A Lick and a Promise (Dettol Direct Floor Cleaner)

Member Name: aefra

Product:	Dettol Direct Floor Cleaner
Date:	06/10/03 (252 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: No bucket needed, Dries quickly

Disadvantages: As review

Washing my kitchen floor isn't that much of a chore and I rarely use specialist cleaners although I do like to try out those newly advertised. Some household soda in a bucket of warm water and a splash of bleach does the job nicely. That is with the proviso that it only needs cleaning once a day, which isn't often. Since the kitchen is the workplace of the home and generally leads on to the garden if you have one, it is the utilitarian room most likely to be walked on with grass mowings on the soles of the feet or muddy dogs' paws. Then there are all the spills which can go with cooking and food preparation. I was attracted, therefore, by the advertisement for a cleaner which could be splashed neat with no need for a bucket and would dry within five minutes having not needed to be rinsed.

Dettol has been a trusted name for as long as I can remember and their Direct Floor Cleaner (DFC) seemed the answer to those quick clean up jobs. Dettol DFC being anti-bacterial promises that 99% of those nasty little unseen germs will be eliminated and that it is suitable for vinyl, laminated and varnished wood floors as well as tiles, as long as all of these are sealed. I liked the idea that a damp sponge or mop is all that is needed and especially that this liquid is quick drying. This is because I seldom wear shoes in the house and a wet floor beneath socks or bare feet has me sliding towards the work surfaces at a rate of knots. Skating would not be one of my talents.

The soft plastic metallic green bottle is topped by a white cap which is lifted to allow the contents to be sprayed over the floor. This is less of a spray and more a release of four lines of liquid from the holes in the top. Quickly unpacking my shopping from Sainsbury's I could not wait to start with my new toy. Yes it was convenient, but hardly enough of a test for a review. That is until this evening when a day in the life of a kitchen was nicely evi
dent and just right for really trying out the DFC. Having swept the floor I looked with satisfaction at some unidentified brown splashes (now dry) which were probably tea. I had dropped an egg which the dog obligingly licked up for me but left a stain anyway and I had walked straight into the kitchen to wash my hands after cleaning out the pond filter. All in all very satisfactory for my purpose. Oh, I forgot the coffee grounds and we all know how they stick as little dark spots which won't be mopped up without a good rub, even when newly fallen.

Damping my vileda mop I started in front of the sink unit and backed towards the hall door, spraying fairly close to the floor on the way. I had already learnt not to do the whole floor as then I would have to walk over the liquid to start mopping. Obvious to you sensible people, but I forgot the first time I tried. On trying a little of the contents of the bottle on my finger it appeared to be a little soapy and smelt bleachy. I have yet to find a pine scent that actually smells of the tree.

The damp mop took all marks off the surface with little trouble and left a wet shine which needed no rinsing and which was to more or less disappear as it dried. Within 5 minutes I walked across the kitchen in bare feet and didn't feel any actual stickiness but can't help feeling there would a build up over time. That is just my personal feeling. Although no residue is promised, I did think that the washed area lacked the crisp freshness that is seen and smelt after a good old going over with cleaning aids which need a bucket and water. There is no doubt though that the floor was left non-slip in a very short time. Any attempt to slide across it (for review purposes only) was thwarted.

I have used the DFC 4 or 5 times now and about two thirds of the contents are left in the litre bottle which cost me £1.89 at Sainsbury's. I think this is a product which is worth keeping
for a quick wash and brush up between real cleaning.and certainly means that I shall no longer have to carry a bucket upstairs to the bathroom, but I wouldn't feel deprived if I found the bottle empty. Also if the floors in the rest of my house were uncarpeted I would find this an expensive addition to my kitchen cupboard as would be anything used neat on a large underfoot surface.

Would I recommend the Direct Floor Cleaner? It does as the bottle says, has novelty value for those of us who like to try out new cleaners and I would rate it as handy to have around ...... but I wouldn't consider it a miracle worker although giving it 4 stars.



Note: Care should be taken not to mix the Dettol with bleach or any other household cleaner.

Summary: