Vanish Power Shot Stain Remover

Author's product rating:   

Advantages:	reasonably priced  .  effective in removing fresh stains .  fresh smell after using
Disadvantages:	less effective with older stains

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Health Warning! This review is not for those who are squeamish Only those with iron constitutions are adjudged safe to continue reading!

A few years ago, I didn’t own any carpet cleaning product because, as necessary, I just called up the services of a professional carpet cleaner who had become quite a family friend over the years. He would turn out to do any little spot , cheaply, efficiently and without fuss. Unfortunately he then retired and went to live in Spain and I haven’t found anybody to compare with him. The few I have encountered, upon surveying any damage, just shake their heads muttering, “that’s not going to come out” or “ I’ll have to do the whole carpet or that clean bit will show up.” This would usually be followed up by an exorbitant quote! However I then discovered this rather large gem of a product and it has now become the best friend I have in my “cleaning” cupboard

~~~The VANISH RANGE~~~

Hailing from the vast Reckitt Benckiser empire, the stable of such varied brands as Veet, Gavison, Harpic, Airwick, Calgon, Finish, Cillit Bang and Dettol, this brand has impeccable pedigree: that is if you admire such breeding as issues from multinational conglomerates!

I checked out its environmental credentials, as I like to do with cleaning products, not because I am a born again environmentalist but in order to fend off any of the criticism levelled at me by worthy, environmentally-friendly acquaintances. The corporation’s environmental policy statement and annual sustainability reports, looked, in truth, a tad woolly but then I scored a bull-eye when I discovered that the company are one of the members of the “ Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change” which operates under the cloak of the “Prince of Wales’s Business and Environment Programme”, no less!

Frankly I was still less than impressed, but sometimes you just can’t afford to look too closely at ethical considerations and Vanish do produce a great range of products for laundry and upholstery as well as carpets. I already used their Vanish Oxi Action Fabric Stain Remover as necessary in the wash with varied but quite impressive results. In fact I never even bothered to check out such information when the first of a chapter of accidents befell my highly prized, new carpet. I just rushed out and grabbed the aerosol can and its chemical contents without a quibble or a second thought. I was after all safeguarding an £800 investment!

~~~POWER SHOT AND MY CARPET DISASTERS!~~~

When I moved into my present flat three years ago, it needed some renovation and redecoration. Most of the floors were laminate but the lounge and hallway were carpeted in the most nasty, dirty frayed and cheap looking nylon corded carpet imaginable. I decided to keep this in place until the messier jobs had been completed and by December 2006 the time was right.

I decided to keep carpet in these areas mainly because it’s comfy on the feet, cosy in appearance and would give the dog a little respite from slipping and sliding in the laminated areas. As the kids had flown the nest, I thought I could afford to indulge myself and have that light creamy colour for which I had long nursed a hankering but which common sense had previously placed out of bounds.

As new carpet during the season of Christmas excesses did not appear to be a sensible option, it wasn’t until January that my pride and joy was fitted. and for a while it looked fantastic . But it was a big mistake and before long I had many reasons to regret that particular decision as a string of minor catastrophes really dampened my enthusiasm.

Christmas was over but my wayward hound had managed to discover the hiding place of the left over chocolates whilst I was out. I came home to broken cardboard boxes and wrappers all over the flat. I am aware that chocolate can be lethal to dogs but was not unduly worried because this was not the first time Woody had pigged out on stolen loot. But the next morning he had obviously suffered for his crime. I was horror struck to discover three large offerings of the most disgusting, smelly diarrhoea I have ever encountered, on my beautiful cream lounge carpet.

Having scooped up and disposed of what I could, I dashed up to my friendly local hardware store (still feeling queasy after the experience) and left with the can of Vanish which came highly recommended.
I followed the easy instructions:-
1. Shake can well and spray from an 80cm height over the area to be treated.
2. Work the foam into the carpet using a clean, colourfast, damp sponge or cloth.
3. Leave for 2 hours or until dry and vacuum.
I also loosely covered the patches with clean kitchen towel to avoid any dirt from tread in these areas.

