The Queen of Clean with Chantel Mila

0:04 This is Crappita Happy and I am your host, Cas Stunn. I'm a clinical and coaching psychologist. I'm mindfulness meditation teacher and of course author of the Crappita Happy books. In this show, I bring you conversations with interesting, inspiring, intelligent people who are experts in their field and who have something of value to share that will help you feel less crappy and more happy. During the pandemic, Chantell Miller Ibtson, otherwise known as Mamma Miller, began sharing ideas on social media for eco friendly, budget friendly ways to clean your home.

0:50 Little did she know that a few short years later she would have amassed millions of followers around the world, she'd be launching her own product line and publishing a book. Now. I'm not a massive fan of cleaning myself, but I am a fan of anyone who is willing to take a leap, pursue something that they're passionate about, and turn their dreams into a reality. Mama Milla has been a whirlwind success story so far, but according to Chantel, it is just the beginning. Chantell, Welcome to the Crappy to Happy Podcast. Hi, it is such a pleasure to meet you. I am a new fan. I have only recently come across your mega Instagram page and your incredible cleaning hacks, and I didn't think i'd become so obsessed so quickly, but I have. And obviously I'm a late comer because you've been You've been building this audience for a while, Chantelle.

1:45 I would love to hear how did Mama Milla get started and also what were you doing before? So okay, Mama Milla started back in twenty twenty. It was around the time that we were confined to our houses in Lockdown, Melbourne, and I mean our house was just the most chaotic space. I was working full time in property management at the time, my husband was working full time at home. We had two kids under three at home and we live in a townhouse. It is not a lot of space, and it was just the most cluttered, chaotic environment ever of papers everywhere, toys everywhere, And so I started doing these little five minute things each day to make our house more of a beautiful space.

2:34 So things that didn't take a lot of time, so things like softening your linen so you have a better night's rest, or rolling your towels to make your bathroom feel that little bit more spar like, and just to create these little pockets of peace in an otherwise cluttered space that we couldn't leave. And so I started sharing those videos. I was sharing to an audience of fourteen people, So I never intended it to turn into what it's turned into now. But I think a lot of people were going through the same thing at around the same time, and so they started following along, putting in their own requests, and it has grown into what it is now. And what it is now, My latest count was two million plus on Instagram and I are you on TikTok as well? Is that what you started on TikTok and what's happening.

3:21 On TikTok about over a million similar? Yeah? Can I just start by saying I love that term pockets of peace. That just warms my heart. Just when you said that, I was said, oh, that's so lovely. And also, is it fair to assume, Chantelle, that you've always been a bit of a clean freak, like this is something that's kind of in your DNA? Yeah, yeah, I've always I mean even as a child, I was the kid who would like go and like rearrange my room every week and be like, look, mom, new room near me. My desk's over here, my beds over here. It's a whole new chantell, whole new space. So I was always that kid, and then yeah, I think that that's just kind of developed over time.

4:07 Yeah, because you know, cleaning is not something that many people would put at the top of their list of things that they do for fun. We see it very much like a chure, which is why it's so interesting to me that your content is so compelling. I mean, we love to see it. What do you think it is that draws people in, that makes them love your content so much. I think it's that ultimate transformation. It's that before and after that I think we all love. And that's why, like renovation shows are so popular, makeover shows, those kind of things, even if it's not home, if it's you know, like even fashion makeovers and stuff, people love the before and after, and I think that that process is so satisfying to watch. But also I think having things that are really practical, again, like I started the video, sharing really like quick, five minute things that you can do each day to create beautiful spaces. And that's exactly what I do now so trying to make it very easily replicatable in your own achievable Yeah, yeah, yeah, that is very true.

5:16 And I'm I'm learning like I'm actually being inspired by not just how aesthetically kind of pleasing. It all is your page and your you know, everything is beautiful that you present and the hacks are really practical, like it's really good content. Chantelle started off sharing to fourteen people. What was the tipping point? Was there a video that went viral? Like when did it kind of explode? It wasn't just one video, but it started with, you know, a couple of videos that you know, started gaining traction. There was one about softening linen, so like how to deodorize your mattress and refresh your bedroom That had a lot of popularity, But I think it was more so the answering comments when people started putting in their own re quests and I started answering those requests, and then the audience kind of grew from there. And it actually wasn't in Lockdown that the biggest growth happened. It was completely out of Lockdown. I think now after post COVID, we're also appreciative we can have people to our house that we can entertain, that we can create those memories at home, and I think that's why people have become a lot more house proud, and they're very conscious of making those memories with their friends and family in the space that they live in.

