The Queen's personal dresser has revealed the surprising cleaning trick she uses to shine Her Majesty's silverware and diamonds — and you don't have to be of royal descent to give it a go yourself.
According to Angela Kelly, who has worked with the Queen since 1994, her Royal Highness' dressers get her jewels sparkling by simply using water and a splash of gin.
Published in her new book, The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe, Angela says: "A little gin and water come in handy to give the diamonds extra sparkle. Just don’t tell the jeweller!"
This royal way of cleaning is something that has been done for centuries, with previous generations even soaking their jewels in gin overnight to remove any tarnishing. In the morning, the jewellery would be rinsed, revealing a new shine.
In her book, Angela also opens up about how she gets the Queen's clothing ready for events such as weddings, christenings and public outings, giving a behind-the-scenes insight into what happens behind the closed doors at Buckingham Palace.
How does this cleaning method work?
If you want to give your jewellery a clean using this simple technique, it's easy for everyone to try with any leftover gin. If it's good enough for Her Majesty, it's surely good enough for us...
- Simply pour a small amount of gin onto a cotton pad and rub it over your jewellery. Thanks to its high level of alcohol, any grease or bacteria will be removed.
- If you have some dirtier silverware, you can also try soaking it in gin and water for around 30 minutes.
- Remember, if you do have something highly valuable it's always best to check with a professional cleaning service.
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15 plastic-free cleaning and laundry products
Refillable amber brown glass bottles
You can choose whether these stylish bottles come with a trigger spray or a pump and you can also personalise the label on them. They are a perfect replacement for plastic bottles: cleaning sprays, shampoo and conditioner, hand wash, washing-up liquid etc. They can be refilled at local refill stations. We suggest Ecover refills for cleaning products (list of stockists here) and Faith in Nature for personal hygiene (list here).
Ecoegg for laundry - lasts up to 210 washes
Ecoeggs are a long-lasting alternative to laundry capsules and detergents. It’s a recycled plastic egg, filled with mineral pellets, which you put in your washing machine as you would a normal capsule. The refillable mineral pellets are proven to be good for allergy-prone and sensitive skin and are also much better for the waterways.
Tip! The Ecoegg is great for everyday washing but you might want to consider a stronger stain remover on dirtier clothes or the natural bleach mentioned in the next few slides. You can also add extra scent to your laundry with essentials oils.
Coconut fibre dish brushes
We love these sturdy dish brushes that not only do the job well but look much nicer in our kitchens, too. Their description reads: "Each cleaning brush is handmade and bristles are made from highly durable and long lasting coconut fibre."
Organic cleaning None Sponge
Swap those yellow and green sponges which shed plastic into our sinks with these attractive, washable pads. Although they are much thinner than a traditional sponge and definitely feel different to use, they are great for washing up plates, bowls and glasses. They can be washed in the machine and are then fully recyclable when they do reach they end of their days.
Guppyfriend laundry bag
This laundry bag collects the microfibres that escape from your clothes in the washing machine. You simply put your load in the bag and then put the entire bag in the machine. Once the load is done, the microfibres will be left in the bottom of the bag. These can't be recycled in most cases but this method stops them from entering the waterways and inevitably heading for the ocean.
Ecover All Purpose Cleaner
This is an excellent cleaner which can be used to refill reusable bottles like the glass ones mentioned earlier. This product can be found at most Ecover refill stations but, if you would prefer buy a bottle, rest assured that it is made from recycled plastic and plant based materials and is fully recyclable.
Bamboo clothes pegs
This is an obvious swap away from the plastic clothes pegs that have crept into our households.
Reusable paper towels
Swap plastic-wrapped, single-use paper kitchen roll for these much more attractive, natural and washable cloths.
Beeswax wraps
Swap cling film for beeswax wraps. They are perfect for fruit, veg, bread and bowls of leftovers. You simply warm the wax up with your hands and they mould around anything.
Natural bleach
This natural bleach in a paper bag, from Mangle & Wringer, is a great alternative to big plastic bottles of harsh chemical bleach. On their website, the description reads: "Our Natural Bleach, also known as oxygen bleach, is a safe and non-toxic, biodegradable alternative to harsh chlorine bleach. When dissolved in water it releases oxygen which acts as a powerful stain remover and deodoriser. It breaks down harmlessly to oxygen, water and sodium carbonate. This miracle product brightens both whites and coloured fabrics and prevents them from yellowing. It’s great at removing organic stains like tea and coffee, fruit juice, food sauces, grass stains, pet stains, blood and red wine. Natural Bleach is also a great alternative to chlorine bleach in the bathroom. Dissolve in warm water to safely clean and disinfect the loo and clean drains. Also use to easily and safely clean and bleach sinks, baths, cups, mugs, tea and coffee pots."
Bathroom and kitchen cleanser balm
Mangle & Wringer also do a range of cleaning balms in aluminium tins that can be reused or recycled. We love the lavender scented bathroom balm – you simply rub it in with a clean cloth, rinse and wash off.
Ecover dishwasher tablets
These tablets are friendly to the waterways and the cardboard packaging is fully-recyclable. Ecover have this to say about the plastic-wrapped tablets on their website: "Dishwasher tablets don’t react well to the moisture in the air. In fact, it causes them to crumble. We want you to open your box to find tablets, not powder, so we wrap each tablet. The packages of our dishwasher tablets are made of polypropylene and each pack weighs only 0.3 grams.We have not found a dissolvable film that meets our standards for biodegradability. We are actively investigating an alternative to this type of packaging – we’re looking at plant based options that meet our standards. We’re not there yet but when we find an alternative we will switch."
e-cloth
These reusable, washable clothes clean multiple surfaces with just water. The starter pack includes an e-cloth for bathroom, kitchen, windows, multi-surface and glass polishing
Stainless steel straws
An obvious swap for their plastic, single-use cousins.
String bags
Don't spend 5p on another plastic bag – these string ones are perfect for your shopping and stylish too.
Lisa Joyner is the Deputy Daily Editor at House Beautiful UK and Country Living UK, where she's busy writing about home and interiors, gardening, dog breeds, pets, health and wellbeing, countryside news, small space inspiration, and the hottest properties on the market. Previously, she has written for Conde Nast Traveller, House & Garden and Marie Claire magazine. Lisa studied at University For The Creative Arts, where she completed a BA in Fashion Journalism.
