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Tulsa World

Surely by now you've seen the dueling ads for the new toilet bowl cleaners. Somewhere out there in Cleaningland, a place I avoid whenever possible, the research and development folks are creating new devices that can clean our toilets better than ever before. Or so they claim.

"Store the handle, not the mess!" -- Scotch-Brite Disposable Toilet Bowl Scrubbers.

"Wow, no more dirty brush!" -- Clorox Toilet Wand.

"Quickly clean and flush the mess." -- Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Brush.

"Powerful, thick foam clings to your bowl to give you the clean you've come to expect from the Lysol brand." -- Lysol Ready Brush.

Not only do these folks realize we want quick and easy solutions, they also have found a way to hook us into buying expensive refills. Once all we needed was a brush and some toilet bowl cleaner. Now they tell us we need a "cleaning system." Are these new products worth all the hype?

Ever committed to bring you the latest in what's new, I spent a few weekends testing three disposable toilet bowl cleaners and one new cleaner that looks like a standard brush with an aerosol can hidden in a handle.

Trust me, I now have the cleanest toilets on the planet. But was I really impressed with the results? Here's the dirt on the toilet bowl cleaners. The ratings range from one to four stars.

SCOTCH-BRITE DISPOSABLE TOILET BOWL SCRUBBERS: 1 STAR.

No assembly was required, which is a good thing for the mechanically challenged. The 13-inch-long handle is smaller than the competition and is quite flimsy. It has what appears to be a great scrubber pad with built-in cleaner and it's contoured to clean under the rim of the bowl. But there are some major design flaws. Yes, it removed a fair amount of dirt and grime -- until the pad fell off the handle. I tried again and the pad fell off a second time. Although the pad is disposable, it's not flushable. This means you still have germ-laden water dripping on the floor unless you slide the waste can close to the toilet.

The starter kit comes with a handle and four replacement scrubber pads. We had a difficult time finding it in stores, but a company spokesman says it is available at Target and Wal-Mart. Some stores stock them with brooms and mops rather than with cleaners. Average retail is $4.99. A package of six refills is $4.99. For more information, call 3M at 800-846-8887.

Verdict: Designers should send this one back to the drawing board.

CLOROX TOILET WAND: 31/2 STARS.

Bravo, this product is easy to assemble and performs well. Assembly is one step: Just place the tip of the scrubber head with built-in cleaner into the hole in the wand, push down and it clicks into place. It cleaned well, picking up dirt that the Scotch-Brite left behind. The flexible sponge scrubber gets tough dirt under the rim. The well-made handle clicks off the scrubber properly.

The one disadvantage is it cannot be flushed, but it doesn't drip as much as Scotch-Brite's version because excess water can be squeezed out by pressing the sponge against the bowl. The starter kit includes six disposable cleaning heads, a sturdy 151/2-inch- long toilet wand handle and a self-adhesive hanger to store the wand. I found it for $11.99 at Albertson's. Refills are $3.99. For more information, see www.toiletwand.com.

Verdict: This one's a buy.

SCRUBBING BUBBLES FRESH BRUSH: 3 STARS.

Just a few easy clicks and the 19-inch scrubber handle is assembled. The 10-ply paper pad with built-in cleaner goes on and off easily. Although this one looks like it's less able to do a tough job, it cleaned beautifully, including up under the rim. This is the only product with a "flushable" scrubber, a bonus for the germphobic.

The pads are biodegradable and break up during flushing. The only problem: The pads are linked together and you have to read the box to make sure how much to use. Some folks in a hurry may try to use too much and clog the toilet. The starter kit comes with the handle and four pads. I found it at Publix for $4.99 and refills are $3.89. For more information, see www.scrubbingbubbles.com.

Verdict: If you like the instant disposal idea, this is your new best friend.