Test reports and experience with our hygiene champ
By the Witzel family from Duisburg.
- Claudia (32) and Thomas (39)
- Daughters Leana (6) and Johanna (8)
Test report 6: We like our new hygiene champion.
Claudia Witzel
And the test period is already over. A few months ago I wouldn't have thought that we would be spending such an exciting time with a WC. So, what do we think about the hygiene champ? We like him! And that wasn't the case with the old WC.
The hygiene champ is comfortable, pretty, easy to clean and enhances the entire room. What we don't like quite so much is the thick lid, which is like a raised seat. The Quick Release function is great – simply clever.
Cleaning the WC is quick and easy and no longer a nuisance. We can honestly recommend the hygiene champ and have already done so. The test period and introduction of the Subway 2.0 with DirectFlush was an exciting time. The assistance provided by Villeroy & Boch was always friendly and competent.
Finally, we can say: That was our first product test and we would gladly do it again.
Test report 5: Now our friends also want a new WC.
Claudia Witzel
First of all, I must say that prior to this test we didn't talk much about bathrooms and toilets with our friends. Everyone is curious. The neighbours have been round, friends have often popped in and asked whether we are really doing the test and our family have asked all kinds of questions.
The reactions of everyone that knew anything about the product test have generally been very positive. Everyone finds the design appealing and it would look good in any bathroom. Many have already said: "Darling, our bathroom could also do with a conversion!" So, the hygiene champ has become a topic of conversation!
We are often asked how complicated the installation was and then you can see how the women in particular start thinking. One could simply install a new WC! They all start to calculate how old the existing toilet is and emphasize that it is actually quite old.
The hygiene champ is making a good impression and quite a few litres of water have been flushed away in tests, as most people don't believe that a WC with an open flushing rim does not splash. We then prove the opposite. This is what most people really like - the open flushing rim and the external design, as the Subway 2.0 has far less nooks and crannies where deposits can accumulate.
We often talked about how the requirements a bathroom has to fulfil have changed over the past years. Even friends that are happy with their current WC situation would nevertheless design things differently than 15 years ago.
The brand only plays a subordinate role for most of our friends, but comfort and hygiene are important for all of them - followed by the design. We, and many of our friends, didn't previously realize that a WC could be as functional as the Subway 2.0.
The hygiene champ has made many friends contemplate the subject and one befriended family is already planning a bathroom restoration.
Test report 4: A good feeling thanks to more hygiene
Claudia Witzel
Everyday life with the hygiene champ is more carefree in some respects. So far, I haven't used any special cleaners as it simply hasn't been necessary. A cloth or sponge is quite sufficient. Perhaps a little bath cleaner or vinegar cleaner to clean the WC seat and bowl. There was absolutely no need for other powerful cleaners thus far. That saves money and is good for the environment. We couldn't do without "WC-Fix" for our old WC.
If the bathroom is neglected for a few days, which is the case during the carnival week, then the hygiene champ is our smallest problem. After almost a week of severe neglect but intensive use, our bathroom didn't look too good. Glitter and hairspray everywhere, confetti on the floor, even the shower wall had makeup on it - and none of the children knew anything about it - only the hygiene champ looked as if everything had just beaded off it. I gave the seat a quick wipe with a cloth and that was that. The rest of the bathroom required much more attention.
When unexpected visitors turn up I don't have to worry much anymore about hygiene in the WC. Subway 2.0 with DirectFlush is very reliable in this respect. I'm more worried about whether my children have been painting their faces again and messing about with other things.
Going to the toilet has become much more pleasant with the hygiene champ. Only a few days ago I caught myself going downstairs just to go to the bathroom with the hygiene champ, even though there is a WC upstairs. Crazy – I wouldn't have thought of doing that before.
However, I would like to say something about a high sitting position. It is very comfortable to sit a little higher and that will make it easy and pleasant for us to use the WC in the long term. Many older people have to install raised toilet seats as they find it difficult to get up from a lower position. However, the physiological position for excreting is more of a squatting position, i.e. a bending of more than 90 degrees at the hips. I could achieve this previously on tiptoe whilst sitting on the WC. I can no longer manage that with the hygiene champ. However, my husband doesn't see this problem. Perhaps it is just my crazy view of some things, but I wanted to mention it. I know a lot of older people who have problems with that and place a stool under their feet. Perhaps that would be the solution here too, as a high position is very good for sitting down and standing up. And as I said - I also sit very comfortably on the hygiene champ. I'm just a bit short.