6:29 True, and probably a different kind of audience too, Like maybe during lockdown it kind of was more entertainment. People were just looking online for anything to kind of fill the space, whereas now it's really they're looking for those practical tools that they were actually going to go and use in their own home. Actually, exactly at what. Point did you realize that you're onto something here I could turn this into a full time gig. I think it was pretty quick. Actually, about six months in. Wow, I was like, I I love this, Like I am enjoying this. It makes like it makes my heart happy, like it really And that was kind of the point where I sat down with my husband and he was so supportive. He was like, you should have done it three months ago. I was like, do it sooner. So yeah, it was taking enough time to be able to do it full time, and I was partnering with brands that I really loved, so there was the ability to make it full time, and so I just kind of took the plunge and I love it.

7:30 I love stories about anybody just doing what they love and being able to really create something worthwhile, like something that brings you joy and being able to turn that into your career really warms my heart. There are probably a lot of people who get on social media, they create posts, stuff goes viral, they grow a following, actually stepping up and running it as a business that takes a determination and a dedication and a discipline. I feel like you, Sdrrike me as the type of person correct me if I'm wrong that is kind of ambitious and had a vision early on in the piece where you wanted to take this. Yeah, so it wasn't really early on.

8:11 It was more so. Again, like because all the posts that I posted on my page came from audience requests. The business kind of grew based on those requests as well. So when people started saying things like, Okay, we love your tips and tricks, they're fabulous. I just watched this bathroom hacks video, absolutely love it. But how do I use that in my home? If I have half an hour to clean my bathroom, what do I do? What's the checklist, what's the routine, how do I practically implement this? And that's kind of where the book came from. And then you know, people would put in other requests like laundry requests and stay and removal, you know, and that's where the product line came from. So it was all based on the audience's questions and DMS and yeah, just kind of progressed from there.

8:59 Yeah, that's really great too, Like that's so important to listen and engage with what people want, you know, not just do what you want to do, as much as you love to do it, but really responding to what is what people are asking for exactly. So a book, which we will talk about, and a product line. Now, these two things have both happened fairly recently, is that correct. I was looking on your page and it seems like, wow, it's just all happened at once. It happened at once, but it's been in the works for a very long time. So it's been in the works for over a year now and it's just kind of come about at the same time. But they link together, like a lot of the DIY recipes that are in my book, for you know, the cleaning sprays and things like that. They require spray bottles and that's part of the line, so it all kind of links together at the end of the day. But yeah, it's been incredible to see them all kind of flourish into the world.

9:57 And everything that you do and put out in the world. It's just so beautiful. There's obviously a lot of thought goes into the content that you present. You said that it was taking up enough time to become a full time job. How much time does it actually take you. It takes a lot of time. It takes a lot of time and between like the school pickups and drop off, yeah, everything as well. It is a juggle. But again, like I enjoy doing it. I really love it. Now my husband helps out with bits and pieces of content as well and he likes it too. And do you have a team, Chantelle or are you still doing this pretty much on your own? So I don't have a team for my channel. I have a team that manages kind of like things outside of the channel, things like brand partnerships. I've got a team that looks after that, and for the product line, I've got a team there, and then for the book, I've got a team there. But the channel is still pretty much just me and my husband creating content at home.

10:54 So it's very personal too, Like people can write comments and get responses from you, they're not and you know from Team Chantelle, team Mama Miller. No, no, that's me sitting there before bet and scrolling through and answering everything and thinking of like, oh, okay, I'll answer that in next week's video. Yeah, So how do you manage that the work life balance. That's the thing with all of this online stuff, isn't it like you can be glued to it. You really can, And so we made a really conscious effort. Like I mean, particularly at the beginning, it became all consuming because you don't switch off. It's always there. And one of the best things about being a content creator is of flexibility, but one of the worst things is the inability to switch off it and kind of just put your phone down. So what we're trying to do as a family now is screen free Sunday, where we you know, try and put all devices down and go out as a family and spend that time together like no recording, no filming, and just spend that really quality one on one time together. And it's just important.

