A fan of the cleaning guru Mrs Hinch has shared that she was 'struggling' with the cost of her washing but members of the cleaning community have come to her aid.

One top contributor in the group Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips asked its users, alongside a picture of Calgon Power Tabs, if they knew of more budget-friendly alternatives to the brand.

The cleaning fanatic asked the group: "Does everyone use this in your washing, I’m struggling with the cost!! Any suggestions on alternatives??"

Amid the current cost of living crisis, households up and down the country - including members of the cleaning community -  are asking similar questions as they look to find creative ways to cut down on their spending. 

The request was met with hundreds of comments which ranged from product suggestions to cleaning method explanations. 

White vinegar was a popular suggestion with many members recommending the solution over more expensive brands.

For instance, one user commented: "Put a cup full of white vinegar in the machine, empty on a hot wash once a week. This will clean your machine, not needing to use calgon tablets or any other products."

Meanwhile, another member said: "White vinegar once a week instead of fabric conditioner in towel wash does the job no smell soft towels Win Win , I live in a very hard water area."

However, the most popular suggestion was a product that you can pick up for around £2 at many major supermarkets - soda crystals.

One member replied: "Soda crystals cheap and do the same job."

A second person posted: "Soda crystals- never have build up of scale been using this for years."

Meanwhile, a top contributor shared: "I put a scoop of soda crystals in the detergent drawer twice a week."

A fourth added: "Use soda crystals I've been using it for years pur a scoop in soap dispenser drawer engineer said this also."

Soda crystals can be purchased at major retailers including a 1kg at Tesco for £2, Sainsbury's and Asda.

Can you put soda crystals in a washing machine?

The brand Dri-Pak has explained that soda crystals can be used for both cleaning your washing machine and removing limescale.

On its website, the experts write "Add Soda Crystals to every wash.

"Use the soft water dose of your regular detergent and make up the difference in Soda Crystals.

"You can even use Pure Liquid Soap instead of your usual powder/liquid detergent.

"Particularly useful if you have a baby or people with sensitive skin in your family.

"Liquid Soap is also recommended for cleaning delicate and waterproof clothing"

For more information, visit the Dri-Pak website.

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Who is Mrs Hinch?

Mrs Hinch - otherwise known as Sophie Hinchcliffe - is well-known and beloved for sharing cleaning tips and tricks. The popular influencer created her Instagram account, mrshinchhome, in March 2018

Since then, she has accumulated 4.7 million followers on the platform (at the time of writing) and has written several cleaning books which have been included on the Sunday Times Bestseller List.

In fact, her memoir which was released in October 2020, This Is Me, became a number 1 bestseller.

Her work as an influencer has even inspired an entire community Facebook group where people share tips and tricks for cleaning and decluttering their homes.

We have recently been sharing these tips including how to unblock your sink, how you can dry your clothes indoors without a dryer and how to get a streak-free shower to name just a few.