We test multi-purpose cleaners in a controlled lab environment. We cover tiles in a greasy soil. The cleaner is applied to a damp sponge and we use a scrub tester to clean the tile. Cleanliness is assessed by measuring the reflectance of the tile. We repeat this test four times and the results are averaged to obtain our overall score.
Our test is a comparative test, meaning the products are scored compared to one another. For this reason, only products tested together can be compared. This is why you won’t see results from previous years and also why we can’t test more products throughout the year and add them to our results. We perform this test once a year.
How we choose products to test
When deciding which cleaners to test we head straight to the supermarket, like any consumer would (we also search online if there are any popular brands we can’t find). We conduct a survey of the available products and then contact manufacturers to find out more information about the products we see. After purchasing the products, we send them off to the lab for testing.
Why is this free?
We’re dedicated to getting NZ consumers a fairer deal. We provide as much information as we can for free but we rely primarily on membership and donations to fund our work. You can help by becoming a Consumer member or making a donation. We’ll use your contribution to investigate consumer issues and work for positive change.