After the first, application the stains had diminished but not completely cleared but it was a tough test! I also noticed that the foam (which has no noticeable perfume) had dispelled the awful lingering stench, replacing it with, what I can only describe as, a pleasant, fresh smell. Over the next couple of days I repeated the procedure four times until the stains had all but disappeared. The carpet in those areas was, if anything, slightly lighter in the treated areas, maybe because they were so clean by this time! However you had to search to actually notice this and, within a week or so, these lighter patches had blended in.

Since then, the carpet has experienced a catalogue of minor disasters. The dog emptied a rubbish sack in the kitchen and carted off some of his booty to the carpeted areas. This included still damp, used tea bags and empty ready meal containers. Vanish coped with all the resulting stains.

My cousin brought her three young children to visit. Vanish managed to remove the baby’s vomit, blood from a grazed knee and trodden in, melted chocolate button stains!

One of my best friends, who moved to live abroad, came home to visit for a month, and my flat became the venue for several reunions and other such celebrations. During that time, accidental carpet damage included unspecified remnants of a Chinese takeaway for 12 persons and two upturned glasses of red wine. Vanish coped with most of these stains, although one of the red wine incidents went untreated for over 24 hours whilst I nursed a hangover and there is still a patch of a slightly darker hue in evidence. Fortunately a rug has been slightly moved to cover this!

Having detected a slight smell of gas outside my front door, the diagnosis by gas engineers was a leak in the main supply to the building. There followed a whole month of visits by gas officials sealing, inspecting the seal, conducting exploratory excavations to find the source of the leak and finally digging up the road outside (and above the level of my front door) to lay a new mains supply to the building. All the mud and muck from the excavations filtered down my steps. Whether the footprints on my carpet, of indeterminate composition, were from the gas officials trooping in for cups of tea or visitors walking through the filth I will never know but there was a succession of such incidents and Vanish never failed to cope.

~~~PRICE~~~

It’s worth observing that the Vanish range includes two very similar products with slightly different names.
I first purchased:-
~~Power Shot ~~400 mls (which is designed for particular stains) from a local independent retailer for £5.99 but this is currently available from Sainsbury online for £3.71 and Tesco online for £3.69
However, my second purchase (mistakenly sent to me in an online shop) was:-
~~Power Foam~~600 mls (which is designed for “ high traffic areas” and does not specifically claim to be a stain remover), currently available from Sainsbury online for £3.88 ( not presently available at Tesco online)
Both products have a similar formula, application instructions and, in my experience, comparable results in terms of stain cleansing abilities but the latter gives 200mls more for only 16p additional cost.

~~~WORDS OF WARNING!~~~

The warnings on the can are numerous as with most chemical products:-
1. Keep away from children
2. Keep away from naked flames or any incandescent material. Do not smoke . Extremely flammable
3. Do not spray near heat sources or electrical appliances
4. Use only in well ventilated areas
5. In case of contact with the eyes, rinse immediately and seek medical advice
6. In swallowed, seek medical advice
In addition it is advisable to do a patch test for colour fastness in a hidden area and it is unsuitable for use on brocade and velvet materials

~~~THE VERDICT~~~

In the last six months, I have really put Vanish to the test and concluded that it is a marvellous product which I can recommend unreservedly. It won’t prevent the need for complete and more intensive cleaning from time to time but it will serve for all those little emergencies and catastrophes which everyday living throws at our prized carpets. I make sure I always have a can in stock.

However, for maximum effectiveness, don’t let any hangover, however severe , prevent you from applying the foam as soon as possible after the spillage. Moreover, prevention is better than cure so avoid inviting friends and relatives as much as possible and, if you have a dog which is as wicked as mine, dispose of all full rubbish bags immediately and keep any chocolates secure under lock and key!