Most Lehigh Valley businesses have seen EPA Safer Choice certification mentioned on a label or in a proposal. Few fully understand what it means or why it matters. The certification is not a marketing badge. The United States Environmental Protection Agency administers this federal standard. It requires every single ingredient in a cleaning product to earn approval for safety to human health and the environment. Only then can the label appear on the bottle. Understanding what that standard requires, and why most cleaning companies cannot legitimately claim it, is worth a few minutes.
What the EPA Safer Choice Program Actually Requires
The EPA Safer Choice program evaluates cleaning products at the ingredient level, not the product level. That distinction matters. Many conventional cleaning products carry broad safety claims based on overall formulation testing. EPA Safer Choice goes deeper. It requires that every individual ingredient, including fragrance components most manufacturers consider proprietary, meet strict criteria. EPA scientists review each one for aquatic toxicity, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, skin sensitization, and environmental persistence.
A product that passes that review earns the right to display the blue and green EPA Safer Choice seal. Any product that fails a single ingredient review cannot carry the label, no matter how it performs elsewhere.
Why Most Commercial Cleaning Companies Cannot Claim EPA Safer Choice Certification
The EPA Safer Choice label appears on the product bottle, not on a cleaning company’s marketing materials. A cleaning company can claim to use EPA Safer Choice certified products only under one condition. The specific named products in their cleaning kit must actually carry the certification. The claim is verifiable because the EPA maintains a public searchable database of every Safer Choice certified product at epa.gov/saferchoice.
Most commercial cleaning companies in the Lehigh Valley use conventional cleaning products. They have never verified whether those products meet EPA Safer Choice standards. Some use products marketed as green or natural that manufacturers have never submitted for EPA Safer Choice review. A product marketed as eco-friendly is just a claim. A product with EPA Safer Choice certification is a federal verification.
What EPA Safer Choice Certification Means for Your Facility
When your cleaning company uses EPA Safer Choice certified products, federal scientists have already verified every ingredient for safety. The certification eliminates VOCs entirely. The standard does not permit carcinogens. The review screens out skin sensitizers above safe thresholds. Aquatic toxins that persist after the cleaning crew leaves cannot be present in any certified product.
Employees often spend eight or more hours a day in an enclosed office environment. That verification translates directly into better air quality, safer surfaces, and a lower chemical burden for everyone in the building. For medical offices, dental practices, law firms, and food service environments, the standard is particularly relevant. The populations those facilities serve often include people with heightened chemical sensitivity.
What Angst Cleaning Uses and Why
Angst Cleaning built our green cleaning program on EPA Safer Choice certified products. Seventh Generation and ECOS Pro form the foundation. The EPA Safer Choice database lists both product lines. Each carries zero VOCs and zero harsh chemical residue. We chose these products specifically because any client can verify the EPA Safer Choice certification themselves.
For disinfection we use an EPA registered botanical disinfectant that appears on EPA List N. That’s the official EPA list of products approved for use against SARS-CoV-2. Our IJCSA Green Cleaning certification documents our training in eco-friendly product standards and our commitment to the program. A federal agency or professional organization backs every claim we make about our green cleaning program. You can look it up and verify it directly.
Ready to make the switch to a verified eco-friendly cleaning program? Lehigh Valley businesses in Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton can visit our eco-friendly green cleaning services page to learn more. Or visit our Request a Quote page to get started. One of our owners will be in touch personally.
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