SOCIAL MEDIA SUCCESS
My daughters joined Instagram when they hit Year 6 – apparently everyone at school was on it, so they had to be part of it too. I gave in and let them join, but under the condition that I could see everything they were posting and I set myself up with my own page: Lynsey_queenofclean. I kept an eye on the girls, but soon started to find some great fashion accounts. I got sucked in pretty quickly – I loved looking at the outfits these girls were putting together. I also started to follow a few home interior accounts, mainly because we had recently moved and I needed a little inspiration.
One day in 2016, I casually posted a picture of a bottle of cleaning product and added in a few hashtags (I’d learned how important the hashtags were from my girls and the fashion accounts I was following).
Within seconds I got loads of ‘likes’. I only had about 40 followers, so where were all these ‘likes’ coming from? I thought it was madness that people liked my picture.
Over the next few weeks, I started posting random pictures of myself cleaning. The likes continued and I was gaining followers. I didn’t know any of these people, so I found it quite strange at first, but I slowly started to piece together how Instagram worked. I did quite a bit of research and saw that this was a growing trend, that people were using Instagram to connect with those with similar interests, and that you could make money with an attached blog, too. When I hit around 10k followers and my blog was up and running, brands started to contact me and offer me free products. I was over the moon. I mean, for a girl like me, free cleaning products are absolute heaven!
Now I use Instagram and my blog to feature products and some of my little tips and tricks. I also give product demos – these have proved to be very valuable as they save people hunting for reviews online. I like to show people that cleaning isn’t boring and can be really fun. I also talk openly about my past and how I used cleaning to save myself, which has been something my audience has really related to. I take the time to engage and interact with my followers and to support them. I encourage people to grab that mop daily, to get up off the sofa and do something positive, which in turn really does help support mental health.
I feel so proud to have created a community of people who have found comfort in cleaning. My social media journey has connected me with some amazing people and brought you this book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed putting it together for you.
Happy Cleaning!
LYNSEY QUEEN OF CLEAN
How to create your own Queen of Clean tool kit!
I am often asked by newlyweds, people leaving home for the first time and new home owners about the best cleaning tools and products. I know that, for some, this can be very confusing; the supermarket shelves are packed with so many products, it’s hard to know what to buy.
My advice is to create a home cleaning kit. A perfectly-formed kit is the key to successful cleaning and will save you both time and money; you really don’t need to have cupboards bursting with products. The other beauty of having a dedicated kit is that you have everything to hand and you will know when you are starting to run low and need to replenish items.
This section will help you put together the ultimate cleaning caddy that is not only practical, but well organised and transportable, and which contains all the essential cleaning products you need to keep your home clean and give you fantastic results.
When building your kit, consider creating a few smaller additional kits that you can keep in different places in your home. This will help save you time when you are cleaning, so that you don’t have to go up and down the stairs like a yo-yo if you have forgotten anything.
Let’s get started …
You will need:
a sturdy, good-sized cleaning caddy with a handle
NATURAL CLEANERS
I tend to lean towards homemade products, so these few items are key if you are keen to follow the homemade, natural route.
BOUGHT CLEANING PRODUCTS
CLEANING TOOLS
ADDITIONAL MUST-HAVE TOOLS
These obviously won’t fit in your caddy, but you need them.