Thank God It's Friday
Estelle Cruijff
She won The Perfect Picture, she has taste, is particularly funny, but if you were to ask Estelle what she is really good at, the answer would be: cleaning! You can take the girl out of the Jordaan and plant her in Ibiza or Amsterdam-Zuid, but you can't take the Jordaan out of the girl. After the successful book Cleaning with Estelle, there is now a line of... cleaning products, La Maison Estelle.
Estelle, if you could give your life a score at this moment, what would it be and why?
“I’ll tell you, I’m very grateful, I score very high. We are healthy, we have a roof over our heads, lovely people, I couldn’t wish for more. Let’s say a 9, because I do want unconditional love for the rest of my life.”
After a period of silence, it seems to be flowing again for you. A book, this collection, and I think you have much more planned.
“I’ve been working on this in silence for a long time and now it’s all coming out at once. Here’s the thing: 2.5 years ago, I had a lot of allergies, and my doctor told me to keep track of everything: from which mascara I used to which laundry detergent, and then I became aware of what’s in everything. Cleaning products often contain so much junk! I became increasingly aware of how harmful many cleaning products are, even for children who drop their pacifiers. Much more conscious about inhaling. Most people take probiotics as a dietary supplement. Then I thought of launching cleaning products with probiotics, which keep your home cleaner for longer and keep the dust away longer.”
When did you think: “I want my own line of cleaning products”? Do you also find most cleaning brands so ugly? Because you want a bottle of La Maison Estelle to look nice on your toilet or countertop. That’s just a piece of jewelry.
“I don’t want a bright yellow or green bottle on my countertop. I find my bottles beautiful, they are a piece of jewelry for your countertop. But also my spray bottle sprays in all directions, even upside down and on the side. I’m launching four products now: a bathroom cleaner, a multi-surface cleaner, a floor cleaner, and a dish soap. My products have a lovely, but mild scent, because that way the probiotics can do their job.”
“I once had a product to clean my floor and it broke on my marble floor. I still remain a camper, of course. It’s mini-Dubai at my home. Anyway, that bottle fell over and there was a big stain on my marble floor. Well, that won’t happen with my products.”
I know that you used to have a different cleaner every day, at least in my memory. One cleaned the cabinets with green soap, the other did the windows. Is that correct? And you were really a fan of green soap, right?
“Yes, I had a woman who came to iron and amazing Volendam women who came to clean on all the other days. But the worst part is: before they came, I had already cleaned the whole house.”
And your children always had to eat their sandwich with sprinkles in the garden?
“Definitely! Sprinkles with double butter. So both on the top and bottom of the sandwich. When children came to visit and said they didn’t like butter, I would always respond: ‘Oh, yes you do!’”
Okay, back to this column. It’s Friday afternoon at five o’clock. I assume you’ve now swapped that multitasking cloth for a glass of white wine or a nice cocktail. So, what’s in your glass and who are you with?
“In my glass is a lovely sancerre or pouilly fumé and it could very well be with Leco van Zadelhoff. I don’t drink often anymore, I can’t handle it at my age, Maytje. How old am I? 47! Well, 45 with three clips in my neck. So I’m crazy about a good white wine and also red wine, but then I’ll be asleep after half an hour. Gin and tonic isn’t really a good idea either, because after two gin and tonics, I become Camilla Parker Bowles and give everyone a hard time.”
What does your ideal Friday look like?
“Then I finish work around a quarter to six and go enjoy dinner and drinks. I don’t like eating late, I just don’t find it pleasant. Just enjoy eating on time and then snuggling into my clean bed. I change my duvet cover three times a week and my pillowcase every day. I do those laundry loads anyway, and did you know that your pillowcase can contain more bacteria than your toilet seat?”
Estelle’s Saturday, describe that in detail.
“On my ideal Saturday, I do my grocery shopping at my leisure. I have my addresses for everything. I get my sausage at Louman, salty cookies at Van Avezaath, flowers at NH Flowers, and then I enjoy it all at home. Then a big Jordaan soup with bread goes on the table with a glass of wine. At home, we used to play cards, but we’ve swapped that for backgammon. I also have my guilty pleasures and I let them run free on Saturday. For example, I’m crazy about chocolate gingerbread. Or are the kids coming to visit? ‘What do you think, would you leave the Four Seasons? I have two full freezers, there’s a fresh pot of soup on the stove, and their room smells like fabric softener. Of course, they’re coming to visit!’”
On Sunday, I try to catch my pilates class, my daughter also teaches but I found her very strict with me lately. All those terms she uses, my god. She is a native speaker because she went to the American School. All those schools of hers have cost me a kidney in total.”
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What music do you listen to on the weekend? What do you think will top your Spotify wrap this year?
“I love the nineties. I have quite a few different personalities in terms of music. Chris Brown, André Hazes, Olivia Dean, Barry White. I really don’t like jazz. Then my fork falls out of my hands.”
Do you know Raye, from ‘Where is my Husband’?
“I don’t know her, but I’ve been wondering that for a while, yes.”
Does Sunday look different from Saturday? If so, how is that day filled this weekend?
“Sunday is different again, then I go organize a cabinet, or empty all the drawers in my bathroom. A bit of messing around, put on a mask, and then I walk around with a red light that produces collagen and I juice celery. On Sunday, I want to completely detox from the drinks of Friday and Saturday.”
Which podcasts do you listen to, which series do you watch, and which books are waiting to be read?
“I enjoy listening to mindset podcasts like those of Mel Robbins. I also read Let Them Theory, ‘You can learn to manifest’ is a book. I can meditate for exactly thirty seconds, but the podcast is delightful. Then I go for a walk and listen. ‘Never fight your fears, face them. You only live once,’ those texts. Just as I train my body, I try to train my mind. Opening new doors is exciting, but those old doors haven’t brought me much, so I’ll just open them and be open to the new adventure.”
And one of those is Lamaisonestelle.nl, the first four products are available there.
