Summary
Each episode of the programme follows the same formula. The viewers are first briefly introduced to the residents of the home to be cleaned. Then, accompanied by a dramatic score of horror movie music, Kim and Aggie explore the abode on their own, examining the extent of the mess and looking for any particularly horrible areas. Kim and Aggie then meet the resident before the cleaning begins, assisted by several professional cleaners. During this process, which takes up the bulk of the show, Kim and Aggie share tips for tackling particular cleaning tasks with the residents (and the viewers), often relying on traditional methods rather than expensive commercial cleaning products.
During the cleaning, Aggie takes swab samples from the filthiest areas of the house and has them analysed in a lab, often revealing numerous kinds of bacteria, frequently E. coli or salmonella. Often residents of the home have health problems that directly stem from the air quality or pathogens present before cleaning; Aggie will show these residents her findings in an effort to make them understand the connection between their health and their home's condition. The famed "Mead Household" episode being an example of this.
The final section of the show has Aggie and Kim unveiling the freshly cleaned home to the resident. In earlier episodes, Kim and Aggie would return to the home several weeks later to see if the cleaning was being maintained.
The show makes a point of thoroughly cleaning carpets and furniture the resident owns, and not replacing dirty or worn items just for the sake of the final reveal.
Kim takes the role of a dominating woman, scolding residents for letting their homes get so bad. She is sometimes playfully flirtatious with male residents. In contrast, Aggie (whose previous jobs included Associate Editor in Good Housekeeping and working for MI6) assumes the more serious, subdued "dirt detective" role, performing such tasks as the bacterial analysis. She plays at being more squeamish than Kim, claiming that she will be sick or run away from a particularly horrific home. While cleaning, both Kim and Aggie wear trademark white suits and rubber gloves adorned with marabou feathers and fake gemstones. The duo have become well known in the UK, to the extent that they are almost always referred to as just Kim and Aggie.
Actor Paul Copley provides tongue-in-cheek, often alliterative voice-over narration for each UK episode. The US version has similar narration, provided by an American voice-over actor.
The show is light-hearted and often camp, falling just as much into the entertainment category than the factual genre. Much of the appeal comes from the voyeuristic pleasure of seeing how untidy some people let their houses become (many have not been cleaned for years) and the reactions of the show's two stars, though the cleaning tips add some practical value to the show.
Read more about this topic: How Clean Is Your House?
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