If you have young children, pets, or anyone in your household with chemical sensitivities, what your cleaning service uses matters as much as how they clean. The cleaning industry is full of products marketed as "natural" or "green" that don't live up to the label. Here's how to know the difference — and why we only use EPA Safer Choice certified products.
The Problem with "Natural" and "Non-Toxic" Labels
These terms have no regulated legal definition in the cleaning product industry. A company can label a product "natural" while it contains known irritants, hormone disruptors, or compounds harmful to aquatic life. Without third-party certification, these labels are essentially marketing.
That's why we rely on EPA Safer Choice certification — not self-reported claims.
What EPA Safer Choice Certification Actually Means
The EPA Safer Choice program evaluates every ingredient in a product — not just the active ingredients, but the fragrances, preservatives, and processing aids as well. To earn certification, a product must:
- Use ingredients with the safest possible hazard profiles across human health and environmental criteria
- Avoid chemicals of concern including carcinogens, reproductive toxins, and persistent environmental pollutants
- Be biodegradable and use packaging that minimizes environmental impact
- Disclose all ingredients on the product label
The standard is strict, third-party verified, and updated regularly as new research emerges. It's the most rigorous consumer cleaning product certification available in the United States.
Why This Matters for Homes with Children
Children face greater exposure risk from household chemicals than adults for several reasons:
- Body size — Children take in more chemical exposure per pound of body weight
- Behavior — Young children touch floors, surfaces, and then put their hands in their mouths
- Developmental stage — Certain chemicals are significantly more harmful during developmental windows than in adults
Common cleaning chemicals that raise concern for child safety include quaternary ammonium compounds (found in many disinfectants), synthetic fragrances that contain undisclosed phthalates, and chlorine bleach at concentrations used in household cleaners.
EPA Safer Choice products are specifically evaluated for these risk profiles. You're not choosing between "clean" and "safe" — you're getting both.
Why This Matters for Pet Owners
Dogs and cats are exposed to cleaning product residues in ways humans aren't. Dogs lick floors and surfaces. Cats clean their paws with their tongues after walking across recently cleaned counters or floors. Birds and small mammals are especially sensitive to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air.
Specific concerns for pet owners include:
- Pine-based cleaners — Toxic to cats
- Phenols — Found in some disinfectants, highly toxic to cats and birds
- Essential oil-based cleaners — Some (tea tree, citrus oils) are harmful to pets despite being "natural"
- Synthetic fragrance compounds — Can accumulate in pets and cause respiratory irritation
EPA Safer Choice certified products are evaluated for aquatic toxicity and biodegradability — standards that also correlate with reduced risk for household pets.
The Chesapeake Bay Factor
For homeowners in Harford and Cecil County, there's an environmental dimension to product choice that most cleaning companies don't think about. What goes down your drains eventually reaches the Chesapeake Bay watershed — one of the most important and ecologically sensitive estuaries in North America.
Cleaning product ingredients that persist in water, disrupt hormone cycles in aquatic animals, or create algae blooms through phosphate loading all contribute to the Bay's ongoing health challenges.
Every product we use is biodegradable and specifically evaluated for aquatic toxicity. We take seriously the responsibility of cleaning in communities built around one of America's great waterways.
What to Ask Any Cleaning Service
If you're evaluating cleaning services for your home and want to ensure product safety, ask these specific questions:
- Are your products EPA Safer Choice certified? This is the gold standard. Ask for the product names if you want to verify.
- Do your products contain synthetic fragrances? Many fragrances contain undisclosed chemicals. Safer Choice certified products require full ingredient disclosure.
- Are your disinfectants safe for use around pets? Ask specifically about quaternary ammonium compounds and phenolic disinfectants.
- Will you use my products if I prefer? A reputable cleaner should be willing to use products you provide if you have specific concerns.
A cleaning service that can't answer these questions specifically probably hasn't made product safety a priority.
Our Product Commitment
At Chesapeake Premier Cleaning, we've made a simple commitment: every product we bring into your home cleaning service is EPA Safer Choice certified. No exceptions, no substitutions based on price.
We chose this standard because our clients include families with young children, pets, and members with chemical sensitivities — and because we live in a watershed community where what goes into homes eventually reaches the Bay. It's the right standard, and it doesn't require compromising on cleaning effectiveness.
Clean and safe aren't in conflict. The right products deliver both.
Questions about what we use in your home? Call us at (410) 695-6993 or reach out online. We're happy to discuss our products and approach with any client.
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Serving Harford & Cecil County, Maryland