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Cleaning suppliesHelping You Find the Best
  • 14 Best Tried and True Japanese Bathtub Cleaners in 2022 (Lion, Kao, and More) 1
  • 14 Best Tried and True Japanese Bathtub Cleaners in 2022 (Lion, Kao, and More) 2
  • 14 Best Tried and True Japanese Bathtub Cleaners in 2022 (Lion, Kao, and More) 3
  • 14 Best Tried and True Japanese Bathtub Cleaners in 2022 (Lion, Kao, and More) 4
  • 14 Best Tried and True Japanese Bathtub Cleaners in 2022 (Lion, Kao, and More) 5

14 Best Tried and True Japanese Bathtub Cleaners in 2022 (Lion, Kao, and More)

Cleaning the bath is a chore no one enjoys. My back hurts just thinking about all that scrubbing! There must be some bathroom cleaning sprays that can make the job easier and faster!


Our editors searched Japanese e-commerce sites such as Amazon and Rakuten for the best bathtub cleaners available online. We then picked out the most popular products and tested them.


We focused on 3 things:

  1. Cleaning power
  2. Spray dispersal
  3. Ease of rinsing

We then ranked the products and put what we learned into a buying guide to help you choose the best Japanese tub cleaners available online.


Last updated 09/26/2023

Quick List - Top Japanese Bathtub Cleaners

1

Lion

Look Plus Bathtub CleansingClear Citrus
Look Plus Bathtub Cleansing

mybest's Top Choice! Our Favorite Bathtub Cleaner!

2

Rinrei

Ultra Hard Bath Cleaner
Ultra Hard Bath Cleaner

The Bathtub Cleaner with the Best Cleansing Power

3

Kao

Bath Magic Clean Foaming Spray
Bath Magic Clean Foaming Spray

An Excellent Bargain With Strong Cleaning Power

4

Seiyu

Kihon No Ki Bath Detergent
Kihon No Ki Bath Detergent

A Decent Choice for Those on a Tight Budget

5

Kincho

Twinkle for Bath
Twinkle for Bath

Our Top-Ranked Acidic Cleaner

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Table of Contents

How to Choose a Bathtub Cleaner - Buying Guide

There are three points to consider when buying a bathtub cleaner.

1

Choose the Right Type For the Job

There are four types of bathtub cleaners: neutral, alkaline, acidic, and chlorinated. The kind you need depends on how often you clean, and what kind of dirt you want to remove.

Use a Neutral Type for Frequent Cleaning of Light Dirt

Use a Neutral Type for Frequent Cleaning of Light Dirt

This is a mild cleanser that can be used in any place in the bathroom. It shouldn't damage most materials and is gentle on your skin. It can handle any kind of dirt as long as it's not caked-on. Neutral cleansers also have the advantage of being safe when mixed with other products.

Use Alkaline or Acidic Cleansers for Tough Dirt

Use Alkaline or Acidic Cleansers for Tough Dirt

For stubborn dirt, you need an alkaline or acid-based cleaner. The one you choose depends on the kind of dirt: soap scum and hard water scale can be tackled with acidic cleansers. Oil, which is itself acidic, should be removed using an alkaline cleanser.


These products are more likely than neutral cleansers to damage materials, so use them carefully. Be especially wary of using them on marble, and they may discolor some plastics. They also can produce toxic gases when mixed with certain other products containing chlorine bleach.

To Get Rid of Mold, Use a Chlorine-Based Cleanser

To Get Rid of Mold, Use a Chlorine-Based Cleanser

Mold can best be killed by using products which contain chlorine. Foaming products work better than bleach because they get into the tiny cracks where the roots of the mold are. But never mix them with other detergents, and be sure to use adequate ventilation.

2

Choose a Product That Foams Well to Save Time and Water

Choose a Product That Foams Well to Save Time and Water

We all want to spend less time cleaning! So look for products that spray over a wide area with one push. It's not always possible to tell how it will work just by looking at the sprayer, so we've evaluated it for you!

3

Check the Quality of the Foam

Check the Quality of the Foam

You want something that foams well, rinses away quickly, and doesn't leave any residue behind. This will ensure that you get the most bang for your buck and not have to spend a ton of time waiting for it to clean.

Was the Buying Guide helpful?

14 Best Japanese Bathtub Cleaners

We picked out some of the most popular products and tested them for how well they cleaned, how much area the spray covered, and how easily they rinsed away. Then, based on our tests, we ranked the top 14 Japanese bathtub cleaners available online. Japanese prices for some of the products are given, but they've been converted into US dollars to make it easy for you.
Popularity
Products
Image
Click to purchase
Key features
1

Lion

Look Plus Bathtub CleansingClear Citrus

Lion Look Plus Bathtub Cleansing 1

mybest's Top Choice! Our Favorite Bathtub Cleaner!

2

Rinrei

Ultra Hard Bath Cleaner

Rinrei Ultra Hard Bath Cleaner 1

The Bathtub Cleaner with the Best Cleansing Power

3

Kao

Bath Magic Clean Foaming Spray

Kao Bath Magic Clean Foaming Spray 1

An Excellent Bargain With Strong Cleaning Power

4

Seiyu

Kihon No Ki Bath Detergent

Seiyu Kihon No Ki Bath Detergent 1

A Decent Choice for Those on a Tight Budget

5

Kincho

Twinkle for Bath

Kincho Twinkle for Bath 1

Our Top-Ranked Acidic Cleaner

6

Daiso

Daiso Bath Detergent

Daiso Daiso Bath Detergent 1

Recommended to Wash Small Areas

7

Kao

Bath Magic Clean Super Clean

Kao Bath Magic Clean Super Clean 1

Use This if You Hate the Smell of Other Cleaners

If you don't see the product you're looking for, you can request that it be listed.
No.1

Lion
Look Plus Bathtub CleansingClear Citrus

Look Plus Bathtub Cleansing 1
Source:global.rakuten.com
Look Plus Bathtub Cleansing 2
Look Plus Bathtub Cleansing 3
Look Plus Bathtub Cleansing 4
Look Plus Bathtub Cleansing 5
Look Plus Bathtub Cleansing 6
Reference price
$3.41
Mid
Reference price
$3.41
Mid

mybest's Top Choice! Our Favorite Bathtub Cleaner!

