Thursday, May 26, 2016

Sparkling Family Home: With Astonish


Astonishingly clean?


I have to admit, that for some bizarre reason I am completely addicted to buying cleaning products and accessories. When it comes to using them though, the excitement usually fades a little.

The intention is definitely there, but I severely lack the motivation energy and time to clean as much as I'd like to. I'd sum up my cleaning rituals by saying that I am an 'OCD cleaner, in my head'. I look around seeing a million and one jobs that need to be done which drive me crazy and in reality I just keep on top of the same few tasks each week, resulting in a house that is clean, but does leave a lot to be desired. My home doesn't have that 'proud sparkle' that I would like it to - can I put the blame on the kids here? Yes.

I was asked recently to review for cleaning brand Astonish, which I had heard of but only used the dishwasher tabs and UPVC cleaner which have both been pretty good. The UPVC cleaner in particular makes a huge difference and cost only around a pound at the time. Our house was smoked in by the previous owners so the white PVC windows and doors did have yellowing which was removed easily with Astonish, so I was intrigued to try their other household products.

We are quickly learning over and over again the good old 'you buy cheap, you buy twice' motto and this is never more true I am realising than with cleaning products as much as anything. Actually though, Astonish products are very affordable and in my local Savers store they had a great selection which were really cheap, from washing detergent to cleaners - making them an exception to the rule.


In the kitchen


For the kitchen I used the anti-bacterial spray as well as the oven & cook wear cleaner. The first thing that struck me with all these products was the size of the bottle, you get a good load of product in these so it's always worth remembering bottle size when comparing prices, making these even more of a bargain. I love the big chunky sprays, they give good coverage and will last ages.

The antibacterial spray cleans well and it smells clean and neutral with no fruity fragrances - just a nice 'cleaned' scent which is exactly what I like.

The oven cleaner cut through grime pretty well and was good at bringing things to a shine, especially where there's burnt on stains. If used regularly this would keep your oven and cook wear in good order and was easy to apply straight from the tub. Despite the name, this paste can be used on a number of surfaces and is suitable really for any area with stubborn staining from glass hobs to tiles.


In the bathroom


I clean my bathroom a fair bit but it never really feels very 'clean'. I think because as much as I would love that hotel room shine I just can't achieve it, especially on my tiles which always just look a little dull however much bleach I throw their way!

For the bathroom, I tried the glass cleaner, grout & tile cleaner and the Ultimate limescale remover.

I was most excited about these bathroom products as there are areas I just really struggle with that although the surface is clean, I can't remove the stains or build up of limescale. I was really hoping Astonish would come through on this, eradicate a lot of elbow grease and give me that sparkle that I desired, so I couldn't wait to get cleaning - I know that is strange isn't it?

The bathroom products worked very well and I dried the tiles and brought them up to a perfect mirror shine with the window cleaner! They look pretty amazing now and the grout looks far better.

Verdict?

Firstly, I'd like to say that the brand name does fit. The results were pretty 'Astonishing' by large and I am so pleased they lived up to my hopes from trying the other products with success.

I loved the anti-bacterial spray which is definitely as good as most other brands, so it would come down to any price/offers on that one at the time of buying. The kitchen cleaner worked really well and I would recommend this if you have any built up stains that you are struggling to shift. This is strong stuff and does work well with very little effort from you.

I loved the bathroom bits best of all. The glass cleaner does exactly what it says on the 'tin' and cleans glass, really well as well as my tiles. It was easy to use, streak free and gave me that shine - happy days. This was by far the easiest glass cleaner I have used in terms of removing the residue and lack of elbow grease required. It didn't need 'buffering up' after like some do, it was just a simple spray and wipe which was perfect.

The limescale and tile reviver were really good and I am happy to have discovered an affordable product that works well on areas that have annoyed me for a while. With regular use, I will have me that sparkling hotel bathroom (well not quite but near enough) and I will continue to buy Astonish products in the future and try even more of the ranges.

I loved the gentle smells, the large easy to use/good quality bottles and I think they are priced very well considering they give good results. I have since been back to savers to buy the washing detergent which cost me £1.99 for 28 washes and smells absolutely amazing!


You can find out more about Astonish as well your local stockist over on their website.





Disclosure: I was sent product samples in exchange for an honest review. All words/images/thoughts are my own.