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A Manchester has seen her cleaning tips turn her into an Instagram sensation.
And it was all because of a dare.
Teaching assistant Annemarie Jones is on track to becoming the next big ‘cleanfluencer’- like Mrs Hinch – after gaining almost 45,000 Instagram followers and becoming so influential that products she posts about sell out.
The mum-of-three was dared by a friend to start an Instagram page dedicated to her cleaning hacks after devoting an hour a night, plus a full weekend morning to keeping her Manchester home spotless.
Hundreds of people followed Annemarie’s account – @cleanigram – overnight when she posted a single grainy shot of some cleaning products in November 2019.
Houseproud Annemarie, who lives with her three children, Mollie, 19, Emily, 17 and Harry, 13, husband, Stephen, 50, who works in the car industry, and new pup, Chow Chow Flo, said: “When I first set up the page, my kids joked that I’d never get any followers – and to be honest, I agreed with them.
“For a long time, I kept the page anonymous. I’ve only started showing my face in the past three months.
“Since then, things have gone absolutely crazy. I’ll put up a silly post or story, and the next thing I know I’ll have hundreds of messages. I can’t believe something I started as a dare has become so huge.”
Annemarie says it was buying her own home aged 21 – where she still lives today – that got her into a tidier lifestyle.
“People would say, ‘Your home is always spotless, you should set up a page for it,'” she said.
“I was resistant to the idea at first – I felt a bit shy.”
Setting up her account came after Mrs Hinch – aka Sophie Hinchcliffe – became an online sensation virtually overnight when photos of her immaculate home went viral.
Sophie now boasts 3.9m Instagram followers and has inspired homemakers all over the country – including Annemarie.
“I first saw Mrs Hinch on ITV’s This Morning and I absolutely loved her,” she recalled. “She seemed so nice and down to earth.”
She continued: “One day at work, I was talking about her, when a friend said, ‘I dare you to set up a cleaning account, too.’
“It was all a bit of a laugh. I went home that night, set one up and posted a picture of some products.
“I only followed one person – the friend who dared me to set it up – so I have no idea how people found the page, but I woke up the next day and already had followers.”
Within days, Annemarie had several hundred followers.
“When I look back at the first posts, I cringe. They’re all rubbish shots of some cleaning product,” she said.
After around six months, by which time her follower count was well into the thousands, Annemarie began sharing tips – which gathered even more attention.
But it was not until the end of 2020 that she finally revealed the face behind the account.
“I’m really quite chilled with my Instagram,” Annemarie said. “I know some ladies do it as a full-time job, and will carefully plan all their posts and so on, but I don’t really think ahead.
“My page is a snapshot of my life, so whatever I’m doing that day will be what I post,” she added.
“I think that’s why people like it – because it’s relatable and real.
“While my account is still mostly about my home and cleaning, I’ve noticed that the more followers I get, the more questions I get about other things.
“The other day, I posted a story of me cleaning wearing these leggings, and got hundreds of messages asking where they were from. They actually sold out, which is just bonkers.”
“I still find it quite overwhelming,” Annemarie said. “But I try to reply to every message, as I don’t like leaving people waiting or feeling ignored.”
Annemarie cleans for an hour every day after work, before dedicating one morning a weekend to making sure everything is in order.
She also has ‘no idea’ how much she spends on cleaning products – but admits that she has been known to buy multiple versions of one item, to share them out amongst her loved ones.
“I know I probably sound bonkers and cleaning obsessed,” she said. “But I genuinely do find it easier to do a little each day, rather than letting everything pile up and then having to waste an entire weekend cleaning.”
One of the most common things Annemarie’s followers ask her is for cleaning and decluttering tips – which she is happy to share.
She continued: “I try to employ more traditional methods of cleaning, like using bicarbonate of soda and vinegar, especially to lift stains.”
“The main tip I give people is to do things little and often and to get organised with a list. I make lists of everything,” Annemarie continued.
“If you’re thinking of doing a big clean, break it down into manageable tasks, organised by room, and tick each and every one off as you go, no matter how small it may seem.
“I also use baskets, boxes, dividers and labels to make sure everything is clearly organised. It’s good for the mind to live in a calm, clutter-free environment.”
Annemarie has no real plans of where to go next – but remains forever grateful that, through her love of cleaning, she has connected with a like-minded and close-knit community.
“The kids are telling me to get into TikTok next, but I think I’m too old,” she said.
“I’ll just continue being me and sharing my life. I’m feeling my way and seeing how it all goes.
“I still have to pinch myself that this many people want to follow me – just a normal mum from Manchester!”
You can follow Annemarie’s account @cleanigram.
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This content was originally published here.