Vim - It Doesn't Half Shift the Shi* ! (Vim Extra Whitening Classic Scourer Powder)

Member Name: Nar2

Product:	Vim Extra Whitening Classic Scourer Powder
Date:	26/05/08 (997 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Traditional scourer powder does away the nasty jobs your spray cant. Great for cleaning floors too.

Disadvantages: Still a little over heavy with bleach scent. Availability. Make up your mind Unilever!

How do you clean your toilet? It's not a question you ask your best friend let alone a friend in the street and these days Harpic and so many other companies seem to be hell bent on offering any cleaner which doesn't allow the owner get their hands dirty. Who would want to? I remember having to clean the toilet when I lived in rented properties in London when everyone had to do it on a cleaning rota and despise anyone who had left the toilet bowl in a disgusting state never mind have to wear rubber gloves and get down on my hands and knees with a bowl of hot water, bleach and a stiff brush.

The problem is, and if you have one of these gel packs which you fix onto the side of the toilet rim where the area is only reserved for gentleman folk the chances are that whilst it keeps your toilet fresh smelling, the gels in most packs don't actually shift stains which I shall refer to them as being burnt on rather than any other adjective which comes to mind. Children inevitably pee on them (well I did as a child and so have half of my friends during weird conversations of useless contraptions) and they end up having to be picked up with god knows how many germs left on the plastic wire handle! Then there are the sprays which will happily clean up the limescale and any water impurities left on the rim and the main bowl of the toilet, but there are few which have the strength to shift the shi* stains on their own.

Sometimes then the most old fashioned ways of cleaning a toilet are better than most and whereas bleach inevitably threatens clothing by a mere splash or drip near you - unless you dress like a tramp when cleaning your bathroom - and no, not by a steam cleaner either - good old faithful comes calling in the form of Vim powder.



The problem with Vim powder is that it seems to last a lot longer than stocks in this country because whilst I've read somewhere that Vim is no longer on sale it seems to be in plentiful supply in my local Co Op amongst more modern alternatives which you don't have to bother close contact with your loo when they do it for you. Private newsagents and the like may even try and sell you an old fashioned cardboard cylinder tube with a metal top in the hope you'll just buy it, even if it has a relatively longer shelf life than most products. Although you'll find a year or two years (depending on the fabric of the container) best before date, we still have Vim scourer powder from three years ago and still smells of a lemony citrus fresh scent whenever it used on tiles and porcelain in the bathroom.

The designs of present containers are white and green with a green label in the middle and yellow letters which proudly displays the name "Vim." The traditional adjustable metal ring at the top has now been replaced by a cheap red or yellow plastic top which flips up and reveals a pepper like series of perforated holes.

The content however is extremely hazardous, carrying warnings about the powder if it is accidentally swallowed. Although it contains bleach it doesn't contain a high percentage but the powder itself is an irritant and it does carry strong warnings as well as directions to avoid use on naked flesh - Vim is extremely strong powder but if you have common sense you will use it the way the company intend it to be used. Although it isn't antibacterial its bleach content guarantees a degree of disinfectant additives.

Which brings me onto the next issue; who makes Vim? Surprisingly it is Cif/Jif who own and make Vim powder and against Cif/Jif cream cleanser which I find too chalky in use its no wonder that Vim powder has disappeared in lieu of Cif/Jif's large product range now when only a few years ago all you could buy was the cream cleanser! One of the reasons to why Vim has disappeared it simply because of its more old fashioned origins and because there are tons of cleaning sprays, creams and potions which promise to shift poo stains without additional help by the buyer.


I use Vim powder to specifically clean toilets when burnt on stains won't shift but I also used it in London when limescale used to cling to the top of the rim badly and would stop the jet holes whenever the toilet was flushed. With use of a mixture of vinegar and Vim, it is possible to scratch away limescale but with Vim alone it doesn't really work well when it comes to limescale. As such you can sprinkle a little powder to form a short crumbly paste in a bowl before transferring to the surface you are cleaning. Or as I do, just sprinkle on the stain, add some water and scrub away; but with hot water it doesn't actually need much human interaction.

The nature of the powder of course it that its natural consistency when added to water provides a scrubbing nature and only a few burnt on stains only remain stubborn if you dump the power, add water/flush and walk away - sadly with Vim you do have to add your own muscle power sometimes. Whilst you can use it on all types of tile you can't use it on porous materials such as Marble which is probably one of the reasons to why consumers no longer buy Vim powder as it can't clean one of the more moderns materials found in homes today. At least the "puffer" nature of the can means a slight squeeze is all that is required to deposit some of the powder down although it can be cloudy if you inhale or put your face in front of the canister.


We have porcelain white tiles in our kitchen and bathroom walls and Vim surprisingly gets all the grout up but it does take some degree of scrubbing to take stains out such as grout and general food stains. If there is one consideration for Vim nowadays it is its scent, which is still citrus lemon from its original branding but still has undertones of bleach when the powder is rinsed away. For some consumers the smell of bleach is enough to give them the turns but here there is only a slight undertone of bleach once the solution is washed away and gives a clinical smell which in turn portrays the image of a clean smelling and safe bathroom/kitchen.

Although the powder itself is white in colour it has green or black granules seen through it so it is always viewable when the solution remains on white backgrounds. Whilst Vim has cleansing agents it is not antibacterial - the formula went as far as the 1920's - and whilst countless companies who took over the firm who made it originally have updated the fragrance - it is no surprise to learn that it isn't antibacterial by today's standards although on its contents alone, for some consumers the fact that it has bleach is enough.

However another great advantage of Vim is that it really brings up shiny metal cooking pans, or way back when I was born when my parents had a silver chrome kettle, Vim could be scrubbed into the metal to bring the metal nice and shiny before being rinsed off (even if I like using toothpaste). And indeed, use on taps and chrome accents in bathrooms and kitchen sinks brings metal up clean and shiny - it does however appear to have a mared improvement because of its "extra whiteness," formula. As with Cif/Jif cream cleanser if you attempt to clean any dark porcelain or general tile materials that are dark in colour yet non-porous the powder can leave a chalky residue to the touch, which is a downside to its original, content. However as with most proper cleaning products a couple of rinses of water or wipe downs ensure that the product is finally taken away. That is why I prefer to use Vim.

Since its a world wide known name and being so old, people instantly know what to do, especially if they use your toilet and as a guest want to get rid of their personal symbol left behind in the pan!


For their standard 500g-cylinder tub it only costs a mere 99p. A smaller 250ml cylinder costs around 58p to 65p depending on stockists which makes the larger tub all the better value wise. Also I've kept this powder from time to time for more than 2 years without worry of it going "off," or losing its power. I find that generally it will last longer if it has been stored in a dark and dry cupboard.


For stalwart fans of traditional means when it comes to cleaning Vim powder is one of the last remaining ways of cleaning tiles and toilets. Whilst it cleans tiles and general porcelain extremely well it has no antibacterial agents and in some cases of heavy stubborn stains hot water is all that is required to get rid of any unsightly excrement left in your toilet that the designated spray or toilet bloo fails to move. Vim scourer powder isn't just for toilets but for any type of tile where it magically restores tiles looking fresh and new whilst on chrome and general metal it can also be used to bring up a brilliant shine. For some consumers who prefer putting in the work to do jobs themselves, Vim is a good helping hand. Thanks for reading. ©Nar2 2008.

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Summary: One of the older and trusted ways of cleaning your loo but its hard to find.