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Cillit Bang ( /ˌsɪlɪt ˈbæŋ/) (sold in some countries as Easy-Off Bam or Easy-Off Bang) is the brand name of a range of cleaning products sold by the consumer products manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser. The products marketed under the brand name include a degreaser, cleaning crystals, and a grime, rust, mould and limescale remover.
Contents
Cillit Bang Power Grime and Lime Spray
Cillit Bang Grime and Lime Spray (known in some countries as Easy off Bang/Bam Power Grime and Lime Cleaner Trigger) product contains two acids: sulfamic acid and phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid (also known as orthophosphoric acid or phosphoric (V) acid) is a weak mineral acid with the chemical formula H3PO4 and applied to rusted iron or steel tools or surfaces to convert iron (III) oxide (rust) to a water-soluble phosphate compound.
This cleaner can be used on glass, acrylic plastic, ceramics (washbasins, toilet bowls, etc.), wall and floor tiles, PVC floor coating, copper, chrome and kitchen tops.
It should not be used on any acid sensitive material, such as marble or enamel, aluminium, stone, zinc-plated metals, kitchen worktops, linoleum, varnished, waxed or oiled wood floors, rubber, textiles or carpets.
A Canadian advert for the product features a disclaimer that the Royal Canadian Mint "neither endorses the product nor the method shown for the cleaning of coins".
Cillit Bang Power Crystal
Cillit Bang Power Crystal (known outside the UK as Easy-Off Bang/Bam Power Cleaning Crystal) is a liquid for cleaning heavily stained surfaces. It contains not more than 5% of anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, 15-30% of sodium carbonate, sodium percarbonate (the bleaching compound), and a perfume formula containing limonene. It is a skin irritant and can cause allergic reactions in some people, so the company now advises the use of gloves during prolonged exposure.
Advertising campaign
UK advertisements have been presented by "Barry Scott", a brashly enthusiastic character played by Neil Burgess, who claims that Cillit Bang can remove limescale, rust and ground-in dirt. Neil's genuine love of the product stemmed from his time serving in the Royal Air Force, where he claimed it would make cleaning of equipment a breeze. It's believed that the product was named Cilit 'Bang' because it was so good at cleaning carbon residual from large machine guns. In one advert he places a copper-plated one penny coin in Cillit Bang to demonstrate the product's cleaning ability to remove staining.
In January 2016, Reckitt Benckiser launched its first global campaign, starring dancer Daniel Campos.
Other countries' versions of the advert use different presenters, known as Martin Grellis in Australia and New Zealand, and Dan Dolan in North America, although recent spots feature Neil Burgess as Barry Scott. Dan demonstrates the cleaning methods seen in the Cillit Bang adverts and also cleans oil spills. The North American versions of the advertisement use the appropriate one-cent coin (a Lincoln cent in the U.S., a 1953–1964 one cent coin in Canada).
Outside Europe
The product is sold as Easy-Off BAM (a brand extension of Reckitt Benckiser's popular oven cleaner) in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Mexico, and as "Easy-Off BANG" in South Africa and Korea, with similar packaging and spray bottle design.
Industrial use
In August 2009 it was revealed that household cleaners such as Cillit Bang and Mr. Muscle have been used to clean plutonium stains at the defunct Dounreay nuclear power station in Caithness, Scotland.