Safer Cleaning Products: What the EPA Safer Choice Label Means

Words like natural, green, eco and non-toxic on a cleaning product are marketing language, not certifications. A third-party or government label with published criteria tells you much more about what is in the bottle.

EPA’s Safer Choice program is one of those labels. According to EPA, products with the Safer Choice label help buyers identify products with safer chemical ingredients without sacrificing quality or performance.

Companies apply for the label by submitting products to EPA for review, and EPA reviews all chemical ingredients, regardless of their percentage in the product. Under the program’s criteria, each ingredient must be among the safest in its ingredient class. Once a product meets the Safer Choice Standard, EPA conducts annual audits, and EPA says nearly 2,000 products currently qualify.

EPA keeps a searchable list of Safer Choice products, with filters for home or business use, product type and fragrance-free products. The fragrance-free notation means fragrance materials and masking scents are not used, which is different from “unscented”: an unscented product may still contain chemicals that mask other odors. Ordinary Safer Choice products may contain fragrances that meet the program’s fragrance criteria.

For disinfectants and sanitizers, look for EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) logo instead. It identifies antimicrobial products that meet the health and safety standards of EPA’s pesticide registration process, and DfE products can only claim to kill germs that cause illness if they prove it with laboratory data. EPA notes that being on the DfE list is not an endorsement.

Most homes need far fewer products than the cleaning aisle suggests. A short kit covers almost every surface:

• A mild all-purpose cleaner for counters (not natural stone), sealed surfaces and appliance exteriors.
• A pH-neutral stone cleaner for granite, marble, travertine and limestone.
• A cleaner made for your floors, chosen by finish (see our hardwood floor guide).
• A bathroom cleaner and, when needed, one disinfectant used exactly as labeled.
• Microfiber cloths in two or three colors, kept separate for kitchens, bathrooms and dusting.

Fewer products also means fewer chances of mixing two that should never meet. Our guide to cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting explains which combinations are dangerous.

The gentlest product is often the one you already have. The CDC notes that cleaning removes most germs, dirt and impurities from surfaces, and that it is done with water, soap and scrubbing. For most everyday cleaning in a healthy household, a mild cleaner, warm water and a good microfiber cloth are enough; disinfectants are for specific situations, such as illness in the home.

Microfiber helps because its fine fibers grab and hold dust and grime rather than pushing it around. Wash cloths after use, without fabric softener, which coats the fibers and makes them less effective.

Every extra product in the cabinet is another chance to combine two that should never meet. The CDC warns never to mix bleach or any disinfectant with other cleaners, and our guide to cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting explains why. A short kit, used one product at a time, removes most of that risk.

Storage matters as much as choice. EPA’s six steps for safe disinfectant use end with keeping lids tightly closed and storing products out of reach of children, and the same habit applies to every cleaning product. Keep each in its original container so the label and its directions stay with it.

Homemade and “natural” cleaners have a place, but a gentle ingredient can still be the wrong one. Vinegar and lemon juice are acids: they etch marble, limestone and travertine, can dull grout and some fixture finishes, and are not recommended on most finished hardwood. Baking soda is mildly abrasive and can scratch polished stone, glass cooktops and delicate metal finishes. Essential oils can bother people and pets who are sensitive to scents, and they can leave residue on floors.

The safest approach is the same whether a product is natural or not: choose it for the surface, test it somewhere hidden, and never combine products. Our guide to granite, marble and quartz explains why acids and natural stone do not mix.

• Store every product out of reach, in its original container, with the label intact.
• Ventilate while cleaning and let surfaces dry before children and pets use them.
• Choose fragrance-free products if anyone in the home is sensitive to scents.
• Use the smallest amount that does the job; more product is not more clean.

Every cleaning label answers four questions, if you read past the front:

1. What is it for? Cleaner, sanitizer or disinfectant. Only sanitizers and disinfectants carry an EPA registration number, which EPA calls the only way to accurately identify a product.
2. Which surfaces? Many products list surfaces to avoid, such as natural stone, unsealed wood or certain metals.
3. How do you use it? Dilution, contact time and whether to rinse afterward, especially on food-contact surfaces.
4. What precautions? Gloves, ventilation, storage and first aid.

The two words sound the same and are not. According to EPA’s fragrance-free fact sheet, fragrance-free means fragrance materials and masking scents are not used in the product. Unscented may mean the product contains chemicals that mask other odors. For anyone sensitive to scents, the Safer Choice fragrance-free notation is the more reliable signal.

A gentler product is only a good product if it is right for the surface. Our surface guides explain what each one needs:

• Hardwood floors: a cleaner made for your floor’s finish, used on a barely damp mop.
• Granite, marble and quartz: pH-neutral products on natural stone; never vinegar.
• Stainless steel, brass and matte black: mild soap and water, rinsed and dried.
• Tile and grout: a cleaner suited to the tile, and pH-neutral products on stone tile.

• Which products do you use in kitchens, bathrooms and on floors?
• What do you use on natural stone, hardwood and brass?
• Can you use products I provide, including fragrance-free ones?
• Do you disinfect, and on which surfaces?
• How do you keep kitchen and bathroom cloths separate?

Our teams bring professional products matched to each surface, and if you prefer a specific product, including a Safer Choice or fragrance-free one, leave it out and we will use it. Tell us about allergies, sensitivities and pets when you book a house cleaning or a recurring plan, and we will note them for every visit.