
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.
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The Independent
4 minutes ago
- The Independent
NHS disruption expected amid five-day doctor strike
The public are being urged to continue seeking NHS care despite a looming five-day strike by resident doctors, the 12th such industrial action since March 2023. The walkout is set to begin at 7am on Friday, with thousands of resident doctors expected to participate. NHS England has stated that hospitals and local teams have been preparing extensively for the industrial action, implementing plans to "minimise disruption to patient care and ensure life-saving care continues". Sir Jim Mackey, the new head of NHS England, has urged hospital leaders to maintain routine operations and appointments where possible, cancelling only if patient safety is at risk. However, the British Medical Association (BMA) has countered this, asserting that NHS England's strategy to proceed with business as usual during the strike poses a risk to patients. Despite the strike, GP surgeries will operate as normal, and urgent care services and A&E departments will remain available for those in need, according to NHS England. The public is advised to use 111 online as the initial point of contact for urgent but non-life-threatening health concerns. Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England national medical director, said: 'There is no doubt this industrial action will take a toll on patients and NHS staff, and it is disappointing it is going ahead. 'While it will mean some appointments won't be able to go ahead as planned, we are doing all we can to limit this, and patients should continue to use NHS services in the usual way. 'The public should dial 999 in an emergency, and otherwise use 111 online, your local pharmacist or GP, and patients should attend NHS appointments unless told otherwise.' BMA council chairman Dr Tom Dolphin said: 'It's worrying that NHS England appears intent on telling hospitals to continue providing non-urgent planned care on strike days, despite our warnings that this will leave staffing levels unsafe across the board. 'At best this will leave hospital managers and senior doctors confused over what they should be planning for this week, resulting in last-minute cancellations, and at worst puts patients at risk in both emergency and planned care settings. 'Senior doctors cannot simultaneously cover for striking resident doctors in emergency departments, while also continuing routine work, and NHS England is being irresponsible by suggesting they can do both. 'The priority on strike days must be emergency and urgent care.' Strikes by resident doctors last June led to 61,989 inpatient and outpatient appointments being rescheduled. Since the end of 2022, almost 1.5 million appointments have been rescheduled as a result of industrial action. The BMA said on Tuesday that talks with the Government aimed at averting the strike had collapsed over the core issue of pay. Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt, co-chairs of the BMA's resident doctors committee, said in a statement: 'We have always said that no doctor wants to strike and all it would take to avoid it is a credible path to pay restoration offered by the Government. 'We came to talks in good faith, keen to explore real solutions to the problems facing resident doctors today. 'Unfortunately, we did not receive an offer that would meet the scale of those challenges. 'While we were happy to discuss non-pay issues that affect doctors' finances we have always been upfront that this is at its core a pay dispute.' Health Secretary Wes Streeting said 'we cannot move on pay after a 28.9 per cent pay rise' but added that the Government was looking at ways to improve resident doctors' working lives. He said there was an opportunity for the union 'to work with us on a range of options that would have made a real difference to resident doctors' working conditions and created extra roles to deal with the bottlenecks that hold back their career progression. 'Instead, they have recklessly and needlessly opted for strike action.' He added: 'All of my attention will be now on averting harm to patients and supporting NHS staff at work. 'After a 28.9 per cent pay hike in the last three years and the highest pay rise in the public sector two years in a row, strike action is completely unjustified, completely unprecedented in the history of British trade unionism and shows a complete disdain for patients and the wider recovery of the NHS.' It came after research suggested public support for the strike is waning. A YouGov poll showed about half (52 per cent) of people in the UK 'somewhat oppose' (20 per cent) or 'strongly oppose' (32 per cent) resident doctors going on strike over pay. A third (34 per cent) of the 4,954 adults surveyed either 'somewhat support' (23 per cent) or 'strongly support' (11 per cent) doctor strikes. YouGov said the proportion supporting the strike over pay has dropped five points since it last asked the question in May, when 48 per cent opposed the strikes and 39 per cent supported them. Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, said the decision for strikes to go ahead 'is a crushing blow for patients and for the NHS'. Resident doctors are qualified doctors in clinical training. They have completed a medical degree and can have up to nine years of working experience as a hospital doctor, depending on their specialty, or up to five years of working and gaining experience to become a GP.


