Test reports and experience with our hygiene champ
By the Otting family from Saarwellingen.
- Vanessa (40) and Carsten (39)
- Sons Max (6), Paul (4) and Ben (2)
Test report 6: We plan to exchange the DIY WC for the Hygiene Champion
18 March 2015 | Vanessa Otting
Already after a short period of time it became apparent that there are considerable differences between the WCs and one should not be blinded purely by the “outer facade” and the design. All the features of the Hygiene Champions have convinced us – whether CeramicPlus, AntiBac or DirectFlush. The Quick Release seat offers the perfect combination of a hygienically clean WC with minimal cleaning effort. We no longer want to do without it.
Ultimately, the Hygiene Champion is a sustainable development in which the wear process does not take place or only take places delayed over years. We also plan to exchange our DIY WC for the Hygiene Champion at the next opportunity.
Our impression remains unchanged: A top rating of A plus for the Hygiene Champion!
Test report 5: Enthusiasm for the Hygiene Champion shared across the generations
18 March 2015 | Vanessa Otting
I gave my friend Isabell (38 years old) a presentation of the Hygiene Champion with its AntiBac, CeramicPlus and DirectFlush features. As I removed the WC seat using Quick Release and proudly said: "The WC is clean in 1-2 minutes", she immediately said to her husband, "Darling, we need a new WC!"
Our friends Annette and Werner (58) observed our test very carefully because their bathroom is to be renovated this year. They have made their decision: The Hygiene Champion is the winner. Our great-grandmother Edith (83 years old) was very impressed with the hygienically clean WC, especially the Quick Release feature and said: "Especially at my age you can no longer spend so much time in a bent position; the quick cleaning is a real relief!"
The children next door Daniel (4) and Alexander (8) regularly play with our sons who proudly presented the new WC in the children's bathroom. Interested as they watched the flowing water as it bubbled through the open flushing rim, they said spontaneously: "It's like on the roller coaster when the water goes round in loops!" Now all the children say is: "I just have to go onto the roller coaster."
Test report 4: Feels more hygienic right away
04 March 2015 | Vanessa Otting
Even the different way of cleaning that only involves wiping the open rim edge gives the toilet a more hygienic feel. The open flush rim plays a decisive role. You simply see that the toilet is clean. No hidden corners or edges to be found.
Hygiene is especially important for our family with three little children. Adults know enough not to reach into a toilet with their hands. Children do not. Our youngest is just now starting his toilet training. Our new "child toilet" – the hygiene champion from Villeroy & Boch – means we do not have to worry.
The type of situation that can arise with small children can be best illustrated in the following story that took place about six months ago: Our two smallest children used an unattended moment to start a water fight in the guest toilet. First they stuck the toilet brush in the toilet and then sprayed the room with water. Then they stuck their little arms in the toilet. It took about five minutes before we caught the gleeful little troublemakers.
Filled with disgust, I pulled the wet clothes off the kids and then gave them a shower. Their clothing was then washed at high temperature. Cleaning the guest toilet with disinfection spray took about half an hour. Since then, I have kept the toilet brushes out of reach from my children.
Test report 3: Cleaned in 2 minutes
01 March 2015 | Vanessa Otting
We waited 14 days before cleaning the ceramic so that the deposits were more visible. It is quite evident that the hygiene champ is easy to clean and that much less cleaner is required than normal. On the one hand, much fewer dirt particles stick to the ceramic due to the new surface (CeramicPlus and AntiBac) and on the other hand, the open design with DirectFlush technology doesn't give bacteria a chance to accumulate. It goes without saying that the WC, in spite of the improved convenience, is still cleaned at least once a week, but this is done very quickly. It takes about 2 minutes to clean it.
The outlet and the bowl are cleaned with mild WC cleaners, which are also more environmentally friendly. This now only requires half as much cleaner. Cleaning the flushing rim is completely new. Thanks to the open design, you can use a cloth to wipe through the open flushing rim. You can look directly into the flushing rim and see how clean it is. Using a cloth for cleaning it is thus no problem. The Quick Release function makes it very easy to remove the WC seat. The straight surface behind it can be wiped very quickly. The design of the seat is also open and there are no nooks that are difficult to clean.