11:53 It's hard though, Like it's hard then when you're having time with your family to keep your phone away, like it's so tempting to just you know, pull it out for everything. Take photos, huge memories, conscious effort. Yeah, yeah, it's challenging. Let's talk about some of those cleaning hacks. Now. You just told me that one of the first videos that went viral was softening your linen. I want to know the softening your linen tip, because I didn't see that video. Yeah, it's quite it's like it's a previous one. But this is my routine and it's it's such a good one, like it really it makes it makes your bedroom feel very different at the end of it. And I think that's what it's all about, is creating like that different feeling in your home. So I start off by so you striple your linen off your bed, open up the windows in your house if you have the ability to, and then I make a spray made of water and a little bit of baking soda and a couple of essential oils if you don't have pets, and spray that on your mattress and then just let your mattress air for the time that it takes to wash and dry your linen. So about two hours, spray this mix on your mattress and allow your mattress to air and you know, really deodorize. Vacuuming your mattress is also really important as well, So if you have you know, a hand vacuum cleaner, or even if you want to take a big vacuum cleaner and vacuuming your mattress to remove all of those dust mites. It makes such a big difference. And if you haven't vacuumed your mattress before, you really see a difference in your mattress as well.

13:22 I don't think I have. Then when it comes to the linen, it's relative anyway, keep going, okay, fine, fine, And then when you are washing your linen, adding your. Usual detergent and your usual whatever you use. But take one cup of baking soda and add that to the drum of your wash and that just helps kind of neutralize the pH levels. It really softens your linen and makes it just so like it takes. It helps remove stains and everything as well, but just how soft your linen gets by the end of it. Then dried as usual, put all of your linen back on your bed and just get an amazing night sleep, which is so important.

14:06 It is so important. That's really simple, just baking soda. I'm also fascinated at the many multitude of ways that you find to use everyday items. I think we all have heard, you know, use vinegar and baking soda for cleaning, and we think, well, does that really work? But you watch your videos and it's quite compelling, like it appears to really work very well. So I think that's another really appealing thing, isn't it. It's the natural, eco friendly kind of approach that you take to. Cleaning, definitely, So I mean it's natural, it's eco friendly, and it's also budget saving as well, so you know, and it makes such a big difference to your home.

14:47 So there's so many benefits of making these is. I want to talk about shaving cream. Who knew? Who knew? So many yous? Oh my god. I was telling my husband last night. I was saying, do you know that we can use shaving cream like on the shower screens and on the oven door? And he actually said to me, and this is quite a valid point, he went, what's it doing to my face? Then? Oh? I know, Well, that's a whole nother thing. I posted a video recently about like how to get scuff marks off your white runners, and I was like, well, you can use a bit of toothpaste mixed with bacon soda. And someone was like, I put that in my mouth, Like what. Is in it? If you can remove scuff stains. But anyway, shaving cream incredible.

15:28 So many uses around the house, so. Shower screens, oven doors and okay, you've got a mix, right, shaving cream and what. No, No shaving creams by itself, So some of the uses just on its own. So you can take a small amount of shaving cream. You can buffet into like the mirrors in your bathroom and that keeps them fingerprint free, which is great if you have a vanity like me and storage behind your mirrors. And it also prevents them from fogging up, so if you do have a shower, your mirrors won't fog up after your shower. You can use it around a toilet. It removes odors from around the bathroom floors, which is very useful. Yeah, in the front of your oven doors where it can get really streaky, buffet in there and it just makes it shine. So many uses for shaving cream unbelievable.

16:19 And then there was the baby oil. Rub baby oil on your fridge. Who knew? Tell us about baby oil. Well, if you've got kids with sticky little fingerprints like I do, rubbing baby oil on stainless steel gets rid of fingerprints and it just makes your stainless steel shines, so you can use it on yeah, your fridge, dishwasher. Are there any stainless steel appliances that you have within your home? Buff baby oil on it and it keeps it shining. And I just want to say for listeners, it's not all cleaning either, Like you've got some really great hacks for food storage and you know, keeping food products fresher for longer. Like there's a lot of just really great, budget friendly hacks that are going to just help around the home exactly.

