I'm not brand fussy when it comes to washing up; I've used many types, Fairy, Persil and both Tesco and Asda own brands being the most used. One thing that I do always look for however in a washing up liquid that has anti bacterial properties. Working in a hospital I have to attend food hygiene courses so am well aware of the nasty bugs that can quickly colonise our kitchens. I've also had a nasty case of the Campylo bacter food poisoning in the past and have no desire to repeat that, so choosing an anti bacterial liquid seems like one sensible way to try and keep my own family healthy.

The Asda home brand anti bacterial washing up liquid with eucalyptus and lemon thyme is the one that we're currently using. Aside from its anti bacterial properties the bright turquoise blue colour of this was a factor when choosing as it matches well in my blue kitchen. The price of just 98p for 740ml was also tempting compared to a similar Fairy bottle for £1.60. That works out as £1.32 per litre compared to £2.46. I'm always happy to try an own brand product once to try to save a few pence, knowing that if it is a failure I won't have to use it for long and I can return to a more expensive and perhaps higher quality product next time. Of the various Asda own brand washing up liquid the anti bacterial one costs 10p more than ones without, an additional price that I've been happy to pay for the additional peace of mind that it gives.

**What do you get**

The 740ml see through plastic bottle is the largest of sizes of washing up liquid bottle that is usually available in supermarkets and is ideal for us as we do not have a dish washer and therefore get through quite a bit of washing up liquid with normally at least two bowl fulls a day. The bottle is tall and slim which seems to be the standard shape these days and the plastic is quite firm although it is relatively easy to squeeze. Below the shoulders of the bottle on either side are ridged areas which give better grip especially if your hands are already slippery from being in soapy water. I never find however, that I have to add more liquid mid way through washing up as my bubbles last well, but if we're doing a big pile of dishes and pots then we'll often refresh with a new bowl of water, so it's then good to have the secure grip. The lid is a bright red screw on one with a flip top which closes down securely, but is not too difficult to flip open. The entire bottle is suitable for recycling.

The label features just the product name and advice that it has added odour elimination and a sustainable cleaning logo, which I take to mean that it is made from resources that are replaced and that Eucalyptus trees are not destroyed forever, which is good to know. The label on the rear has directions for use, ingredients and written and pictorial instructions to avoid contact with eyes, not to swallow and to keep out of reach of children.

The liquid inside as mentioned already is a pleasant blue colour and is of a consistency where it freely flows from the bottle when inverted and doesn't need squeezing, at least not until you're left with the last dregs. It is perhaps a little runnier than other brands.

**In use**

The instructions suggest to use sparingly diluted in water or for the anti bacterial effect use neat on a sponge or cloth. Here comes my first disappointment with the product. I'd always assumed that I was benefitting from the anti bacterial properties while washing my dishes in a bowl of this, but it appears that it is probably too weak to work in this capacity so I am wasting my time with it as I never use it neat on a cloth as I use other cleaning products to wipe down my surfaces. My fault for not reading the label properly before!

I run the liquid into a flow of running hot water. I do find that I use a bit more than more expensive brands, probably because it is runnier, but it does foam up really well and even if I add some cold water to make the temperature tolerable for my hands the froth remains impressive. Using a cloth only with this I can easily clean most soiled dishes and it also tackles heavily soiled pots and dishes well, sometimes with the added help of a scourer and I will also usually have left these to soak in a bowl of water with a little of this liquid added. This is the same as with any other washing up liquid that I use and I was pleasantly surprised that I could tell no difference between both the ease of cleaning and the end results between this and Fairy or Persil. Glasses also come away with a really bright shiny finish too which I always appreciate - I really hate that dull effect that you can get especially using a dish washer.
I've tried using gloves while washing up and just don't seem to get on with them as I can't feel what I'm doing and end up dropping things. Consequently I've had to accept that my hands will dry out when they come into contact with washing up liquid. This is true for this one as with any other but I don't think that the drying effect is any worse, but I'll always need to use hand cream after a washing up session.

Everything is sounding good about this product, but there is one reason why I personally will not be buying it again and that is the smell. I find it totally overpowering. It smells just like dettol disinfectant and is far too clinical for me to want to have as a regular smell in my kitchen. The smell for me is associated with the unpleasant task of washing floors or even worse the 'sick bowl'. I cannot detect any lemon scent from the lemon thyme at all. I would much prefer a more pleasant fruity smell, but a friend who helped wash up after a dinner party recently commented on how nice our washing up liquid smelt, so I do accept that this is a pure personal preference and therefore I will not deduct and stars for this.
Overall I would rate this washing up liquid highly as I do find that its performance is as good as more expensive ones and it is significantly cheaper, although this is offset by the fact that I use slightly more, but still not enough to make it not cost effective. I am annoyed to find that I am not perhaps benefitting as much as I had though from the anti bacterial component and I will probably not be as stringent about always buying an anti bacterial one. I recommend this washing up liquid and give it four stars.

Advantages: Cheap. Washes dishes as well as expensive brands.
Disadvantages: Unpleasant disinfectant smell.
Summary: A budget washing up liquid that performs on a parr with more expensive ones.