Bang, Bang! It shot me down. (Cillit Bang Power Grime & Lime Cleaner Trigger)

Member Name: bondgirlk8

Product:	Cillit Bang Power Grime & Lime Cleaner Trigger
Date:	05/01/09 (284 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It's amazing.

Disadvantages: Horrific advertising

When I first started writing reviews and thinking about all the things I would like to write about, I'd imagine myself writing about music, theatre, film...things like that. I didn't expect to review Cillit Bang! Especially not favourably, could their adverts be any more hate provoking?

However, having in desperation put aside my advert prejudices and given it a go, the results were rather amazing. Really, seriously, unbelievably amazing. I've gone from a loather of the brand and its horrible smug annoying image, to some strange sad freak that obsesses over the wonder of power cleaner.

A little bit of background for you. We live in London. The water is horrible. Lime scale is pretty much a permanent feature of life. We moved into our house in October 2006 and the house was at the time only about three years old. In those few short years, the previous residents had allowed lime scale to build up to such a horrific level that there were what I can only describe as 'icicles' on pretty much all of the taps (at the bit where the water comes out). The bases of the taps where they attach to the sink/bath were also pretty grim, as were the plug holes and all parts of the shower. Gross.

I'll be honest with you; I wasn't ever so sure how to deal with this. I'd always been able to keep my bathroom and kitchen clean in the past by never allowing it to build up in the first place (my last place was about 25 years old but had always been loved.)

I tried a few bathroom cleaners and specialist products, but the grime was too strong, it was just too deep and established. The best effects came from using good old baking soda, but this did take quite a lot of scrubbing and over the two and a bit pre-Bang! years all I could achieve was a slight reduction in the stains and deposits with each clean. Although I could occasionally break the odd bit off, even taking a knife to some of the really hardened stuff wouldn't get it gone. It was extremely frustrating.

The other day, whilst browsing in my local supermarket, Cillit Bang Power Cleaner for grime and lime just caught my eye. To be fair, given the packaging this isn't difficult. As I mentioned above, the advert is off-putting and I think this is what has stopped me in the past.

This is what is says about itself:

"Cillit Bang Power Cleaner Grime & Lime's formula simply cuts through the toughest problems like soap scum, bathroom grime and rust. It also dissolves rock hard calcium in seconds so even limescale is no match for the power formula. Cillit Bang Power Cleaner Grime & Lime trigger will restore your surfaces to their original shine and it contains a fresh fragrance to leave your home smelling clean and fresh."

Yes, yes, heard it all before is my instinctive reaction. This particular trip though, I thought 'well, why not' and plopped it into the basket.



PRICE

According to Sainsbury's groceries online website, as of today (2nd January 2009) a 750ml bottle of Cillit Bang Power Cleaner Grime and Lime will set you back £3.21. What a bargain! You don't need masses of it to do the job - just a few squirts will do, so it should last you a while too. Well, as long as any other cleaner that comes in a bottle this size would last. In my opinion, this product is very good value for money.


PACKAGING

Wow, how garish is this! Just like the adverts, it is pretty shocking packaging. At least it makes it hard to miss, and you can't fail to know what brand it is associated with. There is no denying that this is a very eye-catching product, and it really does stand out on the shelf. The packaging is in keeping with the company image which, although gross, is very strong. In terms of business that can't be a bad thing.

It comes in a 750ml trigger bottle container like that shown in the picture. The bottle is bright purple, with a bright orange trigger. The label has the product name in big bold font over the colours of pink and white stripes arranged in a way that suggests something in the middle is gleaming and the label itself is edged bright orange to match the colour of the trigger. There are some small pictures of sparkling clean looking features such as a sink or a bathroom detailing broad examples of where the product can be used.

There is also a label on the reverse of the bottle detailing how the product should be used, what exactly it is, along with information about where it is/isn't suitable for use.


