Why Mia Freedman is a star in the Indian cleaning industry.

What’s wrong with this picture:

Yes, that's me, wiping a bench in an ad for an Indian cleaning company. Apparently - I learned this week - I am quite the star in India among cleaning circles:

And there's even this:

I found out about this yesterday when I got a Google alert yesterday and discovered a story about me being a secret star of the Indian cleaning industry was on the media industry website Mumbrella.

Apparently images of me had been stolen from somewhere and were now being used to sell cleaning products and services. Because I look hot and yet also trustworthy when I wipe.

I immediately lol'd and sent it to my husband who was puzzled by the sight of me wiping a bench.

You see, in our house? He is the bench wiper. I am the mess-maker.

He now wishes to find this magical bench wiping woman and marry the shit out of her.

So how did this happen?

Mia actually is an ambassador for Sydney Dogs and Cats Home. This is what she really did. (Post continues after video.)

Well, back in the early days of Mamamia I would often be asked to be the ‘ambassador’ for various brand campaigns. Sometimes a brand had done a survey about consumer behaviour and needed someone with credibility in that area to talk about the results in the media.

(For a long time, brands thought that simply having a vagina gave you automatic credibility with all the other vaginas but they've since discovered this not to be the case and go a little more targeted because not all women are the same - QUICK, WRITE THAT PEARL DOWN.)

From Nutella to cars to awareness campaigns for particular health issues...brands are always looking to engage people who they think can help their message cut through and amplify with their target audience.

I don’t do this so much anymore because Mamamia is much bigger now and I can’t be the face or voice of every brand we work with because that wouldn't be cool for either of us let alone you guys who would get confused and annoyed at seeing me in spruik mode constantly.

But I have always applied my own personal filter to which of these campaigns I’ve taken on. If I feel a connection with a product or service then I’m happy to be honest about using it.

I also post regularly on social media about all kinds of things I use and do just because I'm a consumer evangelist by nature and I like to share.

Check out Mamamia back in the early days when Mia made the original ad. Images via Instagram. (Post continues after gallery.)

That's the background. So anyway. This image came from a small online campaign I did called "Germwatch" for the company that makes Dettol, Pine-o-clean and Glen 20.

Back in 2010 they did a survey about germs and winter and mothers and thought I would be a good person to front the campaign.

I may not be much of a bench wiper but I am OBSESSED by germs.

I am that person who pulls her sleeve down over her hand before touching a public toilet door handle and won't let my kinds put their hands on the rail of shopping centre escalators.

I also don't like to touch pens in cabs. I AM A LOT OF FUN TO BE AROUND.

So the campaign and the survey ticked my authenticity boxes just fine.

On the day of the shoot (in a stunt kitchen) we also took these shots:

LOOK HOW HAPPY I AM TO BE DISINFECTING MY HANDS! That joy is real, you'd better believe it. I LIVE FOR HAND SANITISER.

Except I don't know much about those things on the bench next to me - vegetables something something?