The Independent
4 minutes ago
- The Independent
Public urged to continue to seek NHS care during five-day doctor strike
The public are being urged to keep coming forward for NHS care during a five-day strike by resident doctors. NHS England said hospitals and local teams have been preparing before the strike, which begins at 7am on Friday, and have plans in place to 'minimise disruption to patient care and ensure life-saving care continues'. Thousands of resident doctors are expected to join the strike, which is the 12th by resident doctors since March 2023. New NHS England boss Sir Jim Mackey has urged hospital leaders to keep routine operations and appointments going if possible and to only cancel if there is a risk to patient safety. The British Medical Association (BMA) has said NHS England's plan to carry on with business as usual poses a risk to patients. During the strike, GP surgeries will open as usual and urgent care and A&E will continue to be available for those who need them, NHS England said. It urged the public to use 111 online as the first port of call for urgent but not life-threatening issues. Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England national medical director, said: 'There is no doubt this industrial action will take a toll on patients and NHS staff, and it is disappointing it is going ahead. 'While it will mean some appointments won't be able to go ahead as planned, we are doing all we can to limit this, and patients should continue to use NHS services in the usual way. 'The public should dial 999 in an emergency, and otherwise use 111 online, your local pharmacist or GP, and patients should attend NHS appointments unless told otherwise.' BMA council chairman Dr Tom Dolphin said: 'It's worrying that NHS England appears intent on telling hospitals to continue providing non-urgent planned care on strike days, despite our warnings that this will leave staffing levels unsafe across the board. 'At best this will leave hospital managers and senior doctors confused over what they should be planning for this week, resulting in last-minute cancellations, and at worst puts patients at risk in both emergency and planned care settings. 'Senior doctors cannot simultaneously cover for striking resident doctors in emergency departments, while also continuing routine work, and NHS England is being irresponsible by suggesting they can do both. 'The priority on strike days must be emergency and urgent care.' Strikes by resident doctors last June led to 61,989 inpatient and outpatient appointments being rescheduled. Since the end of 2022, almost 1.5 million appointments have been rescheduled as a result of industrial action. The BMA said on Tuesday that talks with the Government aimed at averting the strike had collapsed over the core issue of pay. Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt, co-chairs of the BMA's resident doctors committee, said in a statement: 'We have always said that no doctor wants to strike and all it would take to avoid it is a credible path to pay restoration offered by the Government. 'We came to talks in good faith, keen to explore real solutions to the problems facing resident doctors today. 'Unfortunately, we did not receive an offer that would meet the scale of those challenges. 'While we were happy to discuss non-pay issues that affect doctors' finances we have always been upfront that this is at its core a pay dispute.' Health Secretary Wes Streeting said 'we cannot move on pay after a 28.9% pay rise' but added that the Government was looking at ways to improve resident doctors' working lives. He said there was an opportunity for the union 'to work with us on a range of options that would have made a real difference to resident doctors' working conditions and created extra roles to deal with the bottlenecks that hold back their career progression. 'Instead, they have recklessly and needlessly opted for strike action.' He added: 'All of my attention will be now on averting harm to patients and supporting NHS staff at work. 'After a 28.9% pay hike in the last three years and the highest pay rise in the public sector two years in a row, strike action is completely unjustified, completely unprecedented in the history of British trade unionism and shows a complete disdain for patients and the wider recovery of the NHS.' It came after research suggested public support for the strike is waning. A YouGov poll showed about half (52%) of people in the UK 'somewhat oppose' (20%) or 'strongly oppose' (32%) resident doctors going on strike over pay. A third (34%) of the 4,954 adults surveyed either 'somewhat support' (23%) or 'strongly support' (11%) doctor strikes. YouGov said the proportion supporting the strike over pay has dropped five points since it last asked the question in May, when 48% opposed the strikes and 39% supported them. Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, said the decision for strikes to go ahead 'is a crushing blow for patients and for the NHS'. Resident doctors are qualified doctors in clinical training. They have completed a medical degree and can have up to nine years of working experience as a hospital doctor, depending on their specialty, or up to five years of working and gaining experience to become a GP.


The Independent
4 minutes ago
- The Independent
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