One product worked better than the other
Floors are the most-used areas of our homes and need regular cleaning. Problems such as dirt, dust and stains can build up quickly if you don’t keep on top of your cleaning routine.
In my home, I vacuum and mop my floors weekly, usually opting for whatever floor cleaner is available at the lowest price when I need to stock up. I have tried a variety over the years, but have found the biggest brands seem to be Flash and Fabulosa.
When it came to stocking up on a new floor cleaner, I decided to buy both and put them to the test. Flash All-Purpose Cleaner claims to be the number one in the UK and “removes up to 100% of grease and dirt”.
I picked this up for the fresh lemon scent, which promises a lasting smell and a “brilliant” shine. It came in a one-litre bottle for £2.25 from Heron.
I also purchased Fabulosa’s cotton fresh concentrated disinfectant cleaner, which can be used on floors, for £1 for a 220ml bottle. It is marketed as having a “long-lasting freshness” while killing 99.9% bacteria and viruses.
I used both floor cleaners in my living room on the laminate floorboards. I simply divided the room in half, with Flash being used on one side and Fabulosa on the other.
Flash floor cleaner
Flash’s instructions said to use two lids of the cleaner (60ml) in five litres of water. I poured this into my mop bucket and was immediately hit by the strong lemon scent.
It smelt fresh and clean, but it made me wonder if it would be best suited to areas such as kitchens and bathrooms rather than living rooms. The cleaner bubbled up well when I put my mop into the bucket and was simple and easy to spread over my floors.
I felt like the ratio of cleaner and water worked well, as it gave me plenty to work with. The Flash cleaner left an instant shine as it spread over the floor, along with a nice smell. The smell was a lot better than I was expecting, and wasn’t too overpowering.
Faulosa floor cleaner
Fabulosa’s instructions were slightly different, as the bottle suggested adding one capful to 400ml of water. This looked too small in my mop bucket, so I doubled it to two capfuls in 800 ml of water.
Fabulosa says the bottle can make 10 litres of disinfectant. The cotton-fresh smell was much stronger than that of the Flash cleaner, with a warning reading: “We do not recommend usage in food contact areas as Fabulosa is highly perfumed and may taint.”
It is also recommended not to allow pets to lick or walk on wet treated areas. I got to work on the other half of my living room with the Fabulosa cleaner.
The smell completely overpowered Flash’s cleaner, so it was all I could smell. It also left a nice shine on the floor as I mopped it up.
However, I noticed gaps even after I had cleaned the entire area. I wondered if this was because I had much less water in my mop bucket compared to the Flash version, but it also didn’t bubble up as much.
After leaving the floor to dry, I compared the results side by side.
The results
I have used Fabulosa a lot in the past and was certain that it would be my favourite. However, Flash stood out to me as leaving my floor shinier and fresher.
In the end, I found the Fabulosa cleaner to be too strongly smelling, even with the windows open. I also found it an issue not to let pets near the area when wet, as I have a cat.
Both products cleaned my floor well, but overall, Flash tipped it for me, as even though it was the pricier product, I think I will get more uses out of the bottle.
