SPRING is a great time to give your home a good clean.
But it can be infuriating when you splash out on a product that claims to work wonders and it just doesn’t deliver.
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Supermarket shelves are lined with so many different bottles and sprays, it can be hard to know which will save you extra elbow grease without breaking the bank.
Lynsey Hope reviews a selection of kitchen sprays to find out which ones can really deliver:
Method Daily Kitchen Cleaner (828m) at Ocado
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Lynsey says: “A lovely fresh clementine smell, which wasn’t at all overpowering.
“This cleaner is plant-based and made with biodegradable ingredients so a great eco choice.
“As the ingredients are gentle, this is suitable for use on worktops, tiles, stone, wood and glass so I liked how versatile it was.
“The bottle, minus the trigger, is also made with recycled plastic. In terms of cleaning, it was reasonably effective.
“It did a great job of getting rid of food stains such as jam and peanut butter and it was even pretty good at stubborn, burnt over mess on the hob.
“My only complaint is that it did leave smears, I think because it is made with coconut oil.”
Effectiveness: 4/5
Value: 2/5
Total score: 6/10
Aldi Power Force Kitchen Cleaner (750ml)
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Lynsey says: “No surprise that Aldi’s cleaner is the best price per 100ml of liquid, but just how well does it work?
“You have to spray it on and leave for five minutes before scrubbing away so it took longer than some of the other products but actually, it did a good job.
“It was one of the best at cleaning up food spills and for cutting through grease I’d give it 10/10.
“There were no nasty smears after use. It doesn’t score many points for being eco-friendly due to the chemicals it contains.
“Was it as good as Flash? Perhaps not, but it is nearly £2 cheaper. Excellent product that won’t break the bank.”
Effectiveness: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Total score: 10/10
Mr Muscle Platinum Kitchen Cleaner (750ml) at Sainsbury’s
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Lynsey says: “The Mr Muscle spray was great at cutting through grease but it didn’t do a great job with serious food mess.
“I had some stuck on Weetabix left on my kitchen table and I had to scrub quite hard to get it off with this spray.
“It’s not the best eco choice either. For the brand and price, I definitely expected more and was left disappointed.
“The trigger was one of the best and it did spray out of the bottle really well.”
Effectiveness: 3/5
Value: 2/5
Total score: 5/10
Astonish Kitchen Cleaner Zesty Lemon (750ml) at Morrisons
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Lynsey says: “A great price and whilst I liked the scent of this spray, it wasn’t the best at getting rid of serious burnt on grime and food spills.
“It was fine for a cursory wipe over surfaces and had a lovely scent but I wouldn’t buy it again.
“The trigger wasn’t terribly effective either and it dribbled out over my fingers when I used it so some of the product was wasted.”
Effectiveness: 2/5
Value: 3/5
Total score: 5/10
M&S Kitchen Surface Cleaner Italian Lemon and Ginger (750ml)
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Lynsey says: “Loved the delicate lemon and ginger scent of this M&S spray, it wasn’t overpowering at all and is made with plant-based biodegradable ingredients.
“You simply spray this on surfaces and then leave for a few moments before wiping clean with a dry or damp cloth.
“It did a great job on my kitchen surface and easily removed marks and finger prints from the hob.
“It wasn’t as efficient when it came to dried on grease and harder food stains such as butter but it’s good value, gentle and it didn’t irritate my skin or eyes during use.
“I’d buy it again.”
Effectiveness: 4/5
Total score: 8/10
Value: 4/5
Sainsbury’s Greencare Mandarin and Lime Kitchen Cleaner (750ml)
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Lynsey says: “I was really impressed by this Sainsbury’s own brand spray.
“It’s gentle, made with natural ingredients and fragrances.
“It’s not as cheap as some of the own brands but it’s a great alternative if you usually a product like Method, as it’s £1.50 cheaper and did just as good a job.
“It’s not suitable for waxed, oiled or porous surfaces, textiles or aluminium surfaces.
“The spray trigger was effective and worked well, even when getting to the end of the bottle. Impressive for the price.”
Effectiveness: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Total score: 8/10
Flash Spray Wipe Done Kitchen (800ml) at Waitrose
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Lynsey says: “Flash knows how to make cleaning products.
“It is much pricier than the own brands, but it got the job done with ease.
“Simply spray, wipe away, and even the toughest grease and grime was gone with little elbow grease.
“No rinsing, scrubbing or polishing required. It also left a fresh, clean smelling scent behind.
“It can be used on most surfaces except untreated or oiled wood and aluminium, copper or brass.
“The nozzle was easy to use and effective. The only downside is the high price tag.”
Effectiveness: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Total score: 9/10
Tesco Anti Bac Kitchen (750ml)
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Lynsey says: “An incredibly efficient and affordable spray from Tesco.
“It made cleaning surfaces easy, tackling all sorts of dried on grease and grime.
“It was brilliant at cleaning up mess on a hob and it worked well on tough stains such as curry sauce.
“It is suitable for cooker tops, tiles, food preparation surfaces and sinks.
“Simply spray on, leave for five minutes before wiping way with a clean cloth.
“It’s not suitable for use on wood or marble.
“It contains bleach and a range of other chemicals so if you are sensitive to that you might find it irritates and it isn’t brilliant for sustainability.”
Effectiveness: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Total score: 9/10
How to bag a bargain
SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain…
Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with.
Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks.
Sales are when you can pick up a real steal.
Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on.
Sign up to mailing lists and you’ll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too.
When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use vouchercodes.co.uk and myvouchercodes.co.uk are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer.
Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. Trolley.co.uk app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping.
Bargain hunters can also use B&M’s scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out.
And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you’ll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.