We tested the cleaning product that’s got everyone talking

When I was a kid, I distinctly recall eye-rolling with total tween attitude when my mum and aunties excitedly compared cleaning products and techniques. I vowed to never let a mop or stain remover get in the way of a good time.

But recently I had one of those unequivocal adulting moments when I realised that the dinner party conversation between girlfriends had turned to exactly that.

“I’m obsessed with Koh,” one pal gushed. “I’ve just ordered their grout brush and I’m using their spray on everything – oven, bathrooms, benchtops, windows, clothes stains, carpet … it’s incredible.”

Another talked about her sister arriving to a family function late after finding herself in a “Koh frenzy”, unable to stop cleaning.

It wasn’t the first time I’d heard of Koh. From social media to my mother-in-law, it seems everywhere I turn users are gushing about the fact it’s non-toxic, scent-free and allergy-friendly – but more importantly, how much better the stuff works than any old chemical you’d pick up in the supermarket.

What is Koh?

The Koh solution was developed by the University of NSW’s Green Chemistry team at the behest of a couple of Bondi dads, Adam Lindsay and Justin Alexander.

Lindsay was the primary carer and home-maker for his family and after being inspired by a Japanese cleaning system, decided to create one for Australians.

The product is made of a small amount of potassium hydroxide in a purified water solution, and almost feels like you’re spraying plain water on your surfaces. It comes in a four-litre wine cask-esque box and you refill your atomiser as you need.

“It creates an acid base reaction which makes the spill or mess water-soluble,” Lindsay says.

Combined with Koh’s quality microfibre clothes and “diamond sponges” for abrasion on built-up grime, you’ve got what social media hails the cleaning trifecta.

Almost 5000 Facebook reviewers have given it 4.8 stars out of five and shared thousands of before-and-after photos of now-sparkling ovens, fabrics and showers, so it’s fair to say my expectations were sky high when I armed myself with atomiser and cloth to feverishly spray any little mark I could find.

So, does it work?

Given I now share close quarters with a Vita Brits-smearing toddler and a drooling puppy, my home seems like the perfect candidate for testing out Koh’s cleaning system to see if it really can rid a place of grubby finger and paw marks.

On windows, stovetops and grimy kitchen cupboards, it completely lived up to the hype, leaving a streak-free finish without residue or a lingering chemical smell. A quick scrub with the diamond sponge removed some oily scum marks from the oven door that steel wool (as per my oven manufacturer’s instructions) failed to budge. I was quietly thrilled.

Then I turned to my overdue-for-a-clean shower and realised it required more grunt-work than the typical supermarket cleaner that I usually use, but the results were just as sparkling – and I loved the fact I wasn’t coughing up chemical fumes in the enclosed space, like I usually do.

Interestingly though, Lindsay says using the Koh system as a shower cleaner is almost best thought of as a “restorative” cleaner for an initial hearty clean, before good habits take over.

“The trick is to just spray down the shower walls every time you’re finished showering, and then you actually don’t need to bother cleaning it,” he says.

“Then you would almost be using Koh as a polishing or finishing thing – just to bring the sparkle up.”

The ultimate test though was an old fabric couch that had survived one too many house parties soaked in spilt beer. I sprayed the solution, let it linger, then dabbed with the cloth – as per other users’ online suggestions – but by the time the wet spots dried, there were still grubby marks.

I felt a little ripped off that I didn’t get the same before-and-after miracles I’d seen online but, in fairness, I probably should have tackled the stains seven odd years ago when they first occurred – and after a second Koh attempt, they actually stared to fade.

“You really need to use trial-and-error [to see where Koh works best in your home],” Lindsay says.

“The crux of it is that we’re promoting frequent, effective, simple cleaning. We sometimes get good results on neglected spots and areas, and sometimes we don’t. But for general, light surface cleaning, it’s a really great product.”

I’ll spray to that.