Are “2x Concentrated” Cleaning Products Worth the Money?
Growing up, my mom used Pine Sol to clean everything around our house and taught me to do the same. When I moved to New York at 18, I learned that all my new friends, born in Queens and Manhattan, were Fabuloso fans. I have used these two products faithfully throughout my adult life and have been completely satisfied with how well they worked. When I noticed a few months ago that both brands, as well as others I trusted such as Mr. Clean are releasing new “2x concentrated” formulas, I didn’t know what to think. If it ain’t broke, I don’t try to fix it, you know? I noticed the price difference and wondered if it might be a gimmick. (My mom taught me not only to tell me about the wonders of Pine Sol, but also to be extremely distrustful of marketing.) An 80-ounce double strength Pine Sol ranges from $15 to $20, depending on various discounts, and a 96-ounce double strength Pine Sol costs from 15 to 20 dollars, depending on various discounts. An ounce of regular Pine Sol costs $18.49. The more concentrated version cost a little more when disassembled, but was it worth it?
After using the new Pine Sol formula for several months I can say that yes, it is worth it, but just in case I did what I now consider a very scientific experiment with my standard Fabuloso and its double strength. analogue
Fabuloso’s experiment
This week Fabuloso sent me their new scent to try. I was excited about this because I love things that smell like peaches, but I didn’t realize I had signed up for the 2x strength version. When I opened it, I was even more excited because I already had a full bottle of regular Fabuloso on hand, meaning I could do a real comparison. The first part of this comparison is the price: a 56-ounce bottle of Fabuloso 2X strength costs $5.49, while a 48-ounce bottle of regular will set you back $4.59. Either way it’s 10 cents an ounce, although I know prices vary. What you pay at your local corner store is different than what you pay at Walmart, not to mention the fluctuations in prices and sales on Amazon. I even found a 56 oz bottle of Fabuloso 2x strength for 10 cents less than the standard formula at Target. Generally speaking, you’re looking at spending about $5, give or take, no matter which formula you choose.
Now about the cleansing ability. First, I spent some time this morning looking around my house to find the dirtiest spot. I unearthed a baseboard that had been hidden behind a shelf for a long time. It was disgusting . Ideal!
I then set about figuring out how to compare the two in the most responsible and scientific way. I decided to split the baseboard in half and use equal amounts of each to clean one side or the other. I used one capful and divided the paper towel down the middle so that each capful was evenly distributed over the same amount of towel. This is how science is done. Here is the left half of the baseboard, cleaned with regular Fabuloso:
And here’s what that area looked like when I used the 2x-strength formula to clear the other half:
Results of a fabulous experiment
Here’s the thing: both of these products do the same job. The cleanliness of the baseboard as a whole is not in doubt after using any product. What’s really different is the cleaning process . I counted how many strokes with the paper towel it took to remove the dirt from each side of the baseboard. With a regular Fabuloso I counted about 25 movements. In the concentrated version, the number of movements was seven . According to my findings, this means you need fewer products or less effort to get the results you want. Even if the 2x strength Fabuloso costs a lot more than the regular one, which it doesn’t, it is worth it and that’s the same conclusion I came to after having to use significantly less of the 2x strength Pine Sol. than the regular version over the past few months.
I also noticed that the concentrated version has a stronger scent. This is the main selling point for me. I don’t just want things to look and feel clean, but to smell clean, and all the 2x strength cleaners I’ve used have had stronger scents than their standard contemporaries, and those stronger scents last longer. I finished experimenting with Fabuloso about 45 minutes ago and can still smell the double strength peach scent. The lavender, unfortunately, has already begun to dissipate.
Overall, I recommend these concentrated formulas and consider them to be a quality innovation on Big Cleaning’s part. I can only hope that in the long years of my life I will definitely encounter more tricks and money grabs, but I do not believe that this is one of them.