CLEANING the toilet is nobody’s favourite job.
But using an effective cleaner can make it easier for you.
We test supermarket own-brand toilet gels
But what works best when it comes to keeping things nice and fresh and getting rid of unsightly discolouration?
Big brands are not always the most effective and are often expensive.
We asked mum-of-three Lynsey Hope, 41, from West Malling, Kent, to try out some supermarket loo cleaners to see how they fared against market leaders Duck and Harpic.
Here’s what happened:
Tesco was our winner – an excellent cleaner and a great bargain
WINNER: Tesco Active Toilet Gel Fresh (750ml)
Lynsey says: “An excellent product from Tesco. It leaves my toilet sparkling clean and fresh smelling. It’s thick enough to cling to the bowl as you clean and sprays easily out of the bottle.
“It did a good job of getting rid of hard to remove limescale at the bottom of the loo. It’s only a fraction of the cost of the bigger brands – around a third of the price – but it’s just as good.
“I’ll make this a regular on my shopping list from now on.”
- Cleaning: 10/10
- Value for money: 10/10
- Overall score: 10/10
Total score: 30/30
The Lidl version was one of the best – but just a little pricier than Tesco
Lidl W5 Pine Forest Toilet Gel (750ml)
Lynsey says: “A rather off-putting green colour but actually the Lidl one was one of the best. It’s a little more expensive than Tesco but it’s a great product and left my loos sparkling and clean.
“They do a lemon cleaner so might try that one next time.”
- Cleaning: 9/10
- Value for money: 9/10
- Overall score: 9/10
Total score: 27/30
Asda’s is expensive compared to others, but works well
Asda Toilet Liquid Gel Cleaner Cool Aqua (750ml)
Lynsey says: “This is a great price from Asda for a decent quality toilet cleaner. It smells nice and lasted well.
“I did have to do a bit more scrubbing to get rid of dirt but you’d be hard pushed to tell the difference between this Asda bottle and more expensive brands.
“It’s quite pricey compared to Aldi, Lidl and even 10p more than Tesco.”
- Cleaning: 9/10
- Value for money: 6/10
- Overall score: 8/10
Total score: 23/30
This one is far too expensive, even for its effectiveness
Harpic Active Fresh (750ml)
Lynsey says: “There is no denying Harpic works well but it costs nearly three times more than the Tesco cleaner.
“It was thick and one of the most effective cleaners, getting rid of discolouration in the toilet bowl after a few uses and leaving it smelling fresh and clean.
“It’s so expensive though and others we tested did just as good a job.”
- Cleaning: 10/10
- Value for money: 4/10
- Overall score: 7/10
Total score: 21/30
Duck doesn’t clean as well as you’d think
Duck Deep Action Gel Pine Forest (750ml)
Lynsey says: “The Duck cleaner claims to remove 99.9% of bacteria and eliminate unpleasant odours. It did all that but even after several goes, there was some brown staining in the toilet bowl which for this price I was hoping it might remove.
“It is very thick so does cling to the toilet bowl and I thought it would have done a better job. It has a nice autumnal smell.”
- Cleaning: 6/10
- Value for money: 4/10
- Overall score: 5/10
Total score: 15/30
Sainsbury’s is okay – but not the best
Toilet Gel by Sainsbury’s Aqua (750ml)
Lynsey says: “The Sainsbury’s version did a great job of getting the loo smelling fresh and clean and I liked that it didn’t have such a strong smell of bleach as some of the others.
“However, it didn’t do much to get rid of the build-up of discolouration at the bottom of the loo.
“Not bad for daily use but every now and then you’re going to need to scrub with something a bit stronger. Pricier than others too.”
- Cleaning: 5/10
- Value for money: 4/10
- Overall score: 5/10
Total score: 14/30
The Morrisons cleaner isn’t the thickest, so you might need to use more to get the job done
Morrisons Toilet Cleaner Ocean Wave (750ml)
Lynsey says: “Morrisons Toilet Cleaner smells nice and fresh but the consistency is very watery and you need to use a lot of it per wash.
“For that reason, I don’t think it is great value for money. It’s not mega cheap either. I wouldn’t bother buying this one in future.”
- Cleaning: 4/10
- Value for money: 3/10
- Overall score: 4/10
Total score: 11/30
This may be cheap, but it’s not good
Aldi Vital Fresh Toilet Gel Ocean (750ml)
Lynsey says: “Don’t be fooled by the great price. As much as I usually love Aldi products, this wasn’t good. I poured away nearly a quarter of the bottle on one wash.
“It was very thin and watery and you had to use a lot of it for a pretty basic clean. It’s not good value at all.”
- Cleaning: 3/10
- Value for money: 4/10
- Overall score: 3/10
Total score: 10/30
For more taste tests, take a peak here where we tested supermarket own-brand nappies.
We also tried own-brand tomato soup – which one tastes the same as Heinz?