Bleach and Fabuloso are both used for cleaning purposes. But how different are they? And can they be used interchangeably for the same task? Let’s find out in this article.
Bleach or Fabuloso?
Fabuloso is a multi-purpose cleaner while bleach is mostly chemical. Although they are both cleaners, they have different ways of working which we will be discussing in detail.
#1- Suitable Surfaces
Fabuloso should be used on hard non-porous surfaces like floors, countertops, bathroom walls, etc. Fabuloso can seep into porous surfaces and this can damage these surfaces permanently because it contains surfactants, colorants, fragrances, and more.
While bleach can also be used on hard non-porous surfaces, it should not be used on metals (such as stainless steel) as it contains oxidants that can make metals corrode easily.
Bleach, however, works on some porous surfaces like clothes, while Fabuloso is not the best thing to be used on clothes (for removing stains).
#2- Disinfection
Bleach is an effective disinfectant. The active ingredient in bleach is sodium hypochlorite, and this chemical kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi upon contact.
To disinfect with bleach, you need to first mix bleach with water. Most household bleach sold in stores contains between 5% and 9% sodium hypochlorite. This should then be mixed with room-temperature water and sprayed on the surface you want to disinfect.
Bleach is however toxic to breathe and can harm your skin. You should be careful while mixing or using it. You should also avoid mixing it with other products.
Fabuloso, on the other hand, cannot disinfect. Fabuloso is made to clean grime and dirt from hard, non-porous surfaces, not to disinfect them. However, ingredients like citric acid and Hydrogen peroxide may be able to disinfect to some degree, but not much.
#3- Laundry
Bleach can be used to disinfect, sanitize, and whiten laundry. You can also use it to remove stubborn stains from your clothes and brighten the whole garment.
Before doing this, however, test the bleach solution at the back of the seam first, and don’t pour bleach directly on your clothes.
There are two types of bleach: Chlorine bleach and oxygenated bleach. You should pour the chlorine bleach into your washing machine 5 minutes after the wash cycle has started, while the oxygenated bleach should be added to the wash water before you put your clothes inside.
Although Fabuloso is a multi-surface cleaner meant to clean hard non-porous surfaces, you can use it in the laundry too.
You can put Fabuloso in your laundry, in addition to your laundry detergent. This boosts the cleaning power of your detergent and makes your clothes smell awesome.
Bleach can only be used to disinfect, remove stains, and whiten, it cannot be used to wash your laundry. Fabuloso on the other hand is a soap, it can be used to hand wash your clothes or used in a washing machine. It will not whiten up the fabrics or remove stains from them.
#4- Cleaning Glass Dishware
Bleach can be used to clean and disinfect glass dishware safely. Because glass is non-porous, it will not absorb the bleach so there’s no chance of the bleach damaging your dishware.
Bleach can also be used to remove stubborn stains or caked-on dirt from the glassware. Scratched glass may sometimes hold traces of bleach but these can be removed by putting it in a dishwasher at 400°F for 10 minutes.
The safest way to use bleach to clean your glass dishware is by hand. Some dishwashers don’t have removable filters so using bleach in them can damage their parts. Just ensure you wear rubber gloves while cleaning your glass with bleach and you’ll be fine.
Fabuloso is a multi-surface cleaner and contains chemicals/ingredients that aren’t meant for consumption.
Using Fabuloso to clean our glass dishware or other types of dishes can leave residues of these chemicals which will pass into our food.
#5- Removing Mold & Mildew
Bleach can be used to clean mold on surfaces like sinks, tiles, etc. but it can’t be used to clean mold on porous surfaces like drywall, wood, etc. (Source) Hydrogen peroxide and vinegar are more effective in these areas.
If bleach is used, the surface molds may be killed, but the spores will remain inside and they will continue to grow. It’s only a matter of time before they appear back on the surface.
The water mixed with the bleach may even help the mold grow faster.
Fabuloso, on the other hand, cannot be used to kill mold at all.
#6- Killing Weeds
Bleach is an effective weed killer but not a safe one. Spraying undiluted bleach on weeds will kill them but it will also affect the health of the soil, preventing weeds from growing there for a long while.
The disadvantage is other plants won’t be able to grow there as well. If you plan to grow vegetables or other plants in that area, then using bleach to kill weeds there isn’t advised. While spraying bleach on those weeds, if there are plants in the area, you may mistakenly kill them too.
Bleach can also seep into the groundwater, contaminating it. This is why it is not allowed to be used as a herbicide in some areas.
Fabuloso isn’t effective at killing weeds. Spraying Fabuloso in an area constantly may affect the health of the plants there over time but it isn’t a sure way of getting rid of weeds. What will happen though is that the absorption of nutrients in the soil will be slowed down or stopped.
#7- Smell
If you need something to make your place florally fragrant, then Fabuloso offers a variety of fragrances such as Lavender, citrus, floral burst, etc. In fact, one of the many reasons people choose Fabuloso is its smell.
Bleach, on the other hand, is not a very pleasant thing to smell as it smells like Chlorine.
Final Verdict!
Bleach is better at whitening clothes than Fabuloso. Also, when it comes to disinfecting, cleaning dishware and glassware, and removing mold and mildew, bleach beats Fabuloso right away. However, if you need something for general cleaning and mopping surfaces that has a nice fragrance to it, then Fabuloso should be your choice.
Note that these two products should not be mixed.
