I was a royal cleaner at Buckingham Palace -my 5p hack gets rid of nasty smells immediately – it’s discreet & lasts ages
A FORMER royal cleaner has shared a simple 5p trick she used to keep Buckingham Palace smelling fresh.
If you’ve ever visited the famed London palace, and marvelled at its cleanliness, you may be forgiven for thinking that cleaners polish and scrub using pricey products.
However, Anne Simmons, 57, who worked as a cleaner at Buckingham Palace for over a decade, has revealed that budget hacks are fit for the King.
Anne, from Berkshire, shared that in order to keep royal cars fresh, she swapped pricey air fresheners for an every day essential that will cost you less than a Freddo.
During her time working in the palace, Anne often had to face last minute inspections, which caused her to think on her feet and come up with inventive solutions.
“One day, I was asked to get a car ready for a senior royal’s outing” Anne told Plates Express.
“Everything looked spotless, but the inside just smelled… stale.
“We didn’t have fancy sprays or scented gels to hand, so I reached into my bag and pulled out a dry tea bag.
“I tucked it under the seat and let it sit.
“By the time they stepped in, the smell was gone—and in its place was a gentle, comforting scent.”
Tea bags are incredibly cheap, with each individual bag costing as little as 5p.
Anne now swears by the hack.
“It’s something I’ve used ever since. It’s discreet, cheap, and lasts much longer than people think,” she said.
“Black tea is my go-to, but you can use herbal ones like lavender or mint if you want a fresher smell.”
Tea bags work as they are natural odour absorbers, and pull moisture and bad smells from the air as they dry.
“Tea bags work quietly in the background,” Anne explained.
“They don’t overpower, and they don’t make people sneeze.
“I just pop one in the glove box, under a seat, or inside the cup holder.”
Cleaning and household chores in numbers
Well Polished conducted a survey and the results are in!
Most Hated Household Chores
- Cleaning the oven – 34%
- Ironing – 15%
- Cleaning the toilet – 10%
- Washing the dishes – 5%
- Decluttering – 4%
Most Liked Household Chores
- Cooking meals – 21%
- Decluttering – 12%
- Hoovering – 11%
- Doing the laundry – 9%
- Tending to pets 8%
Men VS Women: Who Puts the Work In?
Men spend 7 hours 54 minutes a week cleaning.
Women spend 12 hours 15 minutes a week cleaning.
And this isn’t the only handy hack the royal cleaner has up her sleeve.
Anne previously revealed how she used an old tube of toothpaste to get palace mirrors gleaming.
And the royal cleaner even swears by a kids toy to keep homes dust free.
She revealed that slime is also perfect for dusting.
“It’s safe, easy to use, and doesn’t leave any marks,” she said.