Product Reviews and Tips

Watkins 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