Consumer Reports tested 12 bathroom cleaners from familiar names like Comet and Scrubbing Bubbles, as well as several "green" cleaners.
Testers used tiles covered with soap scum. A soap-scum solution was sprayed on tiles daily for 14 days, being left to dry in between until they had a thick layer of soap scum buildup. Testers also created their own rust to put on another set of tiles. And a third set of tiles was covered with mildew. Then they pitted each cleaner against the dirty tiles.
Neither Scrubbing Bubbles nor any of the other aerosol foam cleaners did a good job at removing the built-up grime. And there's another problem. The aerosols say you don't have to rinse. Testers still saw residue left on the tile.
What did get the job done? Powered cleansers. Comet Scratch Free Disinfectant Cleanser with Bleach and Ajax with Bleach Scratch Free Cleanser earned top Ratings and cost around $1.
As for the so-called green cleaners, most of them were only so-so. The Green Works Natural Bathroom Cleaner for $3.50 rated higher than nearly all of the spray cleaners and costs less. It's good at removing soap scum, but it isn't good at removing mildew. For that, your best bet is Comet or Ajax.