Test report 3: Quick Release and other functions put to the test
Claudia Witzel
Subway 2.0 is functional in every respect! The WC seat is surprisingly comfortable, the seat height is pleasantly high and the Soft Closing function is simply practical. However, what pleased, surprised and immediately convinced me was the Quick Release function. It means the complete WC seat can be removed from the toilet in one movement of the hand. That is practical in all respects! It is very easy to reach and clean areas that are otherwise rather inaccessible. I wonder why nobody thought of this much earlier - it's so simple and makes things so much easier.
This is the name of the surface of the hygiene champion which makes things so much easier in our daily routine. Thanks to the dirt-repellent coating, especially in combination with DirectFlush technology, much less dirt is left behind. The entire WC bowl is flushed with water during every flushing process leaving no areas dry and dirt can thus not stick anywhere. By the way, even though the hygiene champ flushes very thoroughly and creates a real swirl, everything stays where it should be. Nothing splashes out even though this WC does not have a flushing rim! I was rather surprised as I must admit I was a little sceptical beforehand.
Test report 2: Stubborn dirt was yesterday
Claudia Witzel
The Hygiene Champion has now been installed in our bathroom for a while and it is time for our second report. Apart from the usual amount of dirt that can accumulate on the WC seat, it has not been necessary to clean the bowl so far. The Subway 2.0 DirectFlush has reliably flushed everything away without a trace. Moreover, it’s not often that we have to use our WC brush because the Hygiene Champion does most of the work for us. And even if something does get left behind, a standard WC brush makes light work of it.
We have two other WCs in the house and I can already say that the Hygiene Champion requires considerably less effort to keep clean by comparison. I’m much more likely to find deposits in the other WCs. These are extremely stubborn and difficult to remove. This has not been a problem with the Hygiene Champion to date.
To be honest, I hardly ever risked taking a look under the flushing rim of our other WCs. Who’d do that anyway. You simply scrub along with the brush and hope for the best. Today, I did take a look with the camera at the WC under comparison in the children’s bathroom. This WC is a tough little case because it is only our daughters (aged 6 and 8 years old) who use it, meaning it’s likely to become more soiled than usual and the WC brush is used less often – to put it carefully. This WC has small openings underneath the flushing rim out of which the water flows. Limescale and urine deposits form here and these are stubborn. They are virtually impossible to remove using a brush and WC gel.
The DirectFlush WC shines by direct comparison here. Its dirt-repellent CeramicPlus surface finish ensures almost nothing is left behind. And since it has an open rim, nothing can hide in any hard to reach nooks and crannies. This makes it feel far less disgusting to clean as you can always see everything. What’s nice is that the seat can be detached with one simple action which greatly facilitates cleaning underneath and behind it. But more on that in another test report.
Test report 1: Fits perfectly into our bathroom
Thomas Witzel
The Hygiene Champion arrived on Monday and was quickly installed without much effort. I wouldn’t be capable of doing it by myself, but maybe with the help of a second person. Although we find that it clearly stands out as a new piece of "furniture" in our bathroom, it's as though it has always been mounted there. In direct comparison to our old WC, the Hygiene Champion has considerably more presence and is also a bit bulkier. It fits very well into our bathroom and is both eye-catching and unobtrusive.
We have the impression that we are now sitting a little higher. For the children it is still a bit unusual, but we adults find the sitting feeling very pleasant and comfortable. What I find particularly good is that the WC is mounted a little higher than the old one because it makes it easier to clean the floor underneath. I also like that the cover closes so flush with the WC. Our children’s first impression and their question why the new WC is something special was: "It’s also white just like the old one – purple would be much better." (Perhaps a suggestion for improvement for the future?)
I expect the Hygiene Champion to be a clean, easy to care for WC which unobtrusively integrates itself into our daily lives. I'm very excited about further testing and look forward to being convinced by the product itself.
