Have you heard of Mrs Hinch or ‘hinching’? Has someone in your house referred to dishcloths as Minkeh, called a duster Dave or turned your cupboards into their ‘Narnia’?
Cleaning is the newest craze to sweep the internet after Sophie Hinchcliffe, aka known as Mrs Hinch, became an online sensation after filming herself cleaning her home. The Essex hairdresser currently has a growing following that currently stands at a whopping 1M on Instagram and has even appeared on This Morning to showcase her hinching ways.
But why are we all so obsessed with watching someone clean their home and how is she ‘helping people’?
Is Cleaning The New mental Health Pill
As someone who suffers from anxiety, I get it! I find that a cluttered, messy or dirty environment has a direct effect on my mood.
Some days I find it hard to make sense of what is going on in my own brain, it can be filled with noise and become all muddled so if my environment mirrors that, my anxiety can take hold and a panic attack may follow.
How I describe it to people is; my head is already a mess, one I have little control over at times, but my environment I can control. When anxiety strikes and tries to make me curl into a useless numb ball of chaotic self-loathing thoughts on my bed, I fight it.
I fight it by cleaning and organising. Looking back to my younger years, I’ve always done then, of course anxiety never existed then, well at least we weren’t aware of what it was.
This, I think, is the key to Mrs Hinch’s success, as well as her infectious personality and witty names for her products. She has been open about her own mental health struggles and how cleaning has helped her . She has even shared messages from her ‘Hinch Army’ that have said how their mental health stopped them from cleaning their homes, even themselves, but she has motivated them and they feel like themselves again.
Now isn’t that amazing, that a cleaning account can do that.
The Products
Her most loved products can be usually found in the Euro shops, but of late they have been hard to find as people rush out to fill their Narnia’s with Mrs Hinch’s recommendations. Shops have even joined the Hinch Army, offer special Hinch baskets filled with the Mrs Hinch approved products.
Mrs Hinch Favourite Cleaning Products
Mrs Hinch Top Tips:
- Put your sink and cloths to bed! In non Hinch talk this means wiping down your sink, adding a cap full of zoflora to you cloths and bathing them in hot water over night. For an extra bed time treat for your sink, throw a dishwasher tablet in it and wash away with hot water until it is dissolve to keep your sink clean and plug unblocked.
- More Sink tips – soda crystals and white vinegar down the plughole keeps it clean and unblocked
- Clockwork clean – taking your daily basket (she has a daily and weekly basket filled with the products you need to do your bits), start at the left of the room and work your way around. Do this 30 minutes for a Mrs Hinch worthy home.
- Wash your washing machine……I’m mean who knew to do this?Clean tip drawer with limescale remover, run the washing machine on a high wash. For the rubber inside the washing machine, use an electric toothbrush and bathroom spray to remove any dirt, make sure to wipe it away with a cloth!
- Zoflora disinfectant is thee holy grail of Mrs Hinch must have cleaning products. A cap full in a spray bottle, dilute with water and use on your kitchen work tops. A cap full in the toilet or bath to keep it fresh and clean. Just buy it in every scent and use it liberally ok!
Fun or Obsession?
Some have said that her cleaning is obsessive and could lead to psychological issues with cleaning. At the beginning, I thought that it did look a little obsessive. Wiping down your sink a couple of times a day to remove the streaks might be too much. However a 30 minute wipe around of the whole house, is something we should all be doing if we want to live a more organised life, no? It’s important to find the balance that works for you and your lifestyle.
Cleaning can be overwhelming, but it can also be therapeutic.
If you are stuck in a rut in your home and the thoughts of starting to clean or declutter are daunting, I suggest to start to follow Mrs Hinch, she will light your cleaning fire. Start with a 15 minute clean everytime you come home from work, then move to 30 minutes, then start to set aside an hour a week for the big tasks. Eventually you with be back feeling house proud, in a sustainable routine and will undoubtedly feel better about yourself.
Right I’m off to stock up on Minkeh’s and Zoflora!!!
AJ xX
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