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What is it?
Ocean Saver produce water soluble sachets with non toxic formula, to help clean your home. Their products range from floor cleaners to glass cleaners; for this trial I selected the Kitchen Degreaser and the Bathroom Cleaner. Each product comes uniquely in their own colour – so these might be better identified as the pink and yellow sprays.
According to Ocean Saver, homecare generates more than 29 billion plastic containers each year. Because of this, Ocean Saver’s cleaning formula comes encased within an 100% biodegradable sachet. The primary purpose of the product is to lessen waste from household, but also comes accompanied with the environmentally friendly benefits of being non-toxic and vegan.
I had tried low/no waste home cleaning sprays previously. I haven’t continued using them due to quality of the product, cost or accessibility. When I noticed that Ocean Saver had made it onto the shelves of my local Tesco, I couldnt believe it! I purchased two starter bottles at the cost of £2.35. So, what did I think of the product?
What was good about this product?
Both of the formulas were excellent cleaners. They do exactly what they say on the label and there is no pungent smell. Now, I’m no house cleaning influencer whatsoever, so I havent taken any amazing before/after cleaning shots. Also because of this… I fear that my critique doesn’t hold much credibility. But, if my words are anything to go by: both cleaners work exactly how I expected them to, in a similar manner to shop-bought traditional sprays I had used in the past.
It has to be mentioned that although they have a clean smell, it doesn’t stick around. I couldn’t tell you what they smell like without going to my cupboard and giving it a whiff. I’ve enjoyed this fact, however. It doesn’t smell offensive or like chemicals. I’m also confident in using the products around my pets for their non toxic formulas. I tried the Cif “eco”* refills which can also be found on supermarket shelves for a similar price as the Ocean Saver capsules. When spraying the sides down the product used to choke me and we would have to evacuate the kitchen because the chemicals were so offensive!
* I have to put “eco” in inverted commas because the product is contained in a plastic, non-recyclable bottle, and Unilever (parent company) are not yet cruelty free. For me this product just seems like a case of major greenwashing.
As in the case with many of the products I have reviewed on this blog, many of these eco brands know what they are doing with their marketing! All of the information you require about their product can be found on their website, along with their mission statement and brand story. This is always a nice touch, to educate their customers and make their customers feel as though they are making a difference with every purchase.
The biggest positive to this product, however – and I didn’t realise this until writing this blog – is the price of the product! Below is a small price comparison against the Ocean Saver refill products (yellow), other similar eco alternative products (green), and some supermarket favourites (orange). You’ll see that you can improve the £/litre cost of the cleaners by purchasing in a subscription, but the cheapest way to purchase is via a supermarket or other highstreet shop (I have seen them in Tesco and Dunelm for the same price so far). I was shocked to find out that – when bought in the supermarket/high street – the £/litre of the Ocean Saver refills cost the same as the Flash product that I was using previously?!
And.. Just incase I haven’t already mentioned… The product is available in supermarkets?! This is often a huge barrier to access for me, and I feel like it will make the use of the products so much more viable for others, too.
What was bad about this product?
I mentioned at the beginning of the post that I purchased the cleaners within a starter pack – which contained a (plastic) refillable bottle. Unfortunately, my bathroom cleaner bottle broke way too fast. This could’ve been a fluke as my kitchen bottle is still going strong after 6 months. But regardless, I would recommend purchasing the refills and using an old bottle of yours.
Because the bathroom cleaner bottle broke, I actually took the kitchen cleaner to clean the bathroom a few times. I’m a lazy cleaner, and in the interest of being minimal I often use the same cleaners across different rooms in the house. So, if you want to try this product but you’re hesitant… Start with the kitchen degreaser. It cleaned my bathroom just fine!
The last negative I could find is that buying direct from Ocean Saver’s website is a lot more expensive. There could be a loss of brand identity if more purchases are made through a third party (aka the supermarket). Other products I’ve reviewed such as Wild(link) and Smol(link) concentrate their sales from their own website. This provides a more personal experience with the product and enables the consumer to feel empowered about their decision to go green.
Would I use this product again?
In one word: Absolutely. It wasn’t until I was writing this review that I realised the cost of the product, and for me – like many others – cost is my main barrier to eco alternative products. I am shocked yet pleased to learn that Ocean Saver have managed to get onto the shelves of our ordinary shops – making the product a viable (and cost effective) choice for many.
And, if that wasn’t enough to convince you… I genuinely enjoyed the product and the non-offensive feel to cleaning. No sore/itchy skin, and no pungent smells.
What are the alternatives?
I usually use this section of my reviews to recommend products that might be a better fit for you. This could be down to cost, accessibility, function of product or wider choice selection. However – for now – I can put my hand on my heart and tell you that Ocean Saver are my number one choice.
After hours of researching into other products, I have struggled to find other products that seem to be beating Ocean Saver in any of the categories listed above.
So instead, if you fancy something a little different, why not have a go at making your own household cleaners? I have found a useful article here.
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