How much attention do you pay to the cleaning products you are using at home or for your business? What if you call to the services of a cleaner such as a carpet cleaning professional – do you ask them about the rug cleaner solution they are using?
Fortunately, there is a simple way to make sure the cleaning products you are buying are not harmful to your health and for the environment. And that is looking for the EPA Safer Choice label on the packaging of all your cleaning and chemical products, from upholstery cleaning solutions to the fragrance you are using.
Do you prefer to have a NY carpet cleaning company dealing with dust and stains on your rugs? Then make sure you choose a company using EPA Safer Choice products only, like PristineGreen Upholstery and Carpet Cleaning, offering a variety of services such as couch cleaner services, oriental rug cleaning, and furniture cleaning, all done with green cleaning products.
What is EPA Safer Choice?
EPA Safer Choice is a federal labeling program that enables consumers to find products that meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Standard as a Safer Choice for people and pets. This program does not guarantee completely harmless or child-proof products but helps to ensure safer ingredients.
About 2500 products qualify to carry the Safer Choice label and they are available in retail stores to be used in homes, schools, offices, hotels, and sports venues. Participation in the program is voluntary, as companies whose products carry the label have invested in research and reformulation to make sure they meet Safer Choice standards. Criteria for a Safer Choice product include:
- Using ingredients that are safe for human health and the environment (including fish);
- Product performance is comparable to that of conventional products;
- Implementing sustainable packaging measures;
- Meeting pH standards that minimize the potential for skin and eye injury;
- Restricting volatile organic compounds to minimize indoor air pollution and reduce respiratory concerns.
Every ingredient in an EPA Safer Choice product is reviewed by EPA scientists, and only those products that meet the strictest criteria are allowed to carry the label. Safer Choice partners are required to undergo annual reviews such as on-site audits to ensure compliance with program requirements.
In 2015, the Safer Choice Program launched its Partner of the Year Awards to recognize program participants who have delivered excellent results with furthering safer products.
Products with the Safer Choice label
Approximately 2500 products meet the EPA Safer Choice criteria, including the following categories of products: all-purpose cleaners, bathroom cleaners, carpet cleaners, floor care products, laundry products, fragrances, and others.
Benefits of using EPA Safer Choice products
Looking to restock your cleaners under the kitchen or bathroom sink? Make sure you check for the Safer Choice label when going to your retailer of choice and you will enjoy the following advantages:
Increasing consumer awareness
You may not be the only one who sees the EPA Safer Choice label on the cleaning products you are using. Anytime you display a cleaning product carrying the label, at your home or in your shopping cart, other people can notice it and thus you will contribute to consumer awareness, promoting the idea of using chemical products that are safer and cause less or no harm.
Ensuring a healthier environment for children
There is growing evidence that common chemicals we are using to clean our homes can be toxic. These products can harm our health, but especially children’s health as their bodies are still developing. Moreover, children eat, drink, and breathe more than adults relative to their body weight, so they are more affected by chemicals in the environment. Smaller children spend a lot of time on the floor, where toxic substances can settle after using floor cleaning products. It is hard for parents to know if a product contains ingredients that are cause for concern, and the EPA Safer Choice label helps them keep potentially harmful chemicals away from their little ones.
Encouraging companies to meet the demand for EPA Safer Choice products
By asking retailers to sell products that carry the Safer Choice label, you help add more certified, safer products to shelves. This will consequently spur innovation and the development of safer products for everyone.
Being sure about the claims of the cleaning products manufacturer
Not all the environmental claims made by chemical product manufacturers are true. Because EPA Safer Choice is a program run by the federal government, it has a transparent and robust set of criteria, so is able to cut through the greenwashing that can trick consumers into buying products that are not actually harmless. Every EPA Safer Choice product has undergone a rigorous review against a strict set of criteria regarding safety and performance.
Looking for a couch cleaner in NYC working with EPA Safer Choice products only? Look no further than Pristine Green Cleaning, a carpet and upholstery cleaning NYC company offering a variety of services such as couch cleaning services, auto interior cleaning, mattress cleaning, area rug cleaning, and others. We use green, EPA Safer Choice products only. Contact us today – we are open every day, 9 am – 9 pm.
