We caught up with Kim and Aggie in time for the first of their new series of How Clean is Your House? to talk about washing hands and the magic of washing machines.
So, what for you are the highlights of the new series?
Kim: We've got some doozies! We really had some of the most horrific homes. One of the first ones was a couple on a farm. They were a lovely couple - very much in love - but their house was covered in filth. They can certainly teach us a lot about love! And there was the painter in Wales. Her cat just peed all over her lounge. The carpet was sodden with it. Our clothes still stank of it when we left.
Aggie: The one that touched me the most was the 63 or 64-year-old woman that lived on her own. It was the most amazing story about her transformation. I think the programme really changed her life - it was hell on earth the way she was living. With all the clutter, she couldn't even get into the bathroom so she had to wash in the tiny corner sink in the loo without hot water because the gas people couldn't get access.
Are you still shocked by what you saw making this series?
K: Well, put it this way - we're not shocked by much, but flaming Nora!
Do you ever fear these people will sink back into the same state again?
A: Yes, it must be very easy because it's kind of the natural state they're in. Each of the different people is as bad as the other in their own ways - the couple on the farm had hair and straw all over the bedroom and I don't think we made the slightest bit of difference!
K: I think they do slip back into it. Some don't, but it's rare. It's lovely when you see it. And I think we do help viewers, but old habits die hard.
Aggie MacKenzie
Have you noticed that any of the advice and ideas you've been talking about over the last series has taken hold?
K: We get lots of letters thanking us for our tips, but the people we see on the show – no, dear.
A: Yes, I think we've definitely raised awareness - I come across lots of people that say they use vinegar all the time. And it's all sorts of people in all sorts of situations.
What do you think the appeal of the show is?
A: People watch the programme and can say that at least their house isn't as bad as that. It makes them feel better about themselves. It's also about voyeurism and schadenfreude too, and it's not a certain type of person that likes it - cleaning is something that applies to everyone's lives.
K: It's hard to know when you're in it, but over the years we've talked and we think it's the humour, the cleaning tips, us nosing around people's homes. Everything combined. And it's amazing: boys from six to sixty love it, too. We look absolutely ridiculous, too - but it beats the dole queue!
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