Review - Ecover

I'm not the greatest at housework; my theory is if you can't see it, it doesn't need cleaning! OK so not the best theory but I'm slightly lazy. That’s why I was surprised myself (and OH) when I agreed to test and review a range of Ecover's cleaning products against their biochemical equivalent.



Now one of my excuses reasons for not doing much cleaning in the day is that our house is really small, or living room and kitchen is opened planned and I do worry that the chemicals in some cleaning products are too strong and I don’t want them to harm BG so I have either wait until she is in bed or is out of the house to do certain cleaning jobs.


Anyway I agreed to test the Ecover range for them, they sent me a multi surface spray, degreaser, window and glass cleaner and a all purpose cleaner. They also sent the biochemical equivalent to test against, cleaning clothes, gloves and lovely green trug to keep them in (no person to actually do the cleaning for me though!), so I had a baby free day and did some cleaning (oh the glamour)


Now for those you that haven’t heard of Ecover they are the world-leading pioneers of ecological cleaning. This range harnesses the power of nature through pioneering ingredients called Eco-Surfactants . The pioneering Eco-Surfactants make the hard surface cleaning range unique. Not only are these pioneering new ingredients made with fully renewable plant-based ingredients (rapeseed oil, yeast and glucose), they are also produced using a totally biochemical process – similar to the process of brewing beer – as opposed to a chemical one as many of Ecover’s competitors use.


What’s more, because Ecover only uses sustainable plant-based and mineral ingredients, you don’t have to worry about leaving behind residues of nasty (and unnecessary) chemicals when you clean. And thanks to its pH neutral formula, it won’t irritate skin like some other products can.


So on with the results


Multi Surface Spray


First of all I tested the Ecover Multi Surface Spray against Flash Multi Purpose Spray (Lemon).


I used them to cleaning my kitchen and bathroom surfaces down.

Ecover Multi Surface Spray 500ml £2.50

This cleaned both surfaces well; it didn’t have a harsh smell which I liked. It didn’t leave a residue either and left my bathroom sparkling.

Flash Multi Purpose Spray (Lemon) 500ml £1.55 

 This again cleaned both surfaces well; the lemon smell is a bit chemical but not too overpowering. There was a slight residue left afterwards.

Both of these sprays do the job they are meant to do and do it rather well. The Ecover spray is more expensive then the Flash sprays. To be honest I would be happy to use either of these, the smell of the flash isn’t too over powering.

Degreaser Power Sprays


I tested Ecover’s Power Cleaner against Cillit Bang Power Degreaser.


I cleaned the top of my electric cooker and the splash back tiles. I also used them to clean a roasting tray from dinner the night before.

Ecover’s Power Cleaner 500ml £3.99 

 This cleaner comes out like a thick foam, which clings to the dirt and grease. It didn’t run down the tiles, it stuck to them. This power cleaned all the grease and burnt on food first time, I was really impressed with it. I didn’t have to scrub at all and only had to use it once. There were no harsh smell and I could clean without using rubber gloves.

 

Cillit Bang Power Degreaser 750ml £3.19 

 This has a really wet spray, when I sprayed it on the tiles it just run down and didn’t cling at all. This didn’t clean as well as the Ecover; I had to scrub quite hard and had to use a second spray on the tiles. The smell is horrendous and I had to open all the windows to use this cleaner and gloves.

Ecover’s cleaner defiantly wins this test, it may be more expensive but cleans much better and the smell doesn’t over power you.


Window and Glass Cleaner


I tested Ecover’s Window and Glass Cleaner against Mr Muscle Glass Cleaner


I have two big patio windows in my living room so I tested the two cleaners on these. BG loves to lick, blow on and rub her hands over these windows so they were quite smudged and grubby. I used kitchen towel with both of these cleaners.

Ecover’s Window and Glass Cleaner 500ml £2.69 

This had a nice thick spray that didn’t run down the window. It wiped dry really quickly and left a smear free shine, with no residue left over. It had a pleasant smell.

Muscle Glass Cleaner 500ml £1.35 

 This had a really spray, the cleaner ran down the window and pooled at the bottom. It took longer to dry and clean with these cleaner but the results were the same smear free. The smell was quite over powering




Both cleaners left the windows looking clean and smear free however I preferred the Ecover as it didn’t run and dried really quickly, plus the smell was pleasant.


All Purpose Cleaner


I tested Ecover’s All Purpose against Flash All Purpose Cleaner Lemon


These all purpose cleaners are concentrated and can be diluted, I used them neat on my white kitchen sink that holds all stains.

Ecover’s All Purpose 500ml £1.59 

 The Ecover cleaner really lifted the stains well, I didn’t need to scrub too hard and there were no harsh smells. It left my sink clean and stain free and wasn’t harsh on my skin.

Flash All Purpose Cleaner Lemon 500ml £1.35 

 The Flash cleaner worked well to lift the stains on my sink, I had to scrub a little. The smell of lemons is a little overpowering but it clean my sink well.





Both cleaners did a good job, though the Ecover cleaner worked slightly better


Overall


I found the Ecover products slightly better than the biochemical cleaners. They smell wasn’t overpowering and they weren’t harsh on my skin. They are however more expensive than the other ranges, some by quite a lot. What I do like about the Ecover products is that they are gentle on the environment and I feel that’s something that we should be mindful of.


Would I buy Ecover again? Yes, I would but will I be changing over to them completely? No, sorry I do like to look for the best value for money and I am swayed by offers. I will probably use Ecover for my downstairs everyday cleaning because I am concerned about BG and the fumes.


NM X