Tight spot: cheapest spray takes first place in Choice stain remover test | Australian lifestyle
The cheapest stain removal spray in a major Australian supermarket is also one of the best-performing products in the field, according to a product test by consumer advocacy group Choice.
Choice tested 23 stain-removing powders and 20 pre-treatment sprays on common clothing stains caused by sweat, grass, mud and cooking oil, as well as stubborn stains from chocolate ice cream, tomatoes, baby food, blood and makeup.
Aldi Di-San Pro Ultra Enzyme Degreaser received an overall score of 78% in the pre-treatment spray category, placing equal first with Sard Super Power Stain Remover Toughest Stains.
The results were neck and neck when it came to removing stains like sweat, olive oil, baby food, and collar dirt, but the Sard spray performed better on blood stains.
But at 28 cents for 100 ml (or $2.09 a bottle), the Aldi product is much cheaper than the Sard spray, which is $1.90 for 100 ml or $8 a bottle.
“If you’re on a budget, it’s hard to explain why you’d spend so much money on a Sard spray when you can get an Aldi spray that’s just as good,” said Chris Barnes, senior product officer at Choice.
Cheaper supermarket sprays also performed well in the test. Aldi Di-San Pro Oxy With Enzymes came in third with a 75% score and a $2.09 price tag. This was followed by Coles Ultra Pre-Wash Stain Remover ($2.10) with a 73% score and Woolworths Clean Ultimate Oil & Enzyme Pre-Wash Stain Remover (also $2.10) with a 72% score.
Apart from the top performing Sard product, only one brand’s spray scored above 70%. White King Fabric Stain Removal Color Safe Pre-Treat, $5 a bottle or $1 for 100 ml, received a 73% score.
However, when it comes to stain remover powders, it is better to stick to the brand names. “When it comes to powders, we’ve often seen in the past that some of the cheapest supermarket brands perform better or perform as well as the big brands. We haven’t seen that as much this time,” Barnes said.
The best performing pre-soak powders were dominated by Sard and Vanish.
In first place was Sard Super Power Stain Remover Toughest Stains Antibacterial Soaker with a score of 76% and the unit price of 100 grams was 1.22 dollars. This was followed by Sard Whiter & Brighter Stain Remover Major Stain Types Antibacterial Soaker (75%, $1.10 for 100g) and Vanish NapiSan Oxi Action Gold Advanced Crystal White Stain Remover (73%, $1.70 for 100g).
To test its stain-removing products, Choice sprayed and soaked previously stained fabric pieces and did a before-and-after comparison. “Because these pieces of fabric are made for this purpose, each piece of fabric, such as a sweat stain, is exactly the same color and darkness,” Barnes said.
After the fabric pieces were wetted and sprayed according to the product instructions, their whiteness was measured with a spectrometer. “This isn’t just an eyeball [test]. You are actually measuring the reflection of the light…and therefore measuring how much of the stain has been removed,” Barnes said.
If consumers are unsure whether to spray or soak stains, Barnes said pre-soak powders are suitable for treating whole, dirty laundry before washing, such as:[when] “The kids have just returned from football and their jerseys and trousers are very dirty.”
He said the sprays are good for spot cleaning smaller stains like dirty collars or “when you drop some ice cream on the front.”