17:05 So you know, you have to acknowledge not everyone has time to sit around and clean all day, and that makes perfect sense. So some of the hats that I share on my page are outside of cleaning. Like you know, you mentioned the food storage and you know it's fridge organization, but done right in a way that if you buy celery and you find it wilting, in the back of your fridge after a week. Here's a way to store it next time that will keep it fresh for two weeks. I love it. Chantel with growth also comes criticism. Anybody who grows a big following inevitably gets people on their page with negative I did a post about this, why people so bloody mean on the Internet? People go looking for fights. Do you get trolls and negative comments on your page? And how do you manage that?

17:58 I do? I definitely do. I think you do have to remember, like you mentioned, sometimes it's what someone's going through personally and they're just kind of taking it out and what they feel is an anonymous platform, not realizing that there's a face behind the post who's actually scrolling and reading, and you know, spent the day making that post. A lot of the criticism that I get is about my Australian accent, which is really it's really funny to me. People are like, why are you putting on that fake accent? And I'm like, this is my voice, guy. So I think sometimes because it's it's shared worldwide, right, so maybe people are used to hearing American accents on you know, very popular pieces of content on the Internet. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but Australian accent is very polarizing to the rest of the world.

18:52 How funny is that? Do you know? That's funny because I've seen a similar criticism on a margat Robbie video, somebody saying, why does she on that accent? It's like people, she's an Australian, like, get over it, Well, does not revolve around the USA. Oh, that's so funny that Marco Robbers goes that because she has her American accent in films. Exactly that that was the whole point. They were saying, Well, she puts she you know, she uses an American accent in Hollywood, so why isn't it good enough when she's in an interview like, well, because that's who she It's so funny. The success of Mama Mila feels like it has just been a whirlwind. Like you said, you started posting in twenty twenty, Like we're only twenty twenty three.

19:36 You've got millions of followers, a product line, you've got a book. Has it all been smooth sailing or have there been challenges and sent backs? And you know what have you learned from those? There definitely has been like anything that looks you know, Instagram is obviously a highlight highlights reel, and everything looks like green and shiny on the front. But there's been a lot of learnings and a lot of work that's gone into the back, especially in the last year leading up to the product launchers, just kind of getting everything right, even writing the manuscript for the book. You know, I was writing it during Christmas last year, and that's already a busy enough period and adding that on top. I think what's really made a big difference is kind of sharing that mental load within their household, working as a team, making sure that things don't fall on one person and then the other person can kind of pick up if things do get busy. So one thing that's worked really well for our household with me and my husband is a shared calendar on our phones. So we have a calendar that if I add to the calendar and say, you know, I've got this meeting at this time, it automatically pops up on his phone. He knows exactly what's going on. So yeah, I think communications really key.

20:53 Yeah, for sure, we've implemented that in our house too, with a teenage daughter, as well, and gosh, it's a game changer having a shared calendar where everybody knows who's traveling, who's here, what somebody else has booked in, so that you don't double book. Amazing. Does your husband you said that he helps out in the business, but is he still working or is he full time in the business as well? No, he still works as well, So he works full time. He's in digital marketing, so he definitely understands, right what I do. Yeah, that's a help Yeah, it's definitely. I think particularly at the beginning when no one kind of understood what I was doing and they were like, oh, Chantel makes funny little videos on the internet.

21:40 Yeah, so that's helpful having that support. That's interesting too, right when there are some people and probably certain family members who really don't understand online business or you know, this whole kind of scene of digital marketing, and they do they kind of trivialize it. Did you get a bit of that in the beginning, like. Oh, she's got this cute little thing where you just kind of definitely I still get it now. Yeah, I think like it's a new industry, so a lot of people don't kind of understand it. Completely. But I'm enjoying it, so that's the main thing. It's working for you, Like, you really have got to just run your own race, don't you. Like.

