A Wasabi Six Mould Remover Gel advertisement came through on my Facebook newsfeed in the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Like all cleaning trends, I like to test them for myself. Some are sadly too good to be true or hyped up to be more than what they are.
And that’s how I felt after buying Wasabi Six Mould Remover Gel.
Mould in Bathrooms
I try to keep on top of mould in the bathroom through regular cleaning and wiping surfaces dry when they’re damp.
I also keep the exhaust fan on to remove any moisture
But even though I’m vigilant, mould still comes up in the corners of the shower, around the basin plug and waste and in the grout lines in the shower.
I’ve used a number of natural remedies in the past which have worked on mildew, but hasn’t removed the black marks left from mould.
And this is my gripe with natural cleaners – they may kill the spores, but I can still see the black spots. I want all evidence of mould gone.
So when I saw the Wasabi Six Mould Remover and it was ‘non-toxic and odor free’, I was intrigued. The formula would also prevent mould growth. I bought a bottle to try it out. I had nothing to lose… except $20.
I’m assuming it came from Japan being a Japanese formula. It took two weeks to arrive.
I put it to use the next day to see the results.
First Impressions
One thing I learned at a low-tox cleaning workshop was to look at the ingredients on the packaging. When some things are said to be ‘non-toxic’ or ‘natural’, it’s not always the case.
I was keen to read the bottle of my new Wasabi Six. Unfortunately, everything was in Japanese – even the instructions on how to apply it. I had to look up the website to find out exactly how to use the formula.
When I took off the lid and gave it a whiff, it definitely has a smell. The same smell you’d expect in a mould cleaner – bleach.
I wasn’t impressed as the advertising clearly says odor free. The real test was in the application though and how it would make my bathroom mould-free.
I put it to work and I got mixed results.
Essentially, you have to dry the area, apply using the nozzle – kind of like squeezing craft glue from a bottle, but with the consistency of toothpaste or silicone. Once applied you need to allow it to sit for 4 hours.
After 4 hours, use a cloth and water to wash away. It becomes a crystalised formula which requires scrubbing to be removed.
Where I applied Wasaba Six
The first place I wanted to apply Wasabi Six was around the plug and waste in the basin. This is area is notorious for mould growth. Sometimes, it’s because the wrong silicone has been used (must be sanitary grade for use in bathrooms and kitchens), sometimes its because that’s where water sits after the basin has been used. I forgot to take a before shot, but you can see my silicone was yellow with the application, and then after it was back to white.
Another area I tested was the silicone at the bottle of the shower screen. I was skeptical it would work on here and it definitely didn’t remove the mould after four hours. It does say to reapply if the mould hasn’t gone the first time, which I could try.
I did try the grout lines in the shower and around the bath. Again, mixed results here as it did remove the mould in the shower grout lines, but around the bath.
Application and Smell
You can smell the bleach smell (not sure if it’s bleach cause I can’t read what’s in it) as soon as you apply the Wasabi Six… but the noticeable difference is with a spray, the smell can fill the bathroom and it can burn your throat. Wasabi Six contains the smell so after the gel is applied, your house doesn’t smell like it’s been bleached.
The other thing I liked was the application. You can squeeze the gel to sit on grout lines and silicone corners. It’s not going to run down the shower waste or onto areas it’s not meant to. It’s a more direct application rather than a spray.
