Anyone suffering from heatwave urged to do one thing before going to bed

Summer is a season filled with stain danger, from the potential for ketchup or barbecue sauce to drip out of our burgers on to pristine clothes, not to mention constant applications of SPF that leave clothes with cream marks to the heat, making people sweat through their clothes. Thankfully This Morning cleaning guru LYNSEY CROMBIE aka Queen of Clean knows all the tricks for tackling stubborn marks ensuring that you can breeze through the heatwave looking and feeling clean and fresh. Here she shares her tips:

FAKE TAN FIASCO

If you’re a regular fake tan user, you’ll be all too familiar with the orange tint it can leave behind on your toilet seat. To lift the stain, you’ll need to use products that help dissolve the dyes and oils in fake tan that stick to surfaces like ceramic or plastic.

• A cream cleaner, such as Cif lifts the pigment while giving the bowl a gentle scrub. The mild abrasives break down the staining without damaging the toilet seat surface.

• A damp Magic Eraser is ideal for quick fixes as the melamine foam acts like ultra-fine sandpaper, great for buffing away stains without harsh chemicals.

• For really stubborn marks, acetone nail polish remover cuts through the oily residues in fake tan - just be sure to test on a small patch first.

READ MORE: ‘I’m a cleaning influencer - a simple everyday product has transformed my home'

SAUCY STAINS

Summer BBQs are super-relaxing, until BBQ sauce or ketchup drips on to your favourite white top.

• Scrape off excess sauce using a blunt knife to avoid rubbing it deeper into the fabric. Flip the item inside out and rinse under cold running water to push the sauce out from the back, this helps lift the stain rather than spread it. Cold water also prevents the stain from setting.
• Turn the item right-side out, add a blob of washing-up liquid directly to the area, and pop in the wash as normal. Washing-up liquid cuts through the grease and sugar in BBQ sauces. The 15 Minute Clean: The Quickest Way to a Sparkling Home, £14.99, is available on Amazon, currently on offer for £12.29.

SWEATY ARMPITS

Underarm stains from sweat and deodorant build-up can turn hard and crispy, and washing alone doesn’t always do the trick.

• Before washing, spray the underarm area (from the inside of the garment) liberally with white vinegar. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then wash as usual. The white vinegar breaks down the salt, sweat, and aluminium in deodorants, softening the build-up so it can wash away cleanly.

GREASE IS THE WORD

Grease, from bbq burgers or mayo can be tricky to zap, but not if you act fast!

• Apply lemon juice to the stain. Lemon is a natural degreaser - the acid helps break down the oily residue. Then sprinkle bicarbonate of soda or corn starch on top - they both act like sponges drawing oil out of the fabric and absorbing the loosened grease. Let it sit for 10–15 minutes, rinse with cold water, then wash as normal.

SUNCREAM SAVE

Suncream can be a real pain to get out of clothes and the longer you leave it the worse it’ll get.

• If you are out and about when the stain occurs, gently blot to absorb as much as the cream as you can. Or use hand sanitiser to cover the stain - this will stop if from spreading. At the beach? Cover the stain with sand to dry it out. As soon as you can, rinse the stain from the reverse under a cold water tap, to help push it out of the fabric. Then try:

• White vinegar: This can help break down the oil base of the suncream - simply cover the stain in the vinegar then leave for 30 minutes.

• Eucalyptus oil: This has magical stain removal qualities and it smells incredible. Coat your stain in the stuff, leave for 15 minutes.

After applying either white vinegar or eucalyptus oil, wash the garment at the hottest temperature that’s safe for the fabric, and check for the stain again before you dry. Once the item has dried you won’t get the stain out. So if there is still a trace of the stain repeat this process again. Avoid the tumble dryer because any trace of the stain will become permanent. Instead air dry on the washing line or on a clothes airer.

The 15 Minute Clean: The Quickest Way to a Sparkling Home (Welbeck), £14.99, is available on Amazon; visit @lynsey_queenofclean on Instagram