I tested dupes for iconic cleaning product loved by Mrs Hinch – the £1.50 winner got rid of shower limescale instantly

IN case you haven’t heard of it, The Pink Stuff is an iconic cleaning paste made famous by the influencer Mrs Hinch.

The cleaner – whose real name is Sophie Hinchcliffe – hailed it a ‘hero’ product and regularly promoted it on her social media channels.

Lynsey Hope has compared Pink Stuff dupes with the iconic paste[/caption]

It claims to be able to shift stains from almost all hard surfaces and has gained a huge online following, with people flooding to TikTok and Instagram to share the successes they’ve had using it.

This cheap pink paste has tackled water marks, rust stains, mirrors and even bike chains with sparkling results.

Right now, a tub will only set you back £1.50.

But the cleaning industry is increasingly competitive.

Lynsey Hope investigates whether there are any other tub scrubs that are just as effective and better value. Here’s what happened:

Stardrops The Pink Stuff Miracle Cleaning Paste

• £1.50, sainsburys.co.uk

Pink Stuff left Lynsey’s shower doors gleaming and cleaned up grout too[/caption]

This stuff is worth the hype.

It performed brilliantly, making light work of tough stains such as milk burnt on to a stainless steel hob and tomato sauce in pots and pans.

It left shower doors gleaming, cleaned up grout and I even used it on some garage doors with brilliant results.

It was excellent at removing stubborn limescale too.

It’s a paste cleaner and you have to apply it to surfaces using a soft cloth and after rubbing it over stains, simply rinse with cold water.

It is a bit messier to apply than your average cleaner so might not use it every day, but it’s perfect for when a stain strikes.

It can be used on multiple surfaces so you won’t need to invest in as many products but it’s great value, currently just £1.50 for an 850g tub.

• Performance: 5/5
• Value: 5/5
• Overall score: 10/10

Astonish The Original Cleaning Paste

• £1, dunelm.com

The Astonish paste was slightly cheaper than the Pink Stuff, but it’s a smaller tub[/caption]

Incredibly effective, I loved this paste from Astonish that was 50p cheaper than The Pink Stuff.

It made tough stain removal easily and felt particularly satisfied after using it on tough stains, soap scum and limescale build up in the bathroom.

It wasn’t as messy to use and didn’t take a lot of elbow grease either.

As it says on the tub ‘endless uses, everywhere’.

I wouldn’t be without it at home now.

Whilst it is good value for a quid, it’s only a 500g tub (compared to the Pink Stuff 850g) so we knocked a point off it’s value for money.

• Performance: 5/5
• Value: 4/5
• Overall score: 9/10

Scrub Daddy Power Paste All Purpose Cleaner

• £7.99, scrubdaddy.co.uk

This paste comes with a ‘Scrub Mummy’ sponge[/caption]

This powerful paste is made from natural materials, is non-toxic and biodegradable but it mildly abrasive so the manufacturer recommends testing it on a small area first.

I found it to be incredibly effective on ovens, grills, chrome and pots and pans but I was a little wary of using it on more delicate surfaces.

It comes with a ‘Scrub Mummy’ sponge and has a pleasant but subtle lemon scent.

Simply rub the paste on to the damp sponge and squeeze until you get some suds.

Scrub vigorously athen wipe away any residue. The absolute best thing about this is the sponge – it required much less scrubbing than the Pink Stuff.

It’s much pricier though a little went a long way.

• Performance: 3/5
• Value: 3/5
• Overall score: 6/10

Biomex Miracle Cleaning Paste

• £11.99, lakeland.co.uk

The Biomex paste comes with a hefty price tag[/caption]

The first thing that hits me here is the price.

It’s nearly £12 for a small 300g tub so you don’t get much for your money but I’m happy to report it leaves everything gleaming.

Windows are shiny, PVC window frames and doors look brand new again and my kitchen sink has never looked better.

I tested it on some pans with severely burnt on tomato sauce and effortlessly wiped off the dirty residue and left them sparkling like new.

It foams up and was brilliant at cutting through oil and grease, too.

Although expensive, you don’t have to use much of it.

I’ve recommended this product to all my friends and they all love it.

The lemon scent is pleasant, but it’s natural, plant-based and a great option for allergy sufferers.

• Performance: 5/5
• Value: 3/5
• Overall score: 8/10

Elbow Grease Cleaning Paste

• £1.20, ocado.com

The Elbow Grease formula was effective on stubborn stains[/caption]

The consistency of this was much runnier than the others.

I wouldn’t even call it a ‘paste’ but more of a cream.

That said, it’s powerful formula was effective on stubborn stains on a variety of surfaces.

You can even apply to fabric, which was very handy. It was effective at cleaning stainless steel.

You did have to be careful not to use too much otherwise it ran off the cloth and made a mess.

It’s a good price at £1.20 but you only get a 350g tub.

The best thing was the convenience of having one product that could handle so many different cleaning jobs and it helpfully created a bit of room in the cupboard under the skin.

• Performance: 3/5
• Value: 4/5
• Overall score: 7/10