Deft Spray & Virusend Review : Easy, Eco-Friendly Cleaning?

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I was contacted recently by the brand behind both Deft sprays and Virusend asking if I’d like to try out a few of their products in return for a review. As there are two types of products here, give a Deft review and Virusend review individually. What sets both of these apart from the crowd is the trigger, designed to be feather-light to pull for easy spraying and great for those with hand, joint, dexterity or arthritis issues.

Each spray offers some kind of advantage & appeal for those wanting a clean, healthy home. I wanted to love all of these sprays. I admire the brand behind them and I like the eco-friendly credentials, but the Deft cleaning power didn’t fully wow me and I actually found the tiny trigger head bizarrely awkward to hold. The Virusend spray was the clear winner in terms of its quick Covid-killing power and that’s one I’ve definitely been impressed with. 

2023 Update : Please note, these brands are not currently available.

About The Brand

The same brand is behind both Deft and Virusend. Deft was originally launched in 2019, but the pandemic saw that put on pause after only 2 months. During the hiatus, the brand focused on developing Virusend in 2020. Now, in 2021, both products are fully launched and available to purchase. Deft actually appeared, and secured financial backing, on Dragons Den.

★ ★ ★

Deft 

Key Features Of Deft Sprays 

As per the website, these are a few of the key selling points for the Deft range : 

• “Feather touch trigger” for easy depression of the trigger
• Continuous fine mist to save you from continual pumping
• Lightweight bottle
• Environmentally friendly credentials, including being 100% recyclable
• Product uses a plant-based formula for “effortless cleaning power”
• All angle spray – hold and spray at any angle, including upside down

Hand-Friendly Trigger Spray

The thing that sets these apart from the crowd, aside from them being plant-based of course, are the triggers themselves. Designed for ergonomic use, they’ve been found to be “over 95% easier to pull than standard sprays. In fact, they are so easy to use you can pull them with your little finger!” 

This is a great step forward for those with the likes of arthritis, any joint pain or inflammation, hand and arm weakness, and so on. 

I know I’ve found sprays can be tricky because of my joints, and my parents have arthritis so they likewise find such things frustrating at times.  

Unfortunately, I didn’t find these sprays as easy to use as I’d hoped, which I’ll cover below. 

The Range :

Deft Advance comes in a few varieties, all of which are 475ml bottles : 

• Daily Shower Spray Savannah Rain

• Bathroom Cleaner Aspen Breeze

• Window & Glass Cleaner Tuscan Sunlight

• Kitchen Cleaner Tangerine Dream

Price 

These Deft Advance sprays retail for around £4.99 (Lakeland).

Deft Review : My Thoughts

I was gifted two sprays, the window & glass cleaner, and the kitchen cleaner. Both of these have great packaging designs and I like the colour of the liquid; every little helps in making cleaning a little more pleasant an occasion. The slight scent in each is quite uplifting and it’s definitely good to not have any chemical smell. I didn’t find the bottles and the sprays overly easy to hold, which I’ll discuss further down in the review. However, if you want eco-friendly products that are better for your health and your home, then I’d say these are good options for everyday cleaning, though perhaps not particularly hardcore, deep cleaning.

Window & Glass Cleaner Tuscan Sunlight

The window and glass cleaner took some muscle to get a somewhat effective result. It required a reasonable bit of wiping, and doing twice, to see marks, dirt and general blotches clearing off the glass. Afterwards, the glass seemed cleaner but there were still smudges from the cleaner left. When cleaning the kitchen door, I aimed to tackle some of the unknown marks on the outside, which I assume were gifts from a birdie. This didn’t wipe off with the cleaner; I used plenty of spray but had to use the scourer side of the sponge to get it off.

It was a similar experience with the glass shower door, except there were no serious issues to content with, just water marks and build up. This also took a bit more elbow grease and then another wipe over because of some smears and smudges, but it did look much cleaner. I’ve used another product that probably works more effectively, but it smells unpleasant and it’s quite messy to use. In comparison, Deft may not quite have as much cleaning power but it comes with other benefits, including a nicer scent and being less messy.

Despite needing some elbow grease and another cloth to sort out the smudges left behind, it still left the glass looking much cleaner and clearer. I suppose I didn’t find it to be the strongest and most efficient glass cleaner out there, but it’s plant-based and I can’t knock the fact it hasn’t got a long list of chemicals because it still cleans well enough for day to day upkeep around the house.

