TV’s Queen of Clean Lynsey Crombie talks to ME & MY MONEY

TV’s ‘Queen of Clean’ Lynsey Crombie can command fees worth tens of thousands of pounds for mentioning plug-hole plungers and other cleaning products on social media.

But 43-year-old Lynsey, who rose to fame in 2013 with Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners on Channel 4, is so grateful for the money that she tells Donna Ferguson she will clean the homes of the terminally ill and elderly for free as a way of giving back. to do. .

She and her second husband Rob, 43, live in Peterborough with their son Jake, 14, and her twins Molly and Olivia, 19.

What did your parents teach you about money?

That old-fashioned rule: if you don’t have the money, don’t buy it. My mother never worked – she didn’t have to. My father brought in enough money as a gas mechanic to enable her to raise me and my brother. We were a typical middle-class family – we lived in a detached house, had a car and went on holiday abroad every year. I went to a normal public school and we didn’t have any flash stuff, but I never went without anything.

My father had a great work ethic. He worked every hour that God sent. He taught me that if I wanted something tasty, I had to work for it. It wouldn’t land in my lap.

Have you ever had trouble making ends meet?

Yes. The worst time was when I was left as a single parent at the age of 24 in the mid 2000s. I had just had premature twins. They were newborn babies in the hospital, extremely bad. I had no income, no job, no savings and I had to leave my husband for reasons I don’t want to talk about. [Lynsey discovered her first husband was a sex offender.] It’s all been reported and I don’t like dwelling on the past. I’m all about being positive these days.

I only took what fit in my trunk from the wedding. I let my husband have everything because I just wanted to get out. But because I had a house with him and there was some money in the marriage, I was rejected when applying for benefits.

My father was very kind, he rented me a small flat close to their house. After a few months I set up a speed dating business to support myself. I lived on £20 a week after my bills. I look back now and not sure how I handled it.

How could you afford to eat on £20 a week?

I got really skinny. I’m 5ft 10ins and I dropped to eight bricks. I lived on fig buns and cups of tea. At the end of the month, I paid by check at the supermarket, because it took five days to clear. Luckily, my daughters got prescription milk, so I didn’t have to buy them food.

How did you become the Queen of Clean?

Together with a friend I had set up a small publishing company, where I printed local magazines. We sold advertising space and put it in people’s homes. I was making about £20,000 a year.

One day we got a call from Channel 4. They were looking for hoarders for a new TV show they were doing about obsessive-compulsive cleaners and wanted to advertise in our magazines.

I remember talking to the man on the phone and saying, “I like cleaning.” Before I knew it, the lead producer had called me back. He asked me if I wanted to join the show. So I did. They sent us to really filthy houses and big mansions and we had to clean them. It was really laughing.

I really like cleaning. I think it’s good exercise. I did four series and it was so much fun. I look back and think: 2013 was the happiest year of my life. If my business partner had answered the phone instead of me she would have just taken the booking and this would never have happened to me.

So I pinch myself everyday that I get to do the work that I do.

Have you ever been paid stupid money?

Yes, by posting on Instagram where my name is @lynsey_queenofclean. For the first few years I would earn about £30,000 a year from it. About three years ago a nice lady – who is now my manager – said that I wasn’t charging enough for my sponsored posts.

She got me my first campaign with a plug-hole plunger. All I had to do was share a photo of me holding the product. One of the children took the picture. I have 6,000 pounds. I now have almost 300,000 followers and can earn bigger fees.

The most lucrative was a contract with a cleaning brand. I mentioned their products on my feed at least once a week for three months and they paid me £75,000. I am very grateful for what I earn, but I don’t take it for granted and I will clean the homes of terminally ill and elderly people in my local community for free, as a way of giving back.

What was the best year of your financial life?

It was 2021. Besides Instagram, I also make money from my three books, from writing for magazines, from radio and TV, including my regular appearances on This Morning, and from my book club. Overall, I made a good six-figure sum. If someone had told me ten years ago that I would deserve what I do now, I would not have believed them in a million years.

What’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought for fun?

A Gucci handbag – something I never thought I’d ever own. It cost about £1,700 and I use it every day.

I remember queuing at Selfridges and feeling guilty about the purchase. I know the bubble could burst at any moment. But my husband encouraged me to treat myself.

The best money decision you’ve made?

Answering that call from Channel 4 in 2013. It changed my life.

What’s the one luxury you treat yourself to?

A weekly blow-dry, which costs £35. It sounds frivolous, but I can afford it. I also have a regular massage for £45 and get my nails done every other week for £30.

Are you saving for a pension?

I do. I started putting lump sums into a low-risk scheme about four years ago when my accountant suggested I do so. I do not invest in the stock market outside of my pension.

Do you own real estate?

Yes, a five bedroom detached house in Peterborough, with a small mortgage. I bought it five years ago. We put a huge extension on the back and doubled its value. I clean my house myself and it is very clean.

If you were Chancellor, what would you do first?

I would fund more training for cleaners, raise the salaries of cleaners working in the public sector and raise the national minimum wage so that the lowest paid earn more.

We talk about how great doctors and nurses were during the pandemic – but what about cleaners who worked to keep conditions sterile? The work that many cleaners do is excellent. Maybe if we paid cleaners more and gave them training and accreditation they would be more respected.

Do you donate money to charity?

Yes, I donate to food banks and Bliss, a charity that helps families with premature children.

What is your first financial priority?

To manage my money wisely and to be aware that my career could end tomorrow.