Down the pan with this one! (Toilet Duck Cleaner)

Member Name: Darkstar101

Product:	Toilet Duck Cleaner
Date:	18/06/09 (104 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Kills germs, easy to use bottle

Disadvantages: Smells terrible & does not effectively remove limescale below the waterline

Whilst cleaning my bathrooms recently, I noticed the toilets were becoming a little lime scaled, and one toilet in particular had a small build up just under the rim. To combat this, the first product that sprung to mind was Toilet Duck because I remember the advertisements saying it "reaches right under the rim". It is a while since I last bought this product as I normally use bleach in conjunction with other freshening products. I was pleased to discover that Johnson now manufacture a 3 in 1 Toilet Duck product with the label boasting "99.9% germ kill", "cleans and freshens" and "limescale removal". Perfect, just what I wanted - in theory anyway.

I bought a bottle of "Ocean" 3 in 1 which was very reasonably priced at 89p for 750ml. The bottle itself is approximately 25cm in height, and shaped such that it sits comfortably in the hand. It is manufactured from a squeezable plastic which facilitates easy dispensation of the product via its trademark unique angled neck. Even when there is very little liquid left in the bottle, it still comes out because of the angled neck.

The bottle is opened by simultaneously squeezing opposite sides of the red plastic safety cap whilst turning in an anti-clockwise direction. This is an essential feature if you have small, inquisitive children at home, but can be a little tricky if you're not too dextrous.

The directions on the bottle say to direct the blue viscous liquid under the rim and squeeze evenly around the bowl - this is easy to do because the bottle shape lends itself to this and the directional tip ensures controlled, accurate dispensation.
The instructions then say to brush, flush and reapply the liquid and for best results leave for 60 minutes before flushing. Even after a couple of flushes, there is still some residual liquid around the bowl, I personally find this a bit unsightly.

The first thing I noticed was the smell. It is foul. I'm not really sure what an "Ocean" smell is supposed to be like but I am certain it can't be as bad as this. I can only describe the aroma as a nauseating strong, stale tobacco stench which permeated the entire house and lasted for several hours. The bottle claims "cleans and freshens" - this liquid does not smell fresh by any stretch of the imagination, it is disgusting.

Having followed the directions, the second thing that I noticed was that although the limescale around the rim had cleaned off, the scale below the water line was relatively untouched. The cynic in me says that it was the physical scrubbing with the brush that brought the scale off rather than the liquid's capacity as a limescale remover. It is also possible that the liquid is ineffective below the waterline because it is diluted before it has a chance to act on the scaled surfaces.

The directions go on to suggest using the product at least 3 times a week to keep the toilet clean and prevent limescale. I did this, despite the awful smell, and after using the whole bottle; there was still no visible effect below the water line. In my opinion the product label is a little misleading, as it is being sold as a limescale remover not a limescale preventer.

Needless to say, I am disappointed with this product and will be looking for an alternative to tackle the limescale problem, preferably one with a pleasant odour.

Summary: Not a very good 3 in 1 cleaner as it doesn't fulfill all of its claims.