What is in the Selleys "other cleaning products" category?

This is the catch-all section of the Selleys cleaning and maintenance range — the products that do not belong to the bathroom, kitchen, BBQ, oven, glass or multi-purpose groups. Two products sit here, and they are unrelated to each other except that both are about protecting a surface rather than only cleaning it.

Selleys Grout Stain Whitener restores discoloured grout and helps keep it that way. Selleys Water Shield is a water repellent for outdoor surfaces and fabrics. If you have arrived here from a general cleaning search, one of the other sub-categories is probably where your product lives.

How to choose

If the grout has gone grey or stained

Grout is the part of a tiled surface that ordinary cleaning stops working on first. Selleys Grout Stain Whitener will restore the grout in your bathroom and kitchen — Selleys describes it as getting rid of stains and brightening tiles, and as protecting the grout in tiled areas from stains and mould as well as revitalising grout that is already discoloured.

The important distinction is in the word "covers". Selleys states that it covers or whitens stains, and can also help protect against mould re-growth. That is a different mechanism from a cleaner that lifts a stain out, and it changes the order of work: deal with any mould first, then whiten, so you are not sealing a live problem under a fresh white finish.

If you need to keep water off something

Selleys Water Shield protects outdoor surfaces from water damage and is described as an effective, long-lasting water repellent. Selleys also recommends it for treating sportswear, sports shoes, camping gear and outdoor furniture, so they stay clean regardless of the weather.

The technical detail that matters is what it is and what it does not do. It is a colourless, silicone-based aerosol that helps repel water, snow and ice from most natural and synthetic fabrics without affecting breathability. Breathability is the reason to use a product made for fabric rather than any general waterproofing: a treatment that seals a fabric completely makes a jacket or a tent clammy and unpleasant, even though it keeps rain out.

Note also "most" natural and synthetic fabrics, and that it is colourless rather than clear-drying by some other means. Test it on an inconspicuous area of anything valuable before treating the whole item.

The products in this range

• Selleys Grout Stain Whitener — restores grout in bathrooms and kitchens; covers or whitens stains, brightens tiles, and helps protect against stains and mould re-growth.
• Selleys Water Shield — colourless silicone-based aerosol water repellent; protects outdoor surfaces from water damage and repels water, snow and ice from most natural and synthetic fabrics without affecting breathability.

If you are actually after a general cleaner

Selleys notes that Super Kleen, Household Tough Wipes and Bathroom Tough Wipes are convenient for spot cleaning around the home, safe on most washable surfaces, removing dirt easily and without streaking, with an anti-bacterial formula. For walls and ceilings, the Selleys Original Sugar Soap range cuts through tough dirt — the wipes for everyday use, the concentrates for larger areas and before painting. All of these sit under multi-purpose cleaners, including Complete Clean Multipurpose Spray and the Complete Clean Multipurpose Disinfectant Cleaning Wipes.

Common questions

Does Grout Stain Whitener clean the grout or paint over it?

Selleys describes it as covering or whitening stains and revitalising already discoloured grout. That is closer to restoring the appearance than to lifting the stain out, which is why it works where cleaning alone has stopped.

Should I kill mould before whitening grout?

Yes — deal with the mould first. Grout Stain Whitener helps protect against mould re-growth, but it is not the product for removing an existing colony; see mould removal for that.

Can I use Water Shield on clothing?

Selleys recommends it for sportswear, sports shoes, camping gear and outdoor furniture. It repels water, snow and ice from most natural and synthetic fabrics without affecting breathability.

Will Water Shield change the colour of what I treat?

It is described as a colourless silicone-based aerosol. As with any treatment, test an inconspicuous area first.

Does Water Shield make fabric waterproof?

Selleys describes it as helping to repel water, snow and ice, and as protecting outdoor surfaces from water damage — a repellent treatment rather than a sealed waterproof barrier, which is what preserves breathability.

Why are these two products grouped together?

Only by exclusion. This is the "other" section of the cleaning and maintenance range, for products that do not fit the room- or job-based sub-categories.