Cleaning Concentrate vs All-Purpose Cleaner and Degreaser: which is safer?
Force of Nature Cleaning Concentrate is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
Force of Nature
Cleaning Concentrate
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleOxidizer / skin and eye irritation
PossibleBacterial contamination in product storage
LikelyChlorine gas formation if mixed with incompatible cleaners
Zep
All-Purpose Cleaner and Degreaser
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleSurfactant and solvent skin irritation
PossibleInhalation exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
PossibleEye and respiratory irritation if misused
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Oxidizer / skin and eye irritation, Bacterial contamination in product storage and Chlorine gas formation if mixed with incompatible cleaners on the Force of Nature and not on the Zep.
- We flag Surfactant and solvent skin irritation, Inhalation exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), Eye and respiratory irritation if misused and Ingredient transparency gap on the Zep and not on the Force of Nature.
- The Force of Nature is Hypochlorous acid electrochemical solution where the Zep is aqueous cleaning concentrate, surfactants and solvents, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 25 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Force of Nature is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Zep grade, at 55% confidence against 92%, because it discloses less.
Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More all-purpose cleaner, see the full ranking