Kitchen Cleaner Tangerine Dream

The kitchen cleaner worked pretty efficiently, especially considering I was using it on the very greased-up backsplash tiles in the kitchen by the hob. Given how much my mother loves bacon, it’s unsurprising there’s a lot of grease build up so it usually takes a lot of elbow grease to combat the bacon grease. 

A single wipe make the tiles seem cleaner. A few wipes took most of the surface grease off but I had to turn the sponge to the rough side and put a lot of force in to get the built-up small spots to budge. The tiles were left looking much cleaner, albeit perhaps not super shiny. A little buff with a cloth gave them some shine.

I’d say it’s a similar thing here. It’s pleasant to use with the slight sweet citrus scent and works quite well, but it doesn’t do a super duper effective clean, at least not the first time or without some effort. For general upkeep around the house, again, I’d give it a thumbs up if you’re looking to keep harsh chemical content in your cleaning supplies low.

★ ★ ★

Virusend 

What Is Virusend?

The Virusend Multisurface Disinfectant Spray (Kills Coronavirus) comes in a 365ml metal canister.

The brand describes it in the following way : “VIRUSEND which is an anti-viral and anti-bacterial spray. It uses exactly the same spray mechanism as deft so is just as easy to use! We developed it in conjunction with the British Army and it eliminates Coronavirus, viruses and bacteria to 99.99% in 1 minute. Virusend is 10x more powerful than the leading competitor.“

Key Features 

• Anti-viral & anti-bacterial : Kills 99.99% of viruses and bacteria, including Covid19, in 1 minute
• Easy spraying with a featherlight touch trigger
• 10x more powerful than the industry’s leading brand
• Spray in any direction, even upside down
• Developed in conjunction with the British Army

Price

Virusend retails for around £8.99 (Lakeland). When buying from Lakeland they come with a 3 year guarantee, though I’m not sure how it could even take 3 years to use such a spray! 

Virusend Review : My Thoughts

Virusend seemed to work particularly well, with a speedy dry time that makes it super convenient. It seemed to take seconds before it started drying, which was a very welcome surprise, and without any nasty chemical smell that I could notice.

The trigger is the same as the Deft, so lighter to depress and capable of spraying at any angle, with a fine spray designed to provide even surface coverage. If you want to be spraying down a larger surface, the fact you can get a continual spray helps to prevent the need for repeated squeezing of the trigger, which is good for those with hand pain and dexterity issues. 

The big selling point for this particular product during the pandemic is that it kills coronaviruses, including the current Covid-19 virus, in just a single minute. This is on average 15x faster than leading brands, which typically take around the 15 minute mark.

I discovered this probably about three months into the pandemic. I’d been using Dettol and assuming – incorrectly – that it would kill viruses instantly. Nuh-uh. It takes around 15 minutes. So then I started dousing and wiping down the groceries with antibacterial cleaner and leaving them scattered everywhere for 15 minutes before putting them away. 

A spray that kills the virus in just 60 seconds is far more convenient. That alone makes this a priceless product with a clear benefit over other brands.

This is “certified to kill >99.99% of bacteria & viruses in 1 minute, including E.coli, MRSA, Salmonella, Listeria, Influenza, Cold & Flu viruses and all new strains of Enveloped Viruses.”

It’s an all purpose spray, so it can be used for various situations and on a range of surfaces, including the likes of “hard surfaces, plastics, PPE, upholstery and soft furnishings, door handles, shopping trolleys, post & parcels, car seats, sofas, desks, keyboards, phones etc.”

There are a few safety notes, as you’d expect from chemical products. Keep out of reach of the little ones, do not breathe in the spray, use in ventilated areas, keep away from aquatic life etc. It’s an aerosol and so keep in mind that it’s pressurised and flammable; keep away from heat, sparks, flames, ignition sources, etc, and don’t expose to temperatures over 50°C.  

I really like this one, primarily because of the quick drying time and quick Covid-killing power. It’s unscented so there’s no nasty chemical smell. It’s a versatile product that can be used on lots of things, whether it’s wiping down your phone when you come home, cleaning the kitchen counters, wiping the door handles or cleaning a baby’s high chair. You don’t have to wait 15 minutes for it to dry or to kill any nasties.

★

Deft & Virusend Trigger Spray

Both products use the same design for the trigger spray. This is supposed to be very light to depress, which it is. The idea here is that it’s easy for everyone, but particularly those with things like chronic pain, nerve and muscle issues, dexterity issues, arthritis and so on that can make typical sprays harder and more frustrating to use.

