While it may not be the best all-purpose cleaner according to our lab evaluations, Fabuloso is an essential cleaning product in many Latino homes. For me (and probably a lot of others who remember the scent growing up), it symbolizes the Saturday morning ritual my mother continues to follow to this day.
The scent of lavender Fabuloso and the familiar sound of Latin love songs were a signal that I was due to wake up to help clean the house. When I asked colleagues who use Fabuloso at home why the multipurpose cleaner is special to them, I heard things like, “Brings back memories of childhood,” from Camele Barrett, and “I like buying it because I like the Spanish name, the joyfully bright product label, and the Latino origins of the product,” from Daniela Nuñez.
In addition to the emotional attachment many users have with the all-purpose cleaner’s scent, it boasts a really long list of surfaces it can be used on, it’s inexpensive and readily available at most local grocery stores, and it comes in over half a dozen scents.
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The instructions aren’t as clear as we would hope on exactly the kinds of furniture, counters, and floors the cleaner is safe to use on. But more on that later.
As versatile as the product is, there are some places you should not be cleaning with Fabuloso, even if TikTok tells you it’s okay. As with any cleaning product, you should always follow the directions on the label and refrain from leaving any bottles open within reach of children and pets. We searched the app for some of the ways people are using the colorful multipurpose cleaner at home and rounded up the worst advice in this article.
In This Article
Toilet Tank Hack • Air Freshener Plug-In Refill Hack •Simmer on Stove Hack • •Mixing With Other Cleaning Products •Where Fabuloso Is Safe to Use
Do Not Put a Bottle of Fabuloso Inside Your Toilet Tank
In my home, we often pour a bit of lavender-scented Fabuloso into the toilet bowl to impart some of the pleasant scent to the bathroom after a cleaning session. One of the most popular Fabuloso hacks we came across on TikTok takes this one step further, instructing users to make a small hole in the bottom of a bottle of Fabuloso and then place the bottle inside the toilet tank. This way every time the toilet is flushed a bit of the multipurpose cleaner is also released into the toilet bowl providing a hit of the sweet scent. This is a tempting hack, but one we don’t recommend you try at home. We found a number of TikToks from people complaining that the hack caused their toilets to constantly run or that the bottle got in the way of the flushing system in the tank.
“The plastic parts on fill valves and the rubber on flappers/seals get eaten away much faster when these cleaning chemicals are added,” says Nicholas Hotujec, owner of Cheddar’s Plumbing in Pittsburgh. “Your toilet may be a bit cleaner, but you’ll be calling a plumber to come change the guts of the toilet a lot sooner than you think.”
What to do instead: To keep your toilet smelling clean after every flush, consider a toilet spray, like the ones from Poo-Pourri, that your family can use before they use the bathroom. Forgetful bunch like mine? There’s an automated toilet refresher called the LooLoo we have installed in my home’s bathroom that sprays a bit of soft scent every time someone sits on the toilet. (But there’s a catch to this solution too. More on that below.)
Do Not Refill Your Plug-In Air Fresheners With Fabuloso
There are a few ways we saw TikTokers use Fabuloso to keep their homes smelling fresh. One of these popular hacks shows users refilling plug-in air fresheners with the multipurpose cleaner. When you add the product to these plug-in air fresheners, the Fabuloso is heated and vaporized to diffuse the scent throughout a room. The brand directly addresses this hack on its online FAQ page, warning that none of its products should be heated at all.
There is also some evidence that using air fresheners at all could be potentially hazardous to your health. A 2015 review from the Journal of Toxicological Sciences summarized some of the research that has been conducted on the possible health effects of air fresheners. In it, researchers say that there are ingredients in air fresheners, including volatile organic compounds, that could pose a risk to users’ health, but more research is necessary to determine “the concentrations of indoor pollutants and the exact components inside air fresheners that can be detrimental to health.”
What to do instead: If you’re still a fan of plug-in air fresheners regardless of the scientific literature against their use, look for refills sold by the maker of the plug-in that are available in scents similar to the ones you love from Fabuloso.
Don’t Simmer Fabuloso on the Stove
Simmering a household cleaner in the pots you use for dinner prep is never a good idea. You not only risk leaving some of the cleaner behind on these cooking surfaces but also are inhaling the cleaner as it simmers and vaporizes on the stove. The first thing listed on Fabuloso’s first-aid label instructions is for product inhalation; the company recommends moving to a space with fresh air.
Even when using cleaning or household products as instructed, you want to make sure that you keep the area well-ventilated. This means opening windows and doors. It is not recommended to use cleaning products in a small, enclosed space.
