I'm always on the look out for cleaning products with more than one purpose. Especially when it comes to floor cleaners. In my home there is a variety of wood, laminate, slate and tile floors and walls. I still yet haven't found a product which doesn't leave slight marks after drying which I find really irritating! Recently in Wilkinsons I picked up a bottle of Stardrops after hearing great things about this lovely golden liquid and at less than £1 I thought it was worth a try!

*~* What is it *~*

Stardrops is classed as a multi-purpose cleaning product which is suitable for all sorts of surfaces in the home such as floors, carpets, clothes and upholstery not to mention tiles, ceramic items etc.

Stardrops was on the first soapless detergents which was launched in the UK way back in the war years and according to the website it is the one of the best known products in the northern regions - whether this is true or not I don't know especially as I am in the East of England. However, my mother who is Warwickshire born and bred had never heard of it.

*~* The Company Behind Stardrops *~*

Stardrops is manufactured by Thornton & Ross Ltd which was founded in 1922 where they started out creating soft soap and packing household ammonia. The company is the largest independent pharmaceutical company in the UK. They are based in Huddersfield and are a family owned business still to this day. They manufacture a variety of products well known in households such as Covonia, Zoflora and Setlers.

*~* Packaging *~*

Stardrops comes in a clear bottle with a white screw on top. The bottle is slightly shaped at the top but is still narrow enough to be fit into any cupboard easily. The bottle has embossed stars all over the plastic which is a nice touch. On the label there is a cartoon star with blue and red imaging. Personally I do find that the bright, primary colours make the label look a bit too busy but Stardrops is clearly written in white, bold front across the front of the bottle.

*~* In Use *~*

~ Consistency ~

Stardrops has quite a thick, gloopy consistency which does drip out of the bottle slowly so you don't get too much which is a good thing. It certainly isn't runny so you do avoid wastage.

~ Aroma ~

What first struck me about it was that it reminded me of citronella but with more of a stronger scent which I found perfectly pleasant and not at all horrible. But it certainly does remind me of a household cleaner which is exactly what it is! The citronella scent certainly doesn't stick around for long and once it is diluted I found that it pretty much lost its overall aroma.

~ How to use ~

I use Stardrops mainly for my floors and tiled walls so I simply pour a small amount of it into warm running water mainly in my mop bucket where it froths up slightly giving a few white bubbles but certainly nothing major and as soon as you start to use a mop or cloth the bubbles are quick to disperse and disappear.

As I said above Stardrops can be used throughout the house and instructions are given on the back of the bottle. As I only use mine on floors and walls I just dilute Stardrops in water.

~ Results ~

Hoorah! A cleaning product which doesn't leave streaks! I find that Stardrops manages to clean my tiled walls a treat as it doesn't leave water marks or streaks after drying. I also use it on my glass mirrors which come up perfectly. Floors also come up amazingly clean and again no marks are left at all. I can't really ask for more than that! It is also great having one product which does a variety of jobs around the house and as soon as my various kitchen and bathroom cleaners have run out I will be using the spray bottles and just diluting Stardrops and using that as it really does manage to get everything clean.

After the Stardrops has dried it doesn't leave a scent which is great as even though I like citronella I don't want my whole house smelling of it! It is also nice using a cleaning product which doesn't have a strong, offensive scent to it.

*~* Ingredients *~*

Water (Aqua), Sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate, Alkyl ether sulphate, Alcohols C9-11 ethoxylated, Bitrex (Denatonium benzoate) solution, Perfume, Limonene (Dipentene), Bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol), Colour

*~* Price & Availability *~*

Available in most discount stores and supermarkets and costs generally under £1.00 for a 750ml bottle.

*~* Overall *~*

A fantastic household cleaner which can be used for most if not at all areas in the house from walls to ceilings. It really is versatile and manages to do a great job leaving everything clean and streak free. I have already recommended it to my mother who has since bought a bottle and is just as impressed with it as I am! Definitely a recommendation.