There's nothing worse than flushing good money down the toilet, which prompted me to focus on loo roll for Nottinghamshire Live's latest consumer test. Carrying on the tradition of my parents, I've always bought Andrex, a trusted brand, where you know you're guaranteed quality.
But the price has soared astronomically over the last couple of years that I resent paying so much for something that's essential in every household across the nation. Last time I bought nine rolls of the Classic Clean it cost an eye-watering £5.75 and if your family is like mine, you'll get through stacks of rolls every week.
I decided to shop around and test out other brands - but wow, they don't make it easy with a mind-boggling array on the supermarket shelves. As well as your bog standard loo roll, there's quilted, longer lasting mega rolls, coconut oil, aloe vera, budget brands and moist toilet tissue wipes. There's even strawberry and watermelon toilet rolls - I kid, you not.
To make the test more 'scientific', I used a pipette filled with water to judge absorbency. Here's how it went:
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Andrex
It's the only brand I've ever bought as it's has always done the job efficiently. Until the the price hike, I never considered switching, even though I swear the rolls of the famous puppy dog brand are smaller than they used to be.
The 3D Wave (trademarked) texture apparently "cleans more effectively, giving you a better clean with fewer sheets", but I can't say I've really noticed this. It's good for softness but compared to some of the other makes it's only 2-ply.
Average sheets: 190 a roll
Price: £3.25
Score: 3/5
Asda
As well as Andrex, the supermarket stocks Cushelle and Nicky Elite. Then there's the super cheap Just Essentials, priced £2.39 for six rolls, which I swerved, fearing it could be more like sandpaper than toilet paper.
Asda's own brand Shades comes with double rolls so a pack of four equates to eight. I skipped the 'So Soft' pack, swayed by the strawberry and watermelon rolls. Sounds delicious, I know. Next week... cabbage and broccoli?
The limited edition's every sheet is "enriched with a beautiful balm and the core infused with a sweet and fruity fragrance, perfect for summer." The rolls do have a sweet fragrance - but only if close to your nostrils, so unless you're using it to blow your nose, it's a bit of a waste.
The honeycomb-patterned sheets are 3-ply sheets and they're wider than any of the other brands, good and strong. It's soft too and kind to my nose and derriere.
The rolls do last longer than the other brands. Anything that saves having to change the loo roll so often is a bonus.
Average sheets: 320 per roll
Price: £3.55
Score: 4/5
Aldi
The cost-cutting supermarket offers own brand soft, softer, softest, and softest premium but I could only find the softer range, branded as 'luxury' toilet roll. I've never really thought of toilet roll as being luxury.
With a similar wave pattern to Andrex, the quality isn't quite as good but it's not far behind and the cheaper price definitely makes it an attractive option.
Average sheets: Doesn't say
Price: £1.69
Score: 3/5
Savers
The shop is my number one destination for buying toiletries such as shampoo and toothpaste but I've never glanced at the range of toilet rolls until now. According to the marketing blurb "Little Duck Luxury Toilet Tissue made in England with softness in every sheet."
It's the cheapest of the bunch I'm trialling but it hit a bum note with me. It's rougher compared to the other brands and is very flimsy. Failing miserably on the water drop test, it soon soaked through and ripped easily.
While the price is very attractive, it's a false economy as you need to use more. It's not for me, I'm afraid.
Average sheets: Doesn't say
Price: £1.65
Score: 1/5
M&S
I frequently shop for food and drink at Marks & Sparks, knowing that you can always rely on the quality and find something out of the ordinary. But I've never used it for household essentials, believing it would cost me more.
The toilet roll section had multiple choices. Spring Meadow has a "delicate" flowery pattern while Shining Stars is decorated with stars - this isn't just any toilet tissue, it's M&S tissue, remember. I opt for the super soft, with triple layered sheets.
The embossed texture feels more like kitchen roll than toilet paper, and the dotted diamond pattern means it's not the softest but it is strong and super absorbent.
Average sheets: 200 per roll
Price: £2
Score: 4/5
Verdict
This test was a tough one. I'm torn between the quality of M&S and the softness of Asda. Although Savers seemed like a bargain but it proved a loo loser.
If I was in Aldi, I'll happily grab pack. One certainty though, it has opened my eyes and put me off buying Andrex despite those cute puppy dog eyes.