Ash*ta Kapoor, CR’s associate director for product safety
What to do instead: An alternative I use in my home is bringing a pot of water with cinnamon, cloves, quartered apples, and ginger to a boil. After a few minutes, your home will be smelling fresh, and you’ll have a tasty tea to drink after.
Do Not Wash Dishes or Do Laundry With Fabuloso
While we didn’t find any TikToks promoting Fabuloso as a dish soap, we did find some videos of people pouring the cleaner into the detergent dispensers of washing machines. It may be tempting to use Fabuloso in your laundry because of its pleasant scent, but products that are not formulated to be used in a washing machine should not be added to your laundry routine. “We generally warn against using anything not designed for washing machines,” says Consumer Reports laundry expert Richard Handel. “It may cause too many suds or react with the laundry detergent in a negative way.”
The same goes for washing dishes, by hand and in a dishwasher. You want to be especially careful using cleaning products around items that will come in contact with the food you and your family eat, like plates, cups, and utensils. You don’t want to feed your family multipurpose cleaner with their dinner. Our expert agrees.
“Putting any multipurpose cleaner in your dishwasher can accelerate the deterioration process of your dishwasher’s pumps, hoses, plastic, or stainless steel interior,” says Larry Ciufo, who oversees CR’s dishwasher tests. “You should not use it to clean the interior of your dishwasher either.”
What to do instead: When it’s time to re-up on laundry detergent or dish soap, consider buying a lavender-scented formula (if that’s your favorite Fabuloso scent) instead of your usual scent. To clean the exterior of your dishwasher, Larry says you can use a bit of the multipurpose cleaner on a cloth (don’t spray the cleaner directly on the appliance’s surface) to wipe away any messes.
Never Mix Fabuloso With Other Cleaning Products
Mixing Fabuloso with bleach to clean and sanitize surfaces is a common hack I’ve heard about from family and friends, and is really popular on TikTok as a floor-cleaning solution. You should never mix any two cleaning products together. On the label, the brand specifically warns against this: “Do not mix with other household cleaners to avoid irritating fumes.”
Kapoor recommends always following the manufacturer’s instructions and reading warning labels before use. Fabuloso’s FAQ page addresses this hack directly warning against using any of its products with chlorine bleach.
What to do instead: Fabuloso’s Antibacterial Multi-Purpose Cleaner is a surface cleaner and sanitizer that comes in three scents, one of which is the popular lavender scent of the original multipurpose cleaner, that can be used to sanitize surfaces instead of mixing the original all-purpose cleaner with bleach.
Where Is It Safe to Use Fabuloso?
Using cleaning products for their intended use is important to keep yourself and your family safe, and to protect your furniture, floors, counters, and appliances from being damaged. The wrong cleaning product could mean serious damage to some surfaces, like wood and natural stone, that benefit from a dedicated cleaner. Fabuloso says its multipurpose cleaner is safe to use on a long list of surfaces, but the manufacturer lacks clarity on the specific materials these common home items are made from. We contacted the brand for clarification of the label instructions, and Fabuloso cleaning expert Sharon Garcia shared the following general guidelines to keep in mind when using the multipurpose cleaner at home.
Floors: Fabuloso is typically safe to use on various types of flooring, such as tile, linoleum, laminate, and hardwood. However, it’s always a good idea to test a small, inconspicuous area first to ensure compatibility, especially for sensitive surfaces like hardwood. And make sure the wood is sealed.
Counters: Fabuloso can often be used on kitchen and bathroom countertops made of materials like granite, marble, quartz, and laminate. However, for natural stone surfaces like granite and marble, it’s recommended to use a cleaner specifically designed for those materials to prevent damage.
Furniture: Fabuloso can be used on many types of furniture, including wood, glass, and metal. However, for upholstered and leather furniture, it’s generally recommended to use cleaners specifically formulated for those materials to avoid any potential damage. Remember to read the labels and instructions to use products as intended.
With these popular hacks debunked and a clearer list of the ways you should be using Fabuloso multipurpose cleaner at home, you can now go forth and finish your Saturday morning chores. Maybe give mom a call and ask her for some song recommendations too.
@consumerreports Do yourself a favor and skip these viral cleaning hacks. Learn more through the link in our bio. #cleaningtiktok #cleantok #fabuloso #fabulosohacks ♬ original sound - Consumer Reports
Jodhaira Rodriguez
Jodhaira Rodriguez is a multimedia content creator at Consumer Reports. Before joining CR, she tested and wrote about cleaning and organizing products and major appliances like washing machines and dishwashers at Good Housekeeping. In her free time, you’ll find her reading, listening to true crime podcasts, or working on her latest hobby of the month.