SCENT

I have to be honest. The smell is not good. It is a strong 'chemical' type smell, and to be fair to it, it smells like something that is probably going to work.

I'm not sure that, like Cillit, I could refer to the scent as a 'fresh fragrance to leave your house smelling clean and fresh'. I'd say it smells clean in quite a tart, sour kind of way. But that's just me. I followed it up with a squish of all purpose bathroom cleaner for a final polish and a nicer smell and this, to me, actually was clean and fresh.


APPLICATION

According to the instructions on the bottle, this is how it's done:
"Simply spray onto surfaces, leave for up to one minute (but no longer) and wipe away the tough stains. Rinse the surface thoroughly with water after use. Make sure you always test on an inconspicuous area first to ensure compatibility with the surface."

It really is as easy as that!

The liquid, in keeping with the rest of the company image, is bright pink. This is helpful as you can see exactly where you have sprayed it, as well as anywhere it has run to. This means you know where to remove it from after the one minute (so that nothing gets damaged by leaving it on there for an excessive amount of time).

The trigger bottle design also makes application extremely easy and means that the liquid does not have to make contact with your skin. I have very sensitive hands which react to most cleaning products and so wouldn't attempt to use anything of this description without my marigolds - but still, the less contact the better in my opinion.


WHERE CAN IT BE USED?

Cillit Bang power cleaner can be used on most surfaces, and pretty much anywhere that it is likely that grime and lime can build up. According to the instructions on the product, it is suitable on the following surfaces:

Suitable for:

Ceramics
Taps
Chrome
Ceramic flooring and wall tiles
Wash basins and toilets
Bath tubs and showers
Shower cubicles made from glass or acrylic plastic
Stainless steel and ceramic sinks
PVC floor coating

Not suitable for:

Hot or damaged surfaces
Acid sensitive surfaces
Enamel
Aluminium
Natural stones or zinc-plated metals
Marble
Textiles
Carpets
Brass
Stained fittings
Linoleum
Varnished, waxed or oiled wood floors
Rubber
Etched/matt glass


ANYTHING DODGY I NEED TO KNOW?

This is quite a harsh chemical and can be described as an irritant. It would be wise for you to wear gloves when using a product such as this in order to avoid contact with your skin.

Cillit recommend that if this product gets into your eyes, you should rinse them immediately with plenty of water and seek medical advice. Medical advice should also be obtained if the product is swallowed and the label provided to the medical staff.

Cillit also suggest that you should only use the product in well ventilated areas and avoid breathing the spray.

The product should not be mixed with bleach or other cleaning products and the container should be disposed of in a safe way.

Leaving the product on a surface for more than 5 minutes may, apparently, cause adverse effects. No further information is given as to what such effects might be, but I'd rather not chance it personally.


RESULTS

So did it work? Oh my goodness, YES! It really, really did. I cannot praise it enough and still can't quite believe how easily it worked.

My icicles have gone completely. I did still have to scrape a little, but the product broke the hard matter down and softened it hugely. It definitely weakened it at the point where it was attached to the taps.

The plug holes look as good as new.

The areas around the bases of the taps, well, this is the biggest wonder. One spray and perhaps only around 30 seconds wait, then one swoosh with the cloth and it was gone. No need to even enlist the old toothbrush I have on standby for the more fiddly areas. To think of the hours I wasted pointlessly scrubbing them in the past!

My shower glistens. I did have to use the toothbrush to get into some of the bits that move in order to get out the lime from in between, but the product meant that when I did this it actually came out and didn't require any actual 'scrubbing' at all.

I am quite honestly blown away by it. It's wonderful! I recommend it to anyone who cares to listen. I can't wait to see what else they have in their range and try it out.

I'm a little embarrassed by quite how excited I am about this product.

I'll never let an advert stop me from trying anything again. Well, I probably will, but I'll try not to.



Thanks for reading

© BondgirlK8 - January 2009

Summary: Look past the advert, you might be glad you did.