A shopping list of cleaning supplies can get a few pages long between the bathroom, kitchen, and living spaces. There’s multi-surface cleaner spray, floor cleaner, toilet tablets, dishwashing soap, and glass cleaner—and that doesn’t even include the gadgets and gizmos that go along with cleaning supplies, such as rubber gloves, microfiber towels, and sponges. Needless to say, having a tidy home can get expensive. That’s why many shoppers go to discount retailers like Dollar Tree for everyday essentials. But as tempting as that $1.25 price tag may be, one TikToker warns that some cleaning products are worth the splurge when it comes to avoiding toxic chemicals.
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Denise (@franklin_thebulldog) is a professional house cleaner based in Michigan whose 135,000 TikTok followers come to her for insider housekeeping tips, cleaning product reviews, and how-to cleaning tutorials. In a recent clip, Denise shared which Dollar Tree cleaning products she avoids, including alternative brands for cult favorites like Ajax.
“Y'all are about to crucify me, but that’s okay. Let’s get into it,” she greeted followers at the top of her video.
To kick things off, Denise said she avoids using Fabuloso products at all costs despite the brand’s growing popularity on TikTok. “This stuff is extremely toxic and dangerous to pets and humans,” she warned.
Fabuloso is beloved for its affordable price point and versatility, but in recent years, some users have gotten a little too creative with the multipurpose cleaner. In 2023, Consumer Reportsissued a vetted list of where you should and shouldn’t use Faboluso around the house after TikTokers said they were refilling plug-in air fresheners with the cleaning solution and simmering Faboluso on the stove. (Spoiler alert: experts don’t recommend doing either of these.)
RELATED: Pharmacist Shares Which Supplements to Avoid at Dollar Tree.
Denise also isn’t a fan of Homebright’s Disinfectant Spray due to the smell. And while The Works’ Classic Clean Toilet Bowl Cleaner “will work in a pinch,” Denise said the cleaner isn’t “thick enough” and doesn’t “coat the toilet” like a good bathroom cleaner should.
As a proper rule of thumb, Denise avoids any cleaning products that contain bleach because of “the damage it can cause.” In her video, she pointed out several Dollar Tree products with bleach listed on the ingredients label, including LA’s Totally Awesome Cleaner with Bleach, Comet Kitchen Cleaner, and Sun-Pine Cleaner with Bleach.
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Another popular brand Denise isn’t a fan of is Ajax.
“Ajax is kind of like Fabuloso. I just don’t think it works that well, and I prefer the Lysol cleaner,” she explained.
She avoids Dollar Tree’s Two-Pack Toilet Bowl Cleaners because “they smell and don’t work that great.” Additionally, she warned that toilet cleaner tablets can wreak havoc on your plumbing.
The dish soap brand Oxydol is also a don’t-buy item, according to Denise, who said it “doesn’t work as well as Dawn.”
As far as window and mirror cleaning solutions go, you’re better off sticking with Windex as LA’s Totally Awesome Window Cleaner “doesn’t work that great,” noted Denise.
