The Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners are back for a new series and they are sharing their top tips for keeping your home spick and span.

From rubbing fabric conditioner on radiators to using a cheese knife to get rid of limescale and emptying the water out of the toilet bowl before dousing it in vinegar, the cleaners leave no rug or duvet unturned.

The cleaners are led by Hayley, a 30-year-old mum of three, who was diagnosed with OCD in 2007. She can spend up to 19 hours a day in her battle against bacteria.

Hayley’s top tips:

• Rub neat fabric conditioner on radiators and when they warm up the whole house smells amazing.
• Use Milton baby sanitizer. It gets rid of germs but is much safer, especially if you’ve got kids. Follow instructions on the bottle.
• Vacuum the ceiling to get rid of dust and cobwebs.

Rob is a 32-year-old College Lecturer who lives in Burnley. He lives in a quaint cottage which he keeps to “showhome standard” through a strict cleaning regime.

Rob’s top tips:

• Use thick bleach and a toothbrush to keep bathroom grout clean and bright. It’s fab for getting the hard to reach places. Bicarb and lemon juice is a good alternative for people who aren’t a fan of bleach. (Make sure you wear rubber gloves to do this)
• Grind up some lavender in a pestle and mortar and mix with bicarb. Sprinkle over carpets and rugs bought from UK tool hire, leave for 20 minutes and then vacuum off. It keeps them smelling fresh. (Clean the pestle and mortar thoroughly after use).
• Use a steam cleaner on a mattress to kill any bugs.
• A small bowl of coffee beans helps to reduce any odours in food cupboards.
• The best way to tackle a limescale problem in the toilet is to remove all the water in the bowl and soak cotton wool in cheap white vinegar. You then pad out the toilet as if it was papier mache. This should be left overnight. The vinegar completely disintegrates any limescale without the need for scrubbing and also gets rid of any smells. Environmentally this is the best way forward and can be topped up with a cleaner in between. I know it sounds like a big job but the results are well worthwhile

Kris is a 34-year-old medical scientist who lives in Wakefield. He cleans for 22 hours a week and uses his scientific knowledge to make his own cleaning products.

Kris’s top tips:

• Always unscrew shower heads and bleach them once in the while by leaving in a bucket of diluted bleach. Rinse thoroughly before reattaching. Make sure the room is well ventilated while you do this and that you wear rubber gloves). The biofilm of microorganisms develops in this area and not many people know that.
• Always leave your dishes to air dry as tea towels are perfect ground for microorganisms to multiply and by reusing them we are actually spreading some potentially harmful bugs
• To clean the toilet use plenty of bleach. It’s also a good idea to soak the toilet brush in bleach for a while after cleaning the toilet. (Wear rubber gloves when using bleach)

Julie is a 53-year-old plumber who lives in Great Yarmouth. She is not a fan of chemical products and prefers to use natural alternatives.

Julie’s top tips:

• Use baby oil to get a shine on stainless steel
• Use vinegar for clean and streak free windows, on taps and in the toilet (to remove limescale.)
• Use hot and soapy water to wash down skirting boards
• To clean the toilet use lemon and vinegar. The acidity of the lemon burns away any grime and helps it smell fresh. The vinegar combats limescale better than any bleach will.
• Fill a sandwich bag with vinegar and tie it underneath your tap using an elastic band so that the tap is sitting in the vinegar. This will remove the limescale.

Louise is a 36-year-old military wife who cleans for up to 30 hours a week and has developed an armoury of specialised equipment to tackle any enemy dirt.

Louise’s top tips:

• Use a piping nozzle cleaning brush. Usually a cleaning tool for cake decorators, Louise uses it everywhere to give a really good scrub in any nooks and crannies. It’s great for drains and hinges.
• Use a cheese knife to get rid of limescale by chiselling away at it
• Everyday scissors work wonders in the garden as they are much more precise than gardening shears.

Tom, 33, is a car enthusiast. His cleaning obsession extends to his cars as well as his home and is known as the obsessive compulsive car cleaner when he goes to car shows.

Tom’s top tips:

• Use old (but clean) tea towels to buff up the bathroom after cleaning. They give everything a good shine.
• Car polish on the outside windows keeps them cleaner for longer as the water just rolls off.
• Put perfume on a cotton wool ball in the vacuum to spread a nice smell.
• It’s best to take the water out of the toilet – it’s the only way you can get a proper clean around the whole toilet.

Sandra, 52, is a café owner who lives in Port Talbot. Sandra has a strict inside clothes/outside clothes regime to help prevent dirt and germs getting in from outside.

Sandra’s top tips:

• Bathbombs make excellent air fresheners. Stick them in cupboards/wardrobes/airing cupboards and everything will smell great.
• Bicarb is the answer for stains. Rub it in dry to a new stain, leave for a moment and then scrub it out.

Carly, 32, is a data manager from Hertfordshire. Carly was diagnosed with OCD when she was 11 years old and spends up to seven hours a day keeping her flat immaculate.

Carly’s top tips:

• Mix washing up liquid with all purpose spray to kill germs and make everything smell nice.
• Splash a bit of lemon on fridge shelves when you polish them and then it will smell great every time you open the fridge.
• It’s important to bleach the floors to kill the bacteria that comes in on people’s feet. (Wear rubber gloves when using bleach).

Please note: With any of the suggested tips, when handling any household products, it is always advisable to keep out of reach of children and animals and always check the label for correct handling of the product. Damage can be caused by using unconventional products and tools not usually associated with cleaning – therefore it is advisable to test on a small area first.

Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners returned Tuesday March 15th at 8pm on Channel 4.