22:20 It's such a great example. And I guess that's why I'm asking you so much about your process and the evolution of your business, because I think so many people still to this day kind of puts it on this idea of being an influencer or you know that it's not a real job. Go get a real job, and who do you But this is a job. You have just created, like quite a successful business from sharing a little videos online. And it's legitimate. I think if there's got some substance to back it up, and if you've got that driving determination and a vision, then it's very legitimate. I like to share that Chantell denture cleaning tablets again another I just want to throw out some of these cleaning hacks so that people know to go get the book or you know, follow the page if they're not already, tell me about denture cleaning tablets.

23:08 Okay, so this actually started because I wear retainers, so I have a lot of denture cleaning tablets in my home for that reason. I mean, I think a lot of households have them, and denter cleaning tablets have really great whitening capabilities, so I started placing them with like grubby, you know, stained clothing, like to whiten it, and that worked amazing inside your toilets to whiten it. Amazing. Again, if you like, plug your sink in, fill it up with water, put in a couple of denty tablets in your bathroom sink, and it whitens the porcelain of your bathroom sink and it's completely scrub free as well, which is always a win.

23:48 Absolutely. Obviously, you're making a lot of content on this topic of cleaning, so you're demonstrating cleaning hacks and cleaning processes and tools and things that you use in your own life. How much of your time do you spend cleaning? Actually a lot a lot of oh I do. But outside of content, we try and we try and do like keep a routine of fifteen minutes a day, so we're not kind of spending our whole weekends scrubbing because no one likes that and it can just get too much. And what we speak about early about like cleaning becoming this like tedious and arduous task by doing a little amount per day. That has really helped us cut down on the amount of cleaning that we have to do at the end of the week because it reduces the workload. Really, so getting the whole family involved is really important and doing it in small increments is what really works for us.

24:50 I think that's such a great tip. I'm the worst. Like I sometimes get so mad at my family, Like, God, you guys, look at this house. It's a mess. And then I walk around and I think, oh, hang on, that's mine, that's mine, that's mine. Oh it's me. I I'm the problem that just every day doing a little bit. You're right, it makes it makes such a difference, and it's it's it's just the discipline of doing it. So tell me about the book, because I know that you have got this covered, like there's fifteen minutes, and so share with us how the process of you know what you've outlined in the book. So before I wrote the book, I sat down and read through every single comment, every single DM on all my social media channels and wrote them all down. Then I went through and categorized them and filled in the blanks and categorized them room by room and said, okay, this is all of the bathroom cleaning tips, all of the kitchen cleaning tips, and that's each of the chapters of the book is room by room all of my tips and tricks. Then, obviously every household is different and everyone's got a different amount of time that they can dedicate towards cleaning. Some people have fifteen minutes, some people have a bit more time. Other people like to do really deep cleans throughout the year. So then underneath each of the room by room breakdowns, there's cleaning levels. So there's you know, cleaning fifteen if you've just got that fifteen minutes for the quick speed clean. Then there's the

26:21 more you know, the next level of clean, which you can do less frequently, but it's a bit of a deeper clean. And then the really deep clean when it's you know, New Year's Eve and you want everything spotless before the start of the new year to start the new year, breash that really deep clean or your spring clean, that's the time you would refer to the deep clean area. So very structured, very structured, And oh my god, you're saying to me, you went through when you categorized and you listed out room by room. I thought that sounds like such a chantel thing to do. Like you have just a brain that is just like organized and structured, don't you? Like you are a routine kind of person. I am a routine and those of us who are not routine kind of pop. But we can really benefit from people like you who lay this out for us step by step, like this is all you need to do, because we love to just follow a list when our brains don't work like that.

27:11 And having those three categories as well, it kind of makes it more accessible to different households as well, because no matter how much time you have to spend on cleaning or organizing or styling your home, there's a kind of a solution for you know, it's successful to everyone. Yeah, one thing that I really wanted to ask you was who taught you all this? Like I'm reading these hacks going, oh my god, how does she know this? Was some of it just experimental or was it taught to you somehow. A mix of both. So a lot of the tips and tricks are passed down from my mum and my grandma, And a lot of the comments you'll see it on my page say things like, oh my gosh, my grandma used to do this, and you've just reminded me that, you know, my grandma used to have newspaper on the top of her cupboards to collect dust, and now I'm watching it in your video all these years later, and there's a nostalgia kind of moment that people get from that.

