But Homebase in Battersea gave away a number of brooms, dustbin bags and dustpans and brushes, and also sold some items half price to those taking part in the clean-up.
Some of the queen's closest brushes with disaster have involved a lack of visibility, most painfully in 1997 when she remained in Scotland with the royal family after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Though still classic in design (some have two and three heads to make veins and layers), the length and type of hair for the brushes have been changed to accommodate water-based paint, which the industry has embraced in place of oil-based paint.