Bang! and the grime is gone and so is the sealant on your shower (Cillit Bang Power Grime & Lime Cleaner Trigger)

Member Name: moo2moo

Product:	Cillit Bang Power Grime & Lime Cleaner Trigger
Date:	30/09/09 (38 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fast and very effective at removing general grima and soap scum

Disadvantages: Highly corrosive

My other half returned from an unescorted foray into civilisation bearing a lurid purple bottle of Cillit Bang with is clashing orange lid as an unexpected gift. Oh the joys of being married for over a decade. I refrained from reciprocating the sentiment with a blowing glance of a Le Cruset frying pan to the skull. Wouldn't want to seem ungrateful, especially as I will grudgingly admit he does have a point. After seven years constant use from two small children and a Land Rover obsessed oil encrusted husband the bathroom could do with a little more cleaning than it usually gets. Its not dirty its more tired, a bit like me.

Cilit Bang! promises great things. The over the top tv adverts are worthy of an American TV Evangelist. Barry Scott, our fake host, just can't get his words out fast enough, or loud enough either, thats just how great Cillit Bang! is. Especially if you have a large collection of dirty pennys that you'd like half clean in just a few seconds. Pow! Perhaps the 1970s Batman scriptwriters have found a new niche?

Having digressed quite considerably I'll return to the task at hand, the cleaning of the family bathroom. Cillit Bang! is rather easy to use. Twist the nozel to the on position, aim at the surface in question keeping at a distance of 20-25cm and squirt away. Leave to stand for a maximum of five minutes and wipe off, rinsing thoroughly. Sounds easy. The reality is a little different. First the consistency is on the gloopy side so it comes out as splats which tend to cling in position rather than run down the walls so you need rather a lot do do a large area like a shower. On the plus side this also means you've got more control and can stop it running down the wall and onto things you don't want it to reach. It is very easy to wipe off and it rinses away leaving a gleaming shine and an audible squeak. From that point of view I am rather impressed. With every little effort on my part all traces of soap scum have disappeared from the glass door of my shower enclosure. I'd usually spend at least twenty minutes with vinegar and a cloth removing those whilst Cillit Bang! did the same job in just a few minutes.

As for the aroma. Its pungent, its not so much non-descriptive as caustic enough to make it feel like the hairs on the inside of your nose are rapidly disintegrating leaving a definate tingling sensation and a waft of somethig akin to ammonia. I ended up with all the windows open in an attempt to clear it, even then I did find myself going a bit light headed in the confines of the shower cubicle. Still its the closest I've had to an illicit high since university.

Bathroom now cleaned to the sort of clean that Kim and Aggie would be proud of I gave it a test drive. I'd got as far as lathering myhair when a very excited six year old appeared in the bathroom shouting Mummy, Mummy, its raining in the kitchen! Clearly I'd misheard but no, the leaping up and down continued by which point i'd managed to get soap in my eye. Turned off the shower and went to investigate. By jove the child was right. It was indeed raining in the kitchen. More specifically water was peeing down the wall directly under the shower straight into the electric distribuition box. *Insert appropriate swear word here*. Further investigation (minus the soap in hair and eye) revealed that Cillit Bang! not only removes grime and limescale it also turns old bathroom sealant porous.

The list of substrates where the use of Cillit Bang! is unsuitable is detailed on the rear of the bottle (sealant is notone of these items) as is a warning to test the product on an inconspicuous area first to ensure compatability first.

The bottle in question contained 750ml of liquid and cost £3.19. Half this is now confined to the rear of my cleaning cupboard. I'm sure it will eventually come in handy for something but it certainly won't be cleaning my bathroom again.

Summary: Very effective, perhaps a bit too much so.