideal for parties, or if you just want something sweet without indulging in a huge cake. The cinnamon gives a good hit of flavour and sweetness with the demerara sugar. But they were rather dry and not as sticky and gooey as I like. The icing wasn't great either, it felt like a bit of an afterthought that had been quickly added on top. Nice as a little treat, though, or for a change in place of a biscuit or pud. Rating: 2/5 The Daily Bakery Cinnamon Buns x2, Iceland, £1.50 REALLY well priced and they taste very good, too. If sweet and sticky is your idea of heaven, you will love these. Each one has loads of cinnamon powder sprinkled on top so you can really smell and taste the spice when you open the packet. Well-shaped buns that look very appetising and they don't disappoint. The pastry is rather dense but it is not to their detriment, it just makes them a bit more filling. Absolutely packed with cinnamon sugar filling too so you get your money's worth on the flavour and there was just enough icing to give the stickiness you want without being overwhelming and gunky. Very nice and extremely affordable. Rating: 4/5 Cinnamon Bun x 1, Lidl bakery, 79p DENSE and yeasty with plenty of appeal when you look at it too. Very sticky and a dark golden brown colour from a thick layer of cinnamon sugar which also gives a lovely fresh aroma. It tasted lovely and fresh, very treacly and rich with soft pastry and a crispy outer, alongside a plump bouncy feel in the mouth. Extremely generous in size with plenty of height and a very gooey and generous icing. This was probably the biggest bun of all the ones I tried so everything is amplified, from the amount of pastry on your plate to the cinnamon flavour in each bite. Perfect with a cuppa as a mid-afternoon pick me up. Rating: 4/5 Village Bakery Cinnamon Buns x 2, Aldi, £1.49 VERY bizarre buns. A bit different in style to most and I wasn't a huge fan of the change. They don't seem anything like traditional cinnamon buns – instead they resemble the soft wholemeal rolls you might make a cheese sarnie with. When you bite in, they are extremely sweet, heavily flavoured with cinnamon and a cream cheese American-style frosted filling. More like an iced bun, they are very sticky and sickly and I found the similarity to a brown bap a bit disconcerting. There's no textural notes either, everything is very mushy. Although they don't have the plate appeal, if it's just an affordable sticky sweet cinnamon treat you want, they'll do the job. Very filling, too.