While the spray trigger was designed to be more ergonomical and easy for anyone to use, I actually found it very clumsy and difficult to use. It’s very small, which I didn’t think would be a problem because I have small paws. But I’m no Popeye and I can’t easily hold the weight of the bottle bottle and the spray without my hand naturally moving up and grasping it like I’m crushing the life out of it. In comparison, Dettol sprays are chunky; the trigger may be harder to depress, but at least I can get my hand around it and the head can rest in the nook of my hand between my thumb and fingers.

The trigger is pretty featherlight so it doesn’t take much to depress and get a fine spray at all. That’s a big plus. The spray itself is also pretty decent, giving a powerful yet light and even mist in just one squirt. You can keep the trigger depressed for a continual spray and that works well. I really liked the power behind the spray and the mist, which I think can help make a little go a long way.

The trigger spray of both Virusend and Deft are designed to work at any angle. No matter which way up you hold it – even upside down – it’ll spray a fine mist to cover the surface. That’s pretty handy, especially if you’re in awkward positions trying to clean underneath something. I imagine this could be useful for when you get to the bottom of the solution as there’s typically a portion you can’t get out easily, however I’ve not used up enough of the sprays to comment on this.

While in theory this was a great idea – and I do like the ease of which you can depress the trigger as it’ll be helpful for many who find bottles fiddly for whatever reason – the tiny head and lack of anything to rest on my paw made it very difficult for me. I ended up getting frustrated, then liquid would start running down my hand and I’d drop the bottle. The Deft bottles themselves were too wide for my hand to get around to be able to hold them further down. Fortunately the Virusend canister is a little more streamlined and I can better grasp the top of the bottle to get some purchase while using the trigger. Generally, they’re just a bit odd and unfortunately I wasn’t keen.

When holding it upright to do the glass door, I eventually managed to get a bit better at holding it. But when moving the bottle, the weight of the liquid made it harder and it all just got rather awkward again. My hand bunches up at the top with nothing to hold on to.

Maybe others will find this easier than I did, especially if you can use two hands but that’ll make the process of cleaning longer. I just couldn’t get the knack of holding it and eventually, after trying to clean the kitchen tiles, my hand was aching from the effort and the liquid dribbling from the stubby spout had gone all over my fingers. If you don’t have any issues with arm strength, your hands, fingers and general dexterity, then maybe you’ll get on okay with them. Pulling the trigger is definitely easy, but holding the trigger and bottle to use it, not so much.

★ ★ ★

Deft & Virusend : In Conclusion

The brand has developed two distinctive ranges here. Deft brings the power of natural cleaning in your home, while Virusend gives us advanced virus-killing power.

I found both Deft sprays, the Kitchen Cleaner and the Window & Glass Cleaner, to be adequate for use. They worked well enough to get things clean though it wasn’t quite effortless and further work was required to deal with some smears left behind. I wouldn’t say Deft is ideal, but it’s certainly not bad. I don’t think I would buy Deft myself at full price based on the issues I had with the trigger head, which is a real shame. Those who want a brand that prioritises the environment and cuts out the chemicals may particularly appreciate what the sprays have to offer.

I was very impressed with Virusend in theory with what the brand claims. It works very quickly to kill nasties, including the current coronavirus, to help keep you and your family safe. The way it dries quickly is also appealing for greater convenience, whether you’re using it at home or out and about. Virusend is one I’d use in future despite the trigger because of its quick drying, Covid-killing convenience and efficiency. It’s on the pricier side, but for someone with a serious trigger finger when it comes to antibacterial cleaning, I find it worth the money if it works okay.

The triggers design for Deft & Virusend is easier to depress, and I like that it works at any angle. I’m also keen on how it gives a powerful but even mist whether you want one squirt or a continuous mist.

What I’m not so keen on is the whole trigger head itself. The lack of a guard around it makes it clumsy to hold, so you’ve just got the small, bare bones part of the spray to grasp onto. Considering this was specially designed for easier use, helping those with the likes of arthritis, I found this is a bit bizarre.

I do admire the brands for finding ways to improve upon products that are already out there, filling a need and trying to make our day to day lives a little easier while helping the environment, too. They came up against a setback that could have disheartened them with Covid striking when they’d just launched Deft. They didn’t let that derail them. Instead, they developed a more powerful, convenient Covid-killing spray in a very quick timeframe. Now both brands are on the market and I wish them the very best.

Eco-friendly, plant-powered Deft for a healthy home, and Virusend for Covid-killing, quick drying convenience. Have you tried either of these brands?

Caz  ♥

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