This weak alkaline spray from Lion was very well-balanced, scoring above average in all the areas we tested. Oily dirt and grime were whisked away with no effort at all. The stainless steel used in our tests was shiny and reflective!


The foam covers a wide area, and it's a blue liquid, so it's very easy to see where you've already sprayed it. You'll save time and money by not using more than you need.


We can recommend this without reservation for anyone who wants to clean the tub efficiently and cost-effectively!

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No.2

Rinrei
Ultra Hard Bath Cleaner

Ultra Hard Bath Cleaner 1
Ultra Hard Bath Cleaner 2
Ultra Hard Bath Cleaner 3
Ultra Hard Bath Cleaner 4
Ultra Hard Bath Cleaner 5
Reference price
$12.26
High
Reference price
$12.26
High

The Bathtub Cleaner with the Best Cleansing Power

This was hands down the strongest cleaner. Even stubborn dirt was no match for it. The stainless steel test tray looked brand new after we cleaned it. 


It can be used not just for the tub, but for washstands and other bathroom items too. Unfortunately, it took some time to rinse all the bubbles down the drain, but it's definitely recommended if you need to remove caked-on grime.

No.3

Kao
Bath Magic Clean Foaming Spray

Reference price
$3.32
Mid
Reference price
$3.32
Mid

An Excellent Bargain With Strong Cleaning Power

It scored close to the highest product in our cleaning test, but is pretty cheap, so it's a good choice in that sense. However, the bubbles didn't cover much area, so you need to spray again and again, and the lever is hard to push. Our arms got tired! It also didn't rinse away easily.

No.4

Seiyu
Kihon No Ki Bath Detergent

Reference price
$1.40
Low Mid

A Decent Choice for Those on a Tight Budget

This was not bad as far as performance, but where it really stood out was the price. If you consider the initial investment (including the sprayer) is 3 times the cost of refills - you can see what a bargain that is! So even though it was only average in cleaning, spraying, and rinsing, we can still recommend it.

No.5

Kincho
Twinkle for Bath

Reference price
$2.96
Mid
Reference price
$2.96
Mid

Our Top-Ranked Acidic Cleaner

If you're looking for an acid-based cleaner, we recommend this one. It rinses really easily and quickly, and it foams well too. You'll be able to save water and time. However, it does smell strongly of vinegar, so use ventilation if it bothers you.

No.6

Daiso
Daiso Bath Detergent

Daiso Bath Detergent 1
Daiso Bath Detergent 2
Daiso Bath Detergent 3
Daiso Bath Detergent 4
Daiso Bath Detergent 5
Reference price
$1.00
Low
Reference price
$1.00
Low

Recommended to Wash Small Areas

At only a dollar, you probably don't expect much, but this product does an above-average job of cleaning


The main drawback was how long and how much water it took to rinse all the bubbles down the drain. But if you just need to wash something small like the shower rack, this would be fine, and cost-saving.

No.7

Kao
Bath Magic Clean Super Clean

Reference price
$3.40
Mid
Reference price
$3.40
Mid

Use This if You Hate the Smell of Other Cleaners

The unscented product is pictured, but it also comes in a "green herb" scent. The foaming is good, but everything else is just average. We'd use it to save time on spraying, or if we wanted to avoid something with the smell of ammonia or bleach.

How We Tested the Bathtub Cleaners

We put each product through 3 tests to check how well it cleaned, and how the spray spread out and rinsed away.

Test ① Did It Remove Dirt and Scum?

Test ① Did It Remove Dirt and Scum?

We made a solution of shampoo, lard, and hard water to replicate the scum and oils found in the bathroom. Then we sprayed it on a steel tray, let it dry, and repeated the process 10 times.


Next, we sprayed each bathtub cleaner on a dirty tray 10 times. We let it sit and work for 10 minutes and rinsed it off. Then we evaluated how much grime was removed.


Our test results showed that alkaline cleansers were the most effective overall. Our top choices left our test trays shiny even without scrubbing. Products marked as weakly alkaline were similar to neutral-pH products in their effectiveness.

Test ② How Much Area Did the Spray Cover?

Test ② How Much Area Did the Spray Cover?

Using the same height and angle each time, we gave each cleaner one spritz onto the floor. Then we measured how much area the spray covered.


Our tests showed that a horizontal-spreading foam saved time! Since the cleaning foam will drip down due to gravity, the wider the area you cover horizontally, the more efficiently the whole surface gets covered.

Test ③ Was it Easy to Rinse Away?

Test ③ Was it Easy to Rinse Away?

For the last test, we sprayed each product 30 times all over the tub, and left it for 5 minutes.


We rinsed it using the showerhead 10 times. Then we visually judged how many bubbles remained in the drain and rated it on a scale of 1.0 to 5.0.

Top 5 Japanese Bathtub Cleaners

No. 1: LionLook Plus Bathtub CleansingClear Citrus

No. 2: RinreiUltra Hard Bath Cleaner

No. 3: KaoBath Magic Clean Foaming Spray

No. 4: SeiyuKihon No Ki Bath Detergent

No. 5: KinchoTwinkle for Bath

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The descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.

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