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    I Used To Be A Cleaner – Here Are My Favourite Products Under £3

    I still swear by these, TBH.

    Amy Glover
    by Amy Glover

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Hi! I'm Amy, and I used to be a cleaner before I began working at BuzzFeed. I learned loads in that job, like how to do an envelope fold and just how many people think UK kettles can be used as teapots (it's a lot). I also found out which cheap-as-chips products do just a good a job as their pricier counterparts – here are some of my faves!

    1. You can't go wrong with some classic baking powder. It's perfect for cleaning everything from ovens to shower units, and you can use it as a deodoriser in your fridge too (hello, ~adventurous~ cheeses).

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    This extra-large bottle will last you for ages (I've had mine for about six months, and there's still loads left). My favourite hack is to make a paste from baking soda and water, apply it to hard-to-clean spots like baking trays or oven racks, and cover it in clingfilm for a few hours – it makes grime run off your surfaces in an oh-so-satisfying ooze. 

    Price: £1.50 for 500g.

    2. You can sub out a lot of cleaning products for one another (I use washing-up liquid for my glass surfaces all the time), but I refuse to use anything other than Elbow Grease as a degreaser.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    It's the most effective and fast-acting product I've ever tried on sticky surfaces, it costs a quid, and it's solvent-free too – what's not to love?

    Price: £0.77.

    3. Once I used The Pink Stuff's cream cleaner for the first time, I knew I could never go back.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    It's gentle-but-effective beads are suspended in a gel and help to break down everything from burnt-on food to mild rust. Science aside, I clean about three times faster when I'm using this stuff – it's my undisputed favourite for hard water stains, soap scum, and that annoying buildup on your tiles.

    Price: £0.95.

    4. I just don't think I would have been able to do my job without this roll of 40 cleaning cloths.

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    I love these cloths because of how versatile they are (you'll always see these blue ones a cleaner's caddy). Their lint-free material makes them perfect for dusting, wiping down surfaces, and polishing – I find that this brand is more absorbent and long-lasting than other options I've tried, so you'll get more than your money's worth IMO.

    Price: £2.00.

    5. If I had to clean a house with only one product, I reckon it'd probably be this endlessly useful concentrated disinfectant from Fabulosa.

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    You can either use this stuff undiluted on small surfaces or dilute it for an endlessly effective solution (I use it diluted on everything from my loo to my floors). You can get up to ten litres of cleaning fluid from a single bottle, so it's probably the most cost-effective go-to in my cleaning cupboard! 

    Price: £1.05.

    6. Anyone who's tried to clean their sink or shower knows how tough it can be to get them *truly* spotless, so it's a good thing this specially-designed spray exists.

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    It'll clean marble, glass, plastic, granite, and plenty of other hard surfaces within a minute without damaging them (it was the only product I trusted on clients' marble sinks). Sure, you can achieve a similar result from scrubbing every hard-to-reach crevice of your taps and plughole – but when this leave-on-and-rinse-off option is under £3, why would you?

    Price: £2.84.

    7. A ~professional~ finish is in the details, which is where this mini dustpan and brush set comes in.

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    To be honest, I thought this was a bit gimmicky when I first saw it in my colleague's kit – but having used it for everything from windowsills to blind slats, I'm completely converted. It reaches hard-to-get-at spots pretty much instantly, and yes, scooping up the dirt with that mini scoop is incredibly fun.

     Price: £2.19.

    8. This low-hassle rim block cleans your loo, keeps it smelling fresh, and costs under £1.50. It's a no-brainer if you ask me (and apparently, you are).

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    It releases dirt-busting enzymes, so it's the perfect way to maintain your toilet between scrubs (I'm 200% on board with anything that makes my job easier, so I'd always leave one of these in clients' loos).

    Price: £1.35.

    9. Okay, so this Bar Keeper's Friend cleaning powder is technically bang-on three quid and not under it, but it works so well on everything from baking trays to oven racks that I'm sure you'll forgive me.

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    I just haven't met another product that transforms about-to-be-thrown-out baking trays like this stuff does, and it works on your sink and oven too. I like to create a paste from it and leave it on truly grimy areas for a before-and-after-worthy result, and it's probably my favourite bathtub cleaner too (it gets rid of that gross-looking buildup in next to no time).

    Price: £3.00.

    10. Nothing gives that 'I've had pros in' sparkle to your hard surfaces like these microfibre cloths.

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    They won't leave any lint on your glass, stainless steel, or chrome, and because they distribute pressure really evenly, they'll give a streak-free finish too. Using these on your taps and shower controls is the difference between 'I've cleaned up a bit' and 'this place is spotless', IMO – I always hear that cleaning ad 'ding' when I've whipped these out.

    Price: £2.49 for four.

    11. You know those multi-product toilet-cleaning TikToks? Yeah, this fast-acting fluid from Duck proves that you only really need one solution to get the job done.

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Speed is key when you're cleaning people's homes, so it makes sense that I grew to love this fast-but-effective product. It cuts through hard water, limescale, and dirt instantly (though you can leave it to soak if you're dealing with a very challenging loo) – no wonder it's so ridiculously highly-rated.

    Price: £0.90.

    12. A few years into using Dr. Beckmann's carpet-cleaning solution, I'm still amazed by how well (and quickly) it works.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    I always used to tell my clients there was no way I could tackle the stains on their carpets, because I thought the only thing that'd actually budge the dirt was a pro device. After I got asked to try Dr Beckmann's, though, I was amazed by how well it removed small stains (and I didn't even need to vacuum over it) – just run its handy brush over the affected area, wait 20 minutes, and you're done. Game-changing.

    Price: £2.79.

    13. Speaking of fast-acting solutions to long-standing problems, this bargain mould remover gets to work in three minutes.

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Mould is a really common problem in colder, wetter climates, so something as cheap and effective as this remover naturally became a staple in my caddy. I'm always surprised by how well it works, and there's nothing more satisfying than wiping away those marks to reveal a good-as-new surface underneath.

    Price: £1.00.

    14. Believe it or not, this pumice stone is the best solution for that truly tough-to-budge limescale at the base of your loo.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    You can chuck all the chemicals you like at the Mark of Shame in your toilet bowl, but it won't wear the worked-in discolouration away because it's a hard water issue instead of plain dirt. Enter: this amazingly effective pumice stone that grinds away at hard water stains without damaging the ceramic underneath! I used it on my own flat's loo when I first moved in – it's the only thing I could do to ensure I wasn't too embarrassed to have people over.

    Price: £2.40.

    15. This squeegee is the difference between squeakily wiping your entire shower screen down in tiny circles or sweeping away the grime in super-satisfying wipes.

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    I love its soft-but-effective blade, and its 20cm length makes cleaning as speedy as it is easy (yes, please).

    Price: £2.39.

    16. Most of the UK is in a hard water area, so this descaler spray is basically priceless.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    You know that 'scummy, grimy-but-I'm-not-sure how' look your shower, loo, and sinks get after a while, no matter how clean you are? Yeah, that's more than likely hard water buildup (which looks bad on its own AND makes soap and grime easier to stick to your surfaces). This descaler spray gets to work in about 20 minutes, and it's a great way to make your shower head, ceramic surfaces, and more looks as good as new again.

    Price: £2.99.