Domestos review

Toilet-cleaning. Not exactly glamorous, is it ?! But nevertheless everyone has to do it, so when I was sent through a selection of Domestos products to try out, I pulled on my rubber gloves and set off to put them through their paces. I had the choice of :

- in the blue bottle, Domestos Extended Germ Kill, "the super thick, longer-lasting germ killer with a new patented formula that means it sticks to the bowl flush after flush after flush - nothing protects as long". (This is the one we use normally.)

- in the green bottle, Domestos Total Blast Toilet Gel, "the only toilet cleaner with Total Shield™ protection. Helps blast tough dirt and shields in between cleans"

- in the black bottle, Domestos Zero Limescale, "relentless on tough limescale even below the waterline and three times thicker than its competitors"

- a Domestos Total Blast toilet block, "for those nasty germs swimming around in your bowl... The only rim block that freshens as it kills".

In France, I always used to buy the white Domestos which was the anti-limescale one, until they stopped making it. I was gutted because it was the only thing that used to keep our toilets totally clean. I switched back to the blue Domestos which may keep the germs at bay but still lets the limescale build up, so I had high hope for the black Zero Limescale Domestos.

This is Sophie's toilet as I prepared to do battle. Yuck ! The only saving grace is that it's all limescale, not poo ! The problem is so bad that the only way I've found to clean it all off is to attack it once every few months with a knife, chipping it all off by hand. It comes off in huge brown flakes, which I always worry are going to block the mechanism of her Saniflo toilet, as we were told by the plumber that even a single piece of Lego or a marble down the toilet would break it.

I squirted some of the black Zero Limescale Domestos around the bowl and left it for a few hours. I didn't even have a quick scrub, I just left it to see what (if any) effect it would have on the build-up of limescale.

When I came back, I literally couldn't believe it and asked Sophie if she'd been having a go with the toilet brush. (She hadn't.) After a flush to remove the excess product, this is what was left. The toilet looked good as new. (There is still a tiny bit needing to be cleaned at the water line but that disappeared with a very quick wipe with the toilet brush.)

But it just got better. I've been doing a weekly squirt with the black Domestos and the limescale hasn't started to reappear, as it usually would.

I'm sure the Total Blast and Extended Germ Kill are equally efficient but as they're dealing with invisible nasties, the effects aren't as visually impressive. I was so impressed with the black Domestos that I half entertained the idea of using it to remove the build-up of limescale on our shower cubicle, which makes it look like frosted glass when it isn't ! Unfortunately, they must have read my mind and mark on the bottle that it should only be used on toilet bowls, nothing else - not fair !

The germ killing power of Domestos has been endorsed by Royal Society for Public Health and having seen just how effective it is at getting rid of limescale, I can quite understand why. I'll definitely be buying this for evermore - I may never have to go elbow-deep into the toilet water ever again, yay !!

If you haven't seen it yet, you might also like to read my blogpost (here) detailing the findings of Domestos' research into the UK's toilet terrors ! There is also news of The Modern Domestic Goddess Guide to Bathroom Etiquette, written in conjunction with Nancy Dell’Olio, the authority on etiquette in or out of the bathroom.

star rating : 5/5

RRP :  about £1.75 to £2 (but currently on 2 for £2 offer at Tesco, if you're quick !)

for more information : www.domestos.co.uk

Disclosure : We received a selection of Domestos products in order to write an honest review.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

  

PRIVY PRACTICES: 17 MILLION WOMEN SAY NO TO DATING IF YOU HAVE TOILET TERRORS!

Method Bowl Patrol Biodegradable Toilet Cleaner 

Method Bathroom Surface Cleaner Flushable Wipes