28:02 And then all of my DIY sprays and DIY recipes are what I started experimenting with well before the page, a few years before the page, when my daughter was diagnosed with asthma. So that's when we made the switch over to more eco friendly cleaners and DIY cleaners, and so we started kind of safely experimenting with, Okay, what can we make that will work really well to clean the fridge and what can we make to you know, switch out our kitchen bench shop cleaner. And so we made that switch many years before the page, and we absolutely loved it. It had great impact on our home.

28:43 The actual like effectiveness of the cleaners were really great, but they were also really cost effect as well. It was kind of the double win and then also great to use in front of the kids as well. And so then I started sharing those diys that I created on my page as well, and they've been really popular. It's just so fresh. I just love seeing those videos of like a boiling pot of water and with the lemon and the rosemary, and it's just so like, oh, it just makes you feel like I want that. I want that in my home. I can almost smell it, you know, through the. Comments, but I can smell this video, and that's what I love that.

29:26 Yeah. Yeah, Now you mentioned before, back with the freshening linen, you said essential oils if you don't have pets. Now I've got two dogs. Are there certain essential oils that I should be avoiding because I've got dogs in the house. Yeah, I yes, I don't exactly know which ones for different tips and everything like that, but some of the comments that I've received on my page have been things like, oh, don't use peppermine in front of cats, things like that, so I always kind of give the option. Essential oil is just for fragrance. So the baking soda by itself will do an amazing job anyway. Yeah, and like you, I just you know, things like fresh lemon and roseberry and you know, herbs and things, they all have the same effect. I used yours last night.

30:11 I've had this pack of tea light candles sitting around since last Christmas. There's these little scented tea light candles, and I didn't have I don't have any tea light holders. And then I saw put them in some coffee beans and it freshens up the smell, and so I run. My husband's like, what are you doing. I'm filling up a little glass with coffee beans, and I said, Chandel said, this is a great way to light a tea light and I did, and it actually looked so beautiful sitting on the on the bench, just a clear glass with coffee beans in it, and a little. Looks so pretty. And it's got so many benefits because coffee naturally absorbs odors, and then your tea light candle is also, you know, letting out the fragrance. It's warming the coffee beans, which is also giving out a fragrance.

30:53 It's one of my favorites. I love that one. That is going to be my regular now, the coffee beans. And I noticed you said about coffee beans, sor I shouldn't be giving like all the cleaning hacks, mind you, they're all on your channel, But coffee beans in the fridge. Yes, yeah, you can put used coffee grounds like after you after you've made your coffee. Instead of putting the used grounds into the bin, you can just put them in a little bowl and just place it at the back of your fridge. And again, because it absorbs odor, you can put it wherever you want in the house to kind of absorb oder. Gosh, in my shoes, yeah, exactly, Well where if you need it. Chantelle, like I said, you strike me as somebody who is quite the visionary. You're an ambitious woman.

31:37 What's next for Mama Milla? Well, like, look, I started the channel three years ago, and although it's been such a journey, it's still feels so new. So I think there's so much more that I want to share. My husband's a really great cook, so I want to bring more. I'm not a great cook. Here's a great cook, so I want to bring more, maybe cooking content to the channel. I think there's so much more. There's so much more that we can share, and maybe more books in the future. Well, we'll see. I'm saying a skincare line with you, I don't know, Yeah, because we're all into that too. Anything on our body. We want those natural, non toxic solutions as well, and like you'd be the person who could bring us that. Chantelle.

32:24 Congratulations on the book. It really is. I mean it's like everything. It's beautiful. Tell people where they can find you if they haven't found you already. Yeah. So, my channel's name is Mama m A m A Underscore Miller m I l a Underscore Au on Instagram and yeah, the books available on bo Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I will put the link to your all of your channels in the show notes as well. Thank you so much for making the time today. I have loved talking to you, and congratulations on everything. Thank you so much, it's been so lovely chatting. With you, Chantelle. This book is out now and you can find her product line at mamamillahome dot com dot U.

33:05 Thank you to everybody who has followed the brand new Crappy to Happy Instagram account. Expect to see lots more content over there, obviously, connect with me. Cast done dot com is my website. Hellowotcast done dot com is my email. I cannot wait to catch you next week for another episode of Crappy to Happy