Not a magic wand; awkward and wasteful.
Written: May 14 '05 (Updated May 14 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Handle contoured for comfort; easy assembly.
Cons: Wasteful, awkward, expensive to use. Cleans tile and curved surfaces poorly.
The Bottom Line: Pass on the BathWand; a handheld sponge cleans better and more easily.
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| bkalafut's Full Review: Clorox BathWand |
The Clorox BathWand is one of those products that you see and you almost think "I could have thought of that," but you use and you think, "glad I didn't!"
Relatively simple in construction, it consists of a two foot (60 cm) handle to which is attached a flat piece of plastic allowed to pivot in one direction. A thin disposable scrubbing pad impregnated with cleanser is attached to the pivoting piece in a velcro-like fashion.
Assembly takes all of thirty seconds and instructions for use are simple: wet the pad, scrub the surface, rinse, and change the pad for a new one at next use. In theory, it's a good idea; the two-foot handle allows increased leverage on the scrubbing pad and a comfortable reach in areas such as showers and tubs that are too confined for a five-foot mop handle.
In practice, the BathWand is awkward to the point of uselessness. The pads are shaped like a clothes iron; on the backward stroke of a scrub there's a tendency for the pad to simply "roll over" the flat edge, with a thud as the wand then smacks the side of the tub. This could have been avoided if the pads were rounded at the back; it seems to me that this wasn't adequately tested pre-release.
Less immediately obnoxious but far more damning is the trouble the BathWand has with curved surfaces such as bathtubs. It handles convex curves fairly well, but concave curves such as at the bottom of a bathtub are almost impossible to scrub with this product. The pad is too thin and the piece to which it mounts is too rigid to flex into the curve. Already (due to design) it's difficult to apply reasonably even pressure anywhere with this, but in a curve you're lucky if you can touch the surface at all!
Similarly, there isn't enough thickness or give in the pad to clean tile surfaces. The front of the tile gets clean but it's nearly impossible to apply enough pressure to scrub the grout.
On flat, smooth surfaces the most pressure is applied at the center (unlike a traditional mop) but enough remains at the edges to adequately clean. The cleanser in the pads is nothing special; Simple Green and Soft Scrub, wiped with a sponge, work better. It's not bad; the industrial almost-citrus scent isn't overpowering, and it does get the job done, but it doesn't cut grease and other films as well as Simple Green nor scrub tile as well as Soft Scrub or Comet.
Adding to the problems with the BathWand is the use of the disposable pads themselves, especially if package directions are followed. These don't biodegrade; they'll sit in landfills as long as AOL CDs. Financially and ecologically, it's a wasteful system, hence if you're either inclined toward frugality or have reasonably enlightened values, you'll want to avoid this.
(Then again, I doubt those types would be reeled in by anything calling itself a "Disposable Tub and Shower Cleaning System"; both the waste of "Disposable" and the pomposity of "System" are turnoffs!)
The contoured two-foot handle could be the start of something good. Given a few minutes I could sketch out a "bath wand" that would be a true improvement over the scrub brush or the handheld sponge. This, on the other hand, just adds more hassle to the job. It may be a fine refill-selling racket for Clorox but, unless your bathroom is flat, smooth, and built with ninety-degree angles, the BathWand is the farthest one can get from a "magic wand" making tub and shower cleaning easier.
(As part of a promotion, Fleishman-Hillard sent to me a sample of the Clorox BathWand for a fair and impartial review.)
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
bkalafut
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 in Restaurants & Gourmet |
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Member: Bennett Kalafut
Location: Tucson, AZ, USA
Reviews written: 258
Trusted by: 42 members
About Me:
Stretching single molecules for fun and profit.
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