The simple twist of a spoon could reveal why your kitchen sink looks pristine…but doesn’t always smell great.
Former Bake Off winner turned eco-friendly cleaning guru Nancy Birtwhistle shared her latest tip on Instagram with her 714,000 followers this week – and left many of those who watched it horrified.
Entitled ‘Stinky sink’, the clip saw the Lincolnshire baker, who won the 2014 series of The Great British Bake Off, showing off her sparkling ‘white and bright’ ceramic sink and stainless steel plug.
She explained that a bit of a pong had been wafting up through the drain, and proceeded to use a spoon to see if she could find out why.
Bake Off 2014 winner Nancy Birtwhistle regularly shares her home cleaning hacks on her Instagram page; and this week she revealed how kitchen sinks that appear spotless could be harbouring hidden ‘gunk’
Highlighting two notches in the nut in the bottom of the sink, the cleaning whizz then inserted the end of the tablespoon into them and twisted until the sink base came loose.
What laid beneath was a thick layer of dirt and grime, with Nancy telling viewers ‘This is gross’.
Before cleaning up the ‘gunk’, she advised those planning on attempting to clean their own drains to use a bucket placed under the sink first to catch any debris.
The baking star then used her own homemade Basic Magic non-acidic cleaner to return the bottom of the sink to its former glory.
Those tuning in admitted they were traumatised by the thought of what could lurk millimetres from their own sinks.
Birthwhistle’s sink before she reached for a tablespoon and unearthed a horrible surprise
Using a spoon, the baker from Lincolnshire unscrewed the base of her sink – and pulled out the screw to take a closer look
Sinking low: Nancy found the source of the smell lying just beneath the sink
After placing a bucket underneath the sink, she set about removing the smelly grime
One person wrote: ‘If this is yours, I’d better buy full PPE before inspecting mine!’
Another joked: ‘Just done this and I feel like I’ve opened the f****** chamber of secrets’.
Others offered a word of caution before reaching for a tablespoon though, saying some sinks are structured differently and disconnecting the base could dislodge silicone sealant placed underneath to keep it watertight.
Birthwhistle has garnered a cult following with her planet-friendly hacks – including cleaning clothes with English ivy, using baking soda to replace dishwasher tablets and making oven racks shine by leaving them in damp grass.