30 Seconds: New Zealand’s Favourite Outdoor Cleaning Products

Too often, after a long week of work, weekends are spent working on the house. Scrubbing walls with outdoor cleaners, water blasting the driveway, cleaning windows … before you know it, it’s Monday morning and you’re back in the office.

And when it comes to cleaning  around the home, scrubbing down outdoor surfaces can be some of the most challenging jobs on the checklist. Algae, lichen, moss, mould and mildew can all plague our home’s exterior walls, roofs, decks, fencing, pavers and more. Without the proper cleaning products, you can scrub tirelessly to little avail.

Which is why, here at Canstar Blue, each year we ask everyday Kiwis for their opinions on the best outdoor surface and window cleaners, to find the products that take the hard work and hassle out of grimy cleaning jobs.

30 Seconds: NZ’s favourite outdoor surface and window cleaners

This year, to find which products are the nation’s favourite, we surveyed a total of 736 customers who had purchased and used either an outdoor cleaning product or exterior window cleaning product in the past 12 months

We asked them to evaluate the products across the following categories:

• Overall Satisfaction
• Effectiveness
• Value for Money
• Environmentally Safe/Friendly
• Ease of Use
• Packaging

And according to Kiwis, no matter the job at hand, 30 Seconds is the way to go! In our 2022 surveys, it is the winner of both our outdoor cleaning awards – Most Satisfied Customers | Outdoor Surface Cleaners and Most Satisfied Customers | Outdoor Window Cleaners.

About 30 Seconds

The 30 Seconds range of home cleaning products has been on the shelves of Kiwi homes for over 25 years. Every day, 35,000 litres of 30 Seconds cleaning products are bottled in Matamata, before being shipped across the country and the world.

In this year’s award surveys, 30 Seconds achieves excellent ratings. It earns a clean sweep of 5-Star results for Outdoor Surface Cleaners and a near clean sweep of top ratings for Outdoor Window Cleaners.

30 Seconds Window Wonder: NZ’s Best Window Cleaner

Window Wonder Outdoor Glass Cleaner is a great product from 30 Seconds’ wide range of indoor and outdoor cleaning products.

It quickly and easily cuts through dirt, grease and grime and is safe for use around all types of joinery and masonry.

The anti-drip solution stays on the glass where it needs to work and delivers a streak-free finish that requires no scrubbing and minimises water spotting.

So the next time your windows need a clean, choose NZ’s best window cleaner, as rated by everyday Kiwi consumers.

30 Seconds’ Window Wonder Outdoor Glass Cleaner, the fast and easy way to clean your glass surfaces for a perfect streak-free shine every time, without the need to squeegee.

30 Seconds: NZ’s Best Outdoor Surface Cleaners

The 30 Seconds range of outdoor cleaning products includes its famous 30 Seconds Spray & Walkaway range (which requires no scrubbing) alongside other dedicated products such as:

• Outdoor Cleaner
• Deck & Driveway Cleaner
• House Cleaner
• Roof Treatment

Inside and out, and even on top of the roof, there is a product to meet every cleaning job around the home.

SPRAY & WALK AWAY

The name says it all. All you do is apply and leave, to allow the product to work over time. The easy application spray dispenser and ready-mixed product means all you have to do is attach a hose and point at your build-up of lichen, moss, mould or algae on paths, roofs, brickwork and other hard surfaces.

Features:

• Fan spray for wide coverage
• Second-storey reach
• No hosing or scrubbing required
• Phosphate and bleach free
• Safe around the garden
• Ready-to-use formula available in 1l and 5l
• Concentrated formula available in 2l, 5l and 20l

OUTDOOR CLEANER

30 Second’s Outdoor Cleaner is suitable to use on all hard, exterior, washable surfaces – simply spray, scrub and rinse for superb results.

Features:

• Works quickly
• Suitable for wood, paint, concrete, brickwork, paving, terracotta, cloth and plastics
• Ideal as a preparation for paint, varnish and stain
• Ready-to-use formula available in 1l and 5l with motorised power sprayer
• Concentrate formula available in 2l, 5l and 20l

DECK & DRIVEWAY CLEANER

Remove unsightly and slippery stains from your deck or drive. It’s as easy as spray, scrub and rinse. It works great on other outdoor wooden structures, too!

HOUSE CLEANER

An excellent product for mild cleaning and restoring various exterior house surfaces. It takes only a few minutes to work, and can help prolong the life of your home’s exterior paint.

ROOF TREATMENT

Clean your roof and awnings without scrubbing or water-blasting! Roof Treatment works over time to remove lichen, moss, mould and algae.

New Zealand’s Favourite Outdoor Cleaners

Aside from 30 Seconds, which takes out both of our Outdoor Cleaners awards, here is a brief overview of what’s on offer from the other brands rated in this year’s award surveys.

Wet & Forget

Wet & Forget is an iconic brand in New Zealand. Its range of cleaning products encompasses the whole home, from laundry to garden. In this year’s Outdoor Window Cleaners award, Wet & Forget scores 3 Stars for Overall Satisfaction and 4 Stars in all other categories measured.

For Outdoor Surface Cleaners, it earns excellent 5-Star results for both Effectiveness and Environmentally Safe/Friendly, and 4 Stars in all other categories.

Rapid Application Moss and Mould Remover

Wet & Forget has taken its original Moss, Mould & Lichen Remover, and put it into a quick and easy hose application bottle. It’s non-caustic, non-acidic and contains no bleach, and has a huge 8m range. It can be used on just about any outdoor surface, including patios, paths, driveways, sheds, glasshouses, your home, roof and more.

Hit the Deck

Designed for old and weathered decks, Hit the Deck is great for cleaning dirty or blackened decks and other timber surfaces. Mix the powder with water, spray it on and Hit the Deck will start to lift UV degraded wood fibre and any contamination, mould, mildew and organic matter with it. Scrub it off with a brush to reveal a new-look timber surface below.

Simple Green

Simple Green is an international company with a focus on environmentally friendly cleaning products. In this year’s Outdoor Window Cleaner survey it scores 5 Stars for Environmentally Safe/Friendly and 4 Stars for Overall Satisfaction, Value for Money and Ease of Use. It earns 3 Stars for both Effectiveness and Packaging.

In this year’s Outdoor Surface Cleaner award nominations, Simple Green did not receive enough submissions to qualify.

High Reach Exterior Window Cleaner

Simple Green’s High Reach Exterior Window Cleaner comes in a ready-to-use formula, and has a high-reaching sprayer control so you can wet, wash, and rinse all your glass, leaving a streak-free finish. It is non-toxic, non-hazardous, non-flammable, has no ammonia and is septic tank safe.

Learn more about our outdoor cleaners awards

To learn more about our awards, click on the following links:

Most Satisfied Customers | Outdoor Surface Cleaners Award

Most Satisfied Customers | Outdoor Window Cleaners Award

About the author of this page

This report was written by Canstar Content Producer, Andrew Broadley. Andrew is an experienced writer with a wide range of industry experience. Starting out, he cut his teeth working as a writer for print and online magazines, and he has worked in both journalism and editorial roles. His content has covered lifestyle and culture, marketing and, more recently, finance for Canstar.