In the comparison WC there are noticeable deposits in the outlet after 2 weeks. The flushing rim cannot be viewed. There are hidden nooks in the flushing rim area towards the wall. You thus automatically use more cleaner. You also distribute the cleaner in the flushing rim. This requires long and intensive scrubbing with the toilet brush. The extremely narrow outlet in particular, where dirt sticks to the ceramic, is very difficult to clean.
After flushing, it is noticeable that the WC is not clean – so the procedure has to be repeated using a cleaner. Total duration: approx. 5 minutes. Approximately 3 months after installing this DIY store WC and the normal cleaning procedures with a brush and cleaner, I inspected the closed WC rim. Massive deposits had formed in the bottom corners (towards the wall). I had to clean them with an old toothbrush. That wasn't very pleasant. The hidden nooks also mean more time for cleaning.
Test report 2: Simple cleaning with less scrubbing
20 February 2015 | Vanessa Otting
CeramicPlus is great because filth and calcification do not stick to the bowl. Of course the toilet still needs to be cleaned once a week, but doing so involves far less effort. We were on holiday for a few days and the hygiene champ was not used. In our old toilet, calcium deposits would be clearly visible after a week and they could only be removed with a lot of scrubbing and heavy duty cleaning agents.
We tested the two toilets using a coloured liquid and the difference was enormous. In Subway 2.0 with CeramicPlus, the fluid cannot really stick and will run off - depending on the slope. One flush and the discolouration is gone. No coloured splashes could be seen on the upper area of the ceramics. The toilet from the DIY store was a completely different story. The coloured liquid stuck to the ceramics. When flushed clear traces could be seen in the toilet and below the rim. Multiple flushes were needed. Splashes could also be seen on the upper edges of the ceramics.
Another clear advantages was the quick release function on the seat. The hygiene champion from V&B means you simply need to tilt to a 45° angle and the seat can be removed right away. Then there is a simple flat surface for cleaning - perfect. The seat is replaced with a simple click in reverse. At first glance the differences between Subway 2.0 and a standard DIY toilet are small. The difference is in the details. As we wrote in our first article, we were disappointed with our old seat - which was also removable- as it broke after only 4-5 cleanings. It did not work well and small plastic bits broke off. When cleaning the toilet from the hardware store, we already found a number of surprises on the rear edge and the flush rim. We will report in more detail the next time around.
Test report 1: A top rating of A plus
09 February 2015 | Vanessa Otting
The first compliment goes to the service technician who performed the installation. He was extremely friendly, installed the WC professionally, kept things very clean and informed me of the functions and features of the Hygiene Champion. Conclusion after installation: an A-plus mark.
The Subway 2.0 DirectFlush is very high quality in appearance. The clear shape and modern design fit perfectly into our new bathroom. Its shape looks a bit bulkier than our previous WC, but this gives you the feeling that it is more sturdy. On this point it’s important to mention that the bathroom is currently being used for testing by the whole family, but it will later mainly be used by our 3 sons. Today, the children are still small, but 10 years will pass quickly and the WC needs to be sturdy.
The reason why we replaced our old WC which was only 8 months old was an offset in the outlet of the WC. Water stains always formed here (despite cleaning every week). Cleaning with the toilet brush was extremely difficult.
The thing that pleases me most is how easy it is to detach the seat. It’s hard to clean a WC when dirt and dust get into the small corners underneath the seat. This is where bacteria most often tend to accumulate.
The seat can be clicked in and out with one hand, you only need to pay attention to the correct position. That’s ideal when you want to get cleaning done quickly. The WC under comparison in our bathroom also has a similar feature (DIY store WC with a click-seat). But you have to press a button, i.e. you need both hands. After clicking the seat in and out for the third time the plastic parts became damaged. Now they always hang on the lower bars instead of in the WC seat. This makes handling very tedious and time consuming. It defeats the whole purpose! With the Hygiene Champion it’s very easy and quick.
It will be interesting to see how easy it will be to care for the WC thanks to the CeramicPlus finish and how the open flushing rim facilitates cleaning the DirectFlush WC. I'm most looking forward to these results.
