Kitchen essentials appear to have skyrocketed in price over the last few years, so its no wonder that big brand names are being replaced by cheaper budget products, none more so than supermarket own brands. Daisy is Tesco's lower range washing up liquid and provides a good alternative to a certain other brand which shares its name with Peter Pan's nagging companion. Here are my thoughts about this very average but usable dish washing liquid.

--Wait for the Squeak...--

Since being subjected to those horribly cheesy Fairy Liquid ads of the 70s and 80s, When I do the washing up I have an ingrained habit of running my finger over a plate to listen for the squeak. This is a sign that any grease residue has been fully removed. As slightly OCD as it may be, it does work and this is the thing I look for most in a decent washing up concoction. Fairy has always worked for me, but using a cheaper brand can sometimes produce similar results. So with greasy water abundant, in goes a plate and out comes my squeaking finger to test weather Daisy is as good as the more expensive stuff! Does this pass my litmus test?

--Price and Packaging--

The traditional Blue Peter style washing up liquid bottle shape made a departure some time ago in favour of a flat container with flared top edge and a wider nozzle. This shape varies from brand to brand and its pretty much this shape with Daisy. The plastic is quite thin but holds up well, even though the nozzle is susceptible to shattering if dropped. The plastic is also fully recyclable of course.

Tesco have 3 own brand versions of washing up liquid; A extra budget type (with retro bottle), Daisy and then their own premium brand. For the 59p you pay for 500ml of Daisy, it's cheaper than the higher type with little differences in the quality. However, Fairy is nearly 3 times the price for almost the same amount, so it's a reasonable price which ever way you look at it.

--Results--

First thing I noticed about this liquid is that it appears very thin in the bottle, and so doesn't install me with confidence that it will perform the way I want it too. Time is not something neither me nor the girlfriend wish to waste standing at the sink, so ferocious scrubbing is not welcome. Adding it to hot water, it takes a while to dissolve with a little mixing but fears are put a bay however when the first bits and pieces of cutlery and crockery wash well, and come out nice and clean with no grease remnants. For general diner plates, cups and metals, this liquid works well. After a while, the effects start to wear off and a top up with more hot water is required. Initially, Daisy produces a good amount of fluffy bubbles, but this dissipates rather quickly.

Heavily stained items take a little more effort to clean, but still come up smelling off daisies with effort.(!) Only burnt on remains or dried sticky foods can cause problems, and this liquid just isn't strong enough to really lift off hardened stains. Direct application helps, but I find I get through a lot of the liquid this way, thus removing any possible savings. For the most part however, general day to day washing is just as easy as it is with a top brand, so it does get the job done if slightly slower.

Fragrance wise, I can't really detect much at all. The generic soapy tone is present mildly from the neat liquid, and after dilution this becomes even more distant. After washing there seems to be no trace of aroma at all, something which you still get with higher quality brands. That said, very little soapy smells are left on the crockery, which I find is better. A strong cleaning aroma is not great on plates and pots, and can pass this on to any food cooked or served.

I have pretty robust skin, even if I am as pale as an antiqued ghost, so I find no irritation from this liquid whatsoever. The girlfriend, who does suffer from mild eczema, needs to wear rubber gloves as continued use can cause a little redness now and then. This is normally whist using neat doses on heavy soiled pans; general washing with water does not cause this to happen.

--Ingredients--
Water, Dimethylol Glycol, Perfume, Citral, Limonene.

--Conclusion--

Being cheaper than the leading brands and producing good enough results for me, Daisy does what it should do. It's clear that it is not up to the tough jobs without a concentrated splash, and it doesn't hold it's fragrance well, but for the pennies you pay I can;t see no reason to switch back to a bottle costing nearly 3 times the amount.

Thanks for Reading. © Novabug