Clorox Bathwand and Disposable Tub & Shower Cleaning System: But not designed for much else.
Written: May 22 '05 (Updated May 28 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to use, easy to assemble, not too caustic, will not scratch most surfaces.
Cons: Cost of replacement pads, not good on round-surfaces or hard to reach areas, not multipurpose.
The Bottom Line: It is a handy bathtub, sink cleaning system that works well.
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| yakkowarner's Full Review: Clorox BathWand |
What it comes with and assembly
When I opened the box I first found an S-style shaped hanger, 2 individually wrapped pads, 2 pieces of the arm, and a spade shovel shaped foot scrubbing device. The two arm pieces screwed together permanently and securely. The shovel piece clipped on to the end of the arm and also seemed permanent.
Once the unit was put together I was unable to take the arm apart without fear of breaking it. The connection between the two arm pieces seems very strong and the shovel shaped foot piece seemed secure. I am able to take off the foot piece without breaking it but it is not designed to be taken off.
The pad, which is individually wrapped in plastic, sticks to the shovel piece like Velcro. The bottom side of the shovel piece has miniature hooks that grasps very securely to the pad.
How it works
Once assembled you place a custom shaped scrubbing pad on it and get it wet. The pads have a dried Clorox solution in it that is activated when you get it wet. Then you scrub down the surface like you would if you just had a sponge. It foams up very quickly. The advantage of this tool is that it makes the cleaning process a whole lot easier. The tool is designed to use a minimal amount of water and if you use too much water then you will wash away a lot of the solution. The pad itself is not a scouring pad so do not expect it to scratch the surface but it also will not get off sticky substances like tape residue.
Summary of how well it works and it’s design flaws
The joint of the foot piece and arm unit is flexible in one direction. The foot can move slightly more than 180 degrees and the plastic shovel is slightly flexible itself along the edges. Add to that that the pad is wider than the plastic foot piece so you have an even more flexible edge, just not flexible enough for sharp edges or small objects.
The Ergonomic design on the Wand handle is great. I can see room for improvement for the R&D department but not much. The improvements I would like to see would price this unit out of its marketing demographic.
My main complaints are you get a lot of suds, it does not get to hard to reach areas, and it does not clean sticky substances well.
What I used it on.
Linoleum bathroom tile- works well, just does not get rid of sticky substances.
True tile squares- works well. But it will not clean grout.
Calcium coated glass bathroom door- It did nothing. I think I need to get ammonia or some other strong caustic agent on it.
Shower stall wall- We have an old shower stall but I saw a difference. I think this product is perfect for the shower stall and bathtubs.
Calcium deposited shower stall head- It cleaned the sides well but failed to get rid of any of the calcium deposits.
BathtubThis unit is perfect for a bathroom tub and cleaned as well as it did my shower stall.
Stainless steel faucet and other stainless steel fixtures- worked perfectly and made the fixture look nice and shiny. The problem is the faucets are rounded and the flat end is not flexible, so it is best just to use an ordinary sponge with a cleaning solution or remove the pad and treat the pad as a sponge. The problem I encountered was if you have sticky residue on the metal then you will not get it off.
Faucet basin- It got out the superficial dirt marks but did not get off the sticky residue on the bottom of the sink. So for general cleaning it worked well.
Faucet counter- I began to clean it off and it created a lot of suds. I began to wipe it off with a towel and my wife said to let it dry. So I did. After it dried I found that a good bit of residue was left, but this was taken care of with a damp towel.
The Porcelain goddess- It is not designed for this piece of the bathroom, but that wasn’t going to stop me from using it on it. I found the same results as above, it worked well above the surface of the water and on the outside of it, but it will not work under the water. If you submerge it then all the cleaning solution will get in the toilet water. This was the last thing I tried with the first pad and promptly disposed it. There are other products that are designed for the toilet like the Lysol toilet bowl cleaner my wife uses.
My wife’s view of the product
She has not used it yet so when she gets a chance to use it I’ll update this part.
Is it hard to clean the unit itself?
It is just plastic so it is fairly simple to clean. You will need a flexible sponge to wipe it off. You will have some residual fibers on the Velcro bottom but those were easy to take off.
About the S-shaped hook
I first saw the hook and laughed. There was no way I was going to use it plus it just looked cheap. I also have no place to hang the unit in my master bathroom because the shower stall in my bathroom is a sliding door, not a rod. The guest bathroom had a curtain rod that would work but it would look really tacky hanging there. It does fit on the shower curtain rod so if that works for you then great. Thankfully the only unsanitary part of the unit is disposable so that if you do feel that you want to hang it somewhere in your bathroom you can do so without having bacterial/germ concerns.
The long handle and the ergonomics.
I think the handle is just right for the purpose it serves. I’m tall so I found myself grasping it at the middle of the unit a lot when cleaning out sinks. I held it at the edge of the handle when I was cleaning the shower stall and bathtub. I think the advantage is you do not have to stoop too much when you are cleaning a bathtub or shower stall.
There are minor ergonomic qualities to this unit. First is there are two grasping points to the unit. One is at the end and it slopes to add greater grip and the plastic is textured to offer some resistance to slipping. The other grasping point is also a textured plastic that is near the spade shovel foot of the unit.
Durability
I’ll have to update this in 6 months or so but that unit looks and feels solid. The unit is fairly strong and will require a lot of abuse to damage it. My guess is that if anything will break first it will be the seams on the handle or the foot will chip off, but that is only a guess. Time will tell.
My recommendation of the product from a guy that hates to clean.
It works and if I got one for free I would take it. But it is not anything special and has some imperfections. Plus the cost of replacement pads is a consideration of mine. The ultimate decision is going to be with my wife. If she thinks it works well then she can spend the extra money on the pads, as for me I would stay with a big sponge and cleaning agent.
But if you are someone that has a medical condition with your hands or back then this object may be a lifesaver. It is far easier to use than a sponge and you can reach objects a lot easier. It will definitely reduce the strain on your back and any pain in your hands.
Weight and dimensions
Weight: 5 1/8 ounce
Length of arm: 21.5 inches
Diameter: 1.25 inch at the end of the handle (the largest diameter) and 7/8 inch at the center of the handle (the smallest diameter).
Spade shovel shaped foot: 4 1/16 inch long by 3 7/8 inch wide
Dimensions of the pad: 5 inches long by 5 inches wide.
Summary
This is an object that is designed with convenience in mind. Its ideal use is for bathtubs, shower stalls, and sinks where water can easily wash off the residue. The pads are replaceable and already come with a cleaning solution inside the pad. The drawbacks to this system is that you have to buy replacement pads and it is not an all surface cleaning product. But for what it is designed to do it does well.
Disclaimer: I received the Clorox Bathwand as a gift by Fleishman Hillard and was arranged by “Pogomom”. I was asked to do the review within 2 weeks of receiving the product. Receiving this as a gift has not influenced my opinion nor how I wrote this review.
Other cleaning tools
Eureka Steam Cleaner
Hoover Floormate
Mr. Clean AutoDry Car Wash System
Recommended:
Yes
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