Lemon Toilet Bowl Cleanser

The first thing I noticed about Watkins Lemon Toilet Bowl Cleanser is how thick it is. In fact, I think it's a little too thick. I usually buy the cheapest toilet bowl cleaners from the store, and they all tend to be so runny that the cleaner all quickly ends up in the water. More expensive brands are thick enough to stick to the toilet bowl as the cleaner slowly slides down the sides. But Watkins LTBC is so thick, it tends to stay exactly where I squirted it. It barely moves! So I think it needs to be just a little thinner.

 

As for its cleaning power, I am disappointed. The description says it "works against even the toughest hard water stains on your toilet, sinks, tub and tile" and "Use this cleaner to decalcify your toilet." However, I tried in on a little-used toilet that has a water ring, and the cleanser didn't get rid of the stain. So maybe it isn't good on old calcium stains...surely it will get rid of month-old scum. Um, not really. In fact, I can't see that Watkins LTBC is any better on stains than the cheapest store-brand cleansers. That is, it has little effect whatsoever.

 

However, Watkins LTBC has one thing I really like: a pleasant scent. I usually squirt cleaner into the toilet bowl and then move on to other parts of the toilet while I let the cleaner (supposedly) work its magic. Too often when I've done this I've wrinkled my nose and wondered how I could not have noticed before how stinky the toilet is...and then I realize it isn't the toilet that stinks, it's the toilet bowl cleaner! That doesn't happen with Watkins LTBC. The lemon scent smells great. No more making the toilet stink by cleaning it!

 

I confess that after using one bottle of Watkins LTBC, I switched back to my usual cheap brand to save money. But after using such a pleasant-smelling cleaner as LTBC, the cheap brand just seemed to smell even more noxious. So I bought another bottle of Watkins LTBC, and don't intend to go back to Stinky Brand. It's a bit pricey to buy just for the pleasant scent, but there you go. It works fine for weekly cleaning jobs. I'll just have to find something stronger to get rid of old stains.

 

Due to the (lack of) cleaning power, I give it a rating of 1 out of 5, but the great lemon scent raises the overall rating to a 3.

Watkins Lemon Toilet Bowl Cleanser Article #26750

(710 mL/24 fl oz)

US $7.99 / CAN $9.99

 

 

I love Watkins' Orange Citrus Liquid Hand Soap! It's thick (but not too thick) and has such an amazing orange scent. I wash my hands extra just so I can smell it. My hands don't get real dirty, so I can't attest to how well it cleans off grime, but it does work well on washing away basic food grease.

 

The pump bottle works great, though it took me a minute to figure out how to "unlock" the spout so it would pump. (Simply turn the spout to lock or unlock it. Duh. Computers I understand; soap bottles not so much.) The hand soap comes in other scents, too; Lemon, Lavender and Aloe & Green Tea. I haven't tried those yet.

Watkins Orange Citrus Liquid Hand Soap

(11 fl oz/325 mL)

Article #23053 US $7.49 / Article #33053 CAN $8.99

 

 

Is there a difference between Lemon Cream Shea Butter in a jar vs. in the tube? Yes, according to a customer. Click here to read Norma's frustration in finding the soon-to-be-discontinued product.

Read my original 2004 review.

Lemon Cream Shea Butter - Jar Article #10482

(130 g/4.6 oz.)

US $9.99 / CAN Unavailable

Lemon Cream Shea Butter - Tube Article #10509

Discontinued, unavailable.

3 or 4 whole tilapia*

1/4 cup fresh ginger, slivered

     or 1 tbl Watkins Ginger / Canadian Link

8 sliced green onions, both white & green parts

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup rice wine or white wine

1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar

2 tbl sugar

peanut oil

 

Rinse the fish and pat dry. If using whole fish, cut 2 or 3 slashes from back to belly on both sides of the fish. Cut to bone level, and space the slashes about 1½ inches apart.

 

Slice the ginger and green onions. Mix together the soy sauce, wine, vinegar and sugar until well blended.

 

Heat a large skillet or wok until a drop of water sprinkled on it quickly evaporates. Fill with peanut oil to about 1/4 inch depth. (If using a wok, swirl about 1/3 cup peanut oil to coat the surface.) When the oil is hot, add the fish. Fry each side about 2 minutes to brown. Remove the fish and reduce the heat.

 

Saute the ginger in the skillet until lightly browned. Add the green onions and return the fish to the skillet. Pour about 1/4 of the sauce over the fish. Cook 2 or 3 minutes on each side, or until the flesh is flaky and white. (If using a whole fish, make sure flesh is no longer pink near the bone.) As the sauce evaporates, add more a little at a time.

 

When fish is almost done, pour remaining sauce into the skillet and simmer until sauce is condensed and thickened.

 

Serve fish with rice, pouring the sauce over all.

 

*Also good with whole trout--or, if you're like me and don't like fish staring at you--fresh fish filets such as tilapia, salmon, cod, whiting, or orange roughy.