I’ve seen quite a few of Ann Russell’s TikTok videos in which she mostly reacts to people’s “cry of help” when it comes to especially nasty stains that won’t budge or when clothing seems to smell bad no matter how often it’s washed. Her way of explaining and her being in generall is so inviting and non-condescending that you can’t help but listen to what she has to say. And as this book proves; she knows a thing or two (or a billion) about cleaning.
It’s not surprising, as she’s a self-employed professional domestic cleaner herself but as I said, it’s the way she explains it that makes it so digestable and … well … fun. As much fun as cleaning can be, that is 🙂
It was definitely motivating for me to pick up my spray cleaner and my gloves to go to town on my bathroom which was in dire need of a proper scrub.
This book doesn’t present the newest flashy cleaning product or paints the act of keeping your home clean as rocket science - because it’s not. But Ann knows how to say what you can do achieve some progress in your own dealings with cleaning while keeping in mind that not all people have the same budget for products or the mental strength at the moment to deal with mess and dirt. She’s very sensitive to different walks of life which is very refreshing.
Granted, I haven’t read many cleaning guidebooks but the ones I have felt less inviting and more demanding. More precisely, there was always that underlying feeling that you were a bad person if you didn’t manage to do it as it was written in those guidebooks. Ann firstly is aware that not everyone has the same energy reserve and secondly that cleaning also has a lot to do with which regiment/process suits you best. The more you do it the more you’ll find out what’s the most efficient and thourough way for yourself.
Can highly recommend for anyone who wants some input on cleaning. There’s chapters on the most trivial things such as bathrooms and kitchens but also on radiators (let’s be honest, who cleans those except before a move-out) and rugs (which I probably still won’t clean even after reading this book - what a hassle). Ann’s dry English humour was also very entertaining and I’m glad I bought this book. It’ll serve as a motivator for future cleaning slumps.
