Many households know the situation: under the sink there’s a jumble of cleaning bottles, yet hardly any of them do what they claim. A budget high-street retailer is currently shaking things up. A cleaning influencer has put together a compact basket of six products there that’s meant to make spring cleaning quicker and far less stressful - all for just a few euros.
Why these six products are in such high demand
Every item comes from Action, the well-known low-price retailer, and each one costs under three euros. That might sound like standard bargain-store hype, but the buzz is coming from an unexpected place: the cleaning community on Instagram.
The influencer @lila_drila, who focuses on organising and cleaning, relies on exactly six essentials for spring cleaning: steel soap pads, microfibre cloths, a grout brush, a cleaning paste, an anti-mould spray and a bar of stain-removal soap. Many of her 354,000 followers have bought the same products and say they cover most household jobs - without needing ten different bottles and niche “specialist” cleaners in the cupboard.
"Six cheap products, one basket - and spring cleaning goes from a ‘horror job’ to something you can power through in a day."
The main advantage is how widely the combination can be used: kitchen, bathroom, textiles and even the balcony or patio. Rather than buying a different miracle product for every surface, you work with a handful of basics that can be used flexibly.
The stars of the set: what each product can do
1. Steel soap pads: tackling greasy build-up without endless scrubbing
For baked-on grease in the kitchen, this set uses steel pads with soap already inside them. At Action they cost about €0.77 and are intended for the tougher jobs: ovens, barbecue racks, pan bottoms and heavily soiled baking trays.
- They break down hardened grease much faster than standard sponges.
- They work particularly well on metal surfaces such as grill racks.
- They should not be used on delicate coatings such as non-stick pans.
If you use them, test first on a hidden spot to make sure the surface can cope. It’s better to choose gentler options for glass and coated aluminium.
2. Microfibre cloths: streak-free results instead of lint everywhere
In cleaning circles, so-called “magic cloths” made from microfibre are almost seen as essential. At Action they’re around €0.99 each and are used after the heavy cleaning - for buffing and picking up residue.
They’re suitable for:
- glass and mirrors
- stainless-steel surfaces such as cooker hoods or sinks
- worktops in the kitchen and bathroom
Microfibre lifts dirt and grease very effectively through friction. Use it with a small amount of cleaner - or simply water - and you can get shiny surfaces without streaks. After use, the cloths go straight into the washing machine; ideally wash without fabric conditioner so the fibres keep their grip.
3. The Pink Stuff: the pink all-purpose paste for tricky areas
The cleaning paste “The Pink Stuff” is well known from social media videos and is also sold at Action. It’s vegan, is said by the manufacturer to be 99 percent made from ingredients of natural origin, and costs just under €2.70 there.
The paste works well for:
- burnt-on residue on pots and pans (without coating)
- dull-looking grout and silicone edges
- weathered plastic garden furniture
- stainless-steel sinks with stubborn marks
One tip keeps coming up in the cleaning community: apply a small amount of the pink paste to a steel pad, leave it briefly, then wipe away. Even long-neglected surfaces can look noticeably fresher. Important: rinse thoroughly afterwards and dry the area so no dulling residue is left behind.
4. Grout brush: going after dirt in gaps and corners
For the bathroom, the set recommends a dedicated grout brush with an ergonomic handle, priced at about €0.99. According to the manufacturer, it’s made from more than half recycled plastic. More important, though, is the shape: the narrow head reaches the grout around taps, in the shower and along the bath much more easily than a standard brush.
Combined with The Pink Stuff, it can help:
- loosen limescale rings around taps
- brighten discoloured tile grout
- lift grime from the corners of shower enclosures
If you’re cleaning sensitive silicone joints, use minimal pressure so the material doesn’t get roughened. For heavy limescale, it can help to use diluted vinegar or a suitable descaler first.
5. Anti-mould spray: keeping black marks in the bathroom under control
Another element of the set is an anti-mould spray from Action, costing about €2.98. It’s used where black or grey-brown discolouration has formed in the bathroom or shower - most commonly in silicone joints or on poorly ventilated wall areas.
"If you use anti-mould spray, open windows, wear gloves and rinse treated areas thoroughly after the contact time."
These sprays often contain strong active ingredients, sometimes including chlorine. They can remove mould staining, but they don’t replace dealing with the cause: regular ventilation, keeping rooms warm enough and drying wet surfaces after showering remain essential if you don’t want the marks to return quickly.
6. Bovine bile stain soap: a classic for everyday marks
For textiles, the set relies on a very traditional option: a bar soap made with bovine bile, costing around €0.99. Many parents swear by it for stains from:
- fat and sauces
- make-up and foundation
- grass and soil
- fruit
Using it is straightforward: dampen the stain, rub in the soap, leave it briefly, then put the item into the washing machine. For stubborn areas, you can gently work it in with a soft brush beforehand. The bile acts like a natural emulsifier, helping fats lift out of the fabric.
How to structure your spring clean with the Action set
For many people, spring cleaning doesn’t fail because of the dirt - it falls apart because of poor organisation. If you keep the six products together in a basket, plus rubber gloves and several microfibre cloths, you can move through the house room by room without constantly hunting for what you need.
- Kitchen first: use the steel pad and The Pink Stuff on the oven, trays and barbecue racks. Wipe down worktops afterwards with a microfibre cloth.
- Bathroom top to bottom: clean taps and tiles with The Pink Stuff and the grout brush; apply anti-mould spray to discoloured joints, leave it to work, rinse off and ventilate well.
- Living room and bedroom: use the stain soap on sofa covers, rug runners (only if the material is suitable), cushions and bedding.
- Balcony or patio: refresh plastic furniture with The Pink Stuff; treat metal parts carefully with the steel pad.
If you set a timer - for example, 30 minutes per zone - you’re more likely to keep moving and less likely to get bogged down in small details. It also helps to keep one damp cloth and one dry cloth within reach: one for cleaning, one for polishing.
What to watch out for when using these products
Even low-cost cleaning products have limits. Some surfaces are sensitive to abrasives or strong chemicals. Coated pans, delicate natural stone such as marble, and oiled wooden furniture are typical problem areas. In those cases, mild cleaners and soft cloths are the safer choice.
With anti-mould spray, two extra points matter: proper ventilation and protecting your airways. If you’re cleaning in a very small bathroom without a window, keep the door open and air the space thoroughly for several minutes afterwards. Keep children and pets out of the room while treating the area.
Worth remembering: microfibre cloths shouldn’t be washed with fabric conditioner, because it clogs the fine fibres. That reduces their cleaning performance. In most cases, a 40-degree wash with standard detergent is completely sufficient.
More impact through simple habits
This set can make spring cleaning easier, but it becomes genuinely effective when paired with a few everyday routines. For instance, if you quickly squeegee shower screens after each shower and use the grout brush once a week, grime is far less likely to build up over months.
A small change helps in the kitchen too: don’t leave baking trays and pans sitting for days with burnt-on residue. Instead, soak them in hot water and clean them the same day. Then the pink paste and the steel pads have far less work to do - and they’ll last longer.
One big advantage of affordable cleaning sets like this is that you’re more willing to use them regularly, because replacements are easy on the budget. If you combine them with simple household staples such as vinegar cleaner for limescale or bicarbonate of soda for odours, you can keep your home clean without spending much - and spring cleaning stops being something to dread and becomes a thorough reset you can finish in just a few hours.
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