Vim and spontex scrubby thing just had to share!

[summer rain]

Firstly just to stress I am not into chemically harsh cleaning products at all, I don't normally buy anything with anti bacterial agents or bleach in as I don't think they are good for you but the other day I came across a scouring powder (tends to get called a 'cleanser' in the US) called Vim, I looked it up and apparently it was invented in 1904 and was actually the original version of Cif/jif though it's now made by a different company than Cif in Europe. From what I can tell the powder contains a base similar to clothes washing powder with a small amount of powdered bleach in it as well, while I'm not a fan of bleach I have to say this one is a lot less fumey and easier to use sparingly than bleach sprays or liquids. It also rinses really really well and for 70 odd pence for a big shaker you can't go wrong, it's the only thing that could clean off the really burnt on bits on my hob, made my kitchen sink look brand new again (got rid of lime scale and tea stains etc) and it cleaned off some biro/crayon off my sons' wall and inside their wardrobe without damaging the finish. Obviously wear gloves when using.

My other recommendation is this bathroom scrubbing sponge/cloth by spontex, it looks kind of like chain mail crossed with tweed on one side and grey chamois on the other, can't find a picture but they sell it in ocado probably other places as well. By just gently rubbing it on my grout and tiles it picked up 3 years of soap scum and dirt right away, I've used cillit bang, viakal, various Cif products and others on my bathroom with limited success. It also cleaned my enamel bath to perfection without damaging it. So thought I'd recommend that as well! Xx

 

[summer rain]

https://www.ocado.com/catalog/images-hires/67680011_H.jpg?identifier=540c97e65b08aac734db0196254259fd

Found a pic of the spontex one xx

 

[faun]

My mum has been using vim for years it is so good at cleaning ovens and stainless steel the bits round the plug hole gleam when sprinkled and scrubbed with this and a sponge.

 

[xolily]

where can you buy this vim? unlike you, i'm a bleach freak.. but i'm up for anything that cleans well!

 

[summer rain]

I got my vim from ocado, it was 70p for 500g shaker (looks a lot smaller in the pic than it is-its huge!), the same is 77p in waitrose (just checked and ocado put it up to 77p just in the past week too). I still have about half of it left after using it to spring clean pretty much my entire flat! I don't know about Morrisons but none of the other major supermarkets sell it AFAIK, you can get it online, google it as quite a few places sell it, but they sell it for £1.10 and upwards xx

 

[tina3747]

Vim has been around forever!! My mum used to use it in the bath but I always remember there being like a chalky film left in there!...definatly needs a good rinse, obviously my mum never did!!

 

[DiddleDumplin]

I've never heard of it, but will definately look for it when I go shopping!

 

[summer rain]

Vim was invented in 1904 (!), it does need a good rinse but only as much as cream cleaners and is a lot more effective IMHO. I find that bicarb based cleaners either home made or ones you buy don't rinse at all where I live probably something to do with it being an extremely hard water area; I'll rinse and rinse and rinse and still have white chalky marks everywhere, so the vim is much better xx