Product Review: Zep Pro-Tabs All Purpose Cleaner Dissolvable Tablets
by Diana L. Martin
The cold & flu season has been upon us for a little while now, along with the ever-present coronavirus, which means cleaning and sanitizing are top priorities in the office (and at home). A recent addition to the janitorial space promises to make your cleaning faster and easier, save the environment and save you money. It’s called Zep Pro-Tabs All Purpose Cleaner Dissolvable Tablets. There’s also a second version for the bathroom.
Several years ago, I tested a similar product from a different manufacturer, with pretty disappointing results, so when I came upon the Zep brand, I admit I was less than excited (fool me once……). But hey, its’ been a while and it’s a different manufacturer, so maybe this one is better. Always up for a challenge, I got my test package and set to work.
Simply drop one tablet into an empty sprayer bottle and then fill the bottle with water. Shake it for a minute or two and then you’re ready to go. There are 4 tablets per package and each tablet makes a 32 oz bottle, so you can already see the price savings and the environmental aspect.
Source: YouTube
This item says it’s safe for countertops, appliances, tile, porcelain, painted surfaces and fiberglass, but don’t use it on natural stone surfaces, carpeting or automotive paint. I have all of those safe surfaces in my house except the fiberglass, so it was easy to put it through its paces.
The first thing I noticed is that the instructions say to avoid prolonged contact with skin, so I grabbed my gloves and started in the kitchen. It did a perfectly fine job on my countertops, but, then again, I didn’t have any tough stains for it to cut through. Also, it doesn’t dry as quickly as my normal cleaners so I ended up drying the countertops with a paper towel.
Next, I tried it on some painted surfaces - walls, baseboards and my pantry door - and it performed admirably. The walls cleaned off instantly - the baseboards and door required a little scrubbing, but not too bad. You can see the before and after here (click any of the images to enlarge them).
Next I used it as a floor cleaner on my tile floor and this is where it really shined! The majority of the stains literally dissolved as soon as the solution hit the tile. The sticky or gummy stains required a little scrubbing. I am quite impressed with its performance on the tile. Here some more before and after images (click any of them to enlarge them).
Overall, this is a great product with a solid performance on every surface I tested. As a comparison, a quick internet search revealed that four 32 oz. bottles of Fantastik all purpose cleaner will run between $15 to $24 plus tax depending on which store I chose. One package of the Zep Pro-Tab All Purpose Cleaner Dissolvable Tabs is currently $11.15 on our website, so it’s definitely a money saver. The fact that you’re reusing the same plastic bottle is great for the environment and the small box with the remaining tabs barely takes any space in your cabinet. It’s a win-win all the way around.
I give it 5 paper clips!
