Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning and the EPA’s Safer Choice Standard
Why Homeowners Prefer Oxi Fresh’s Safer Choice-Certified Encapsulator
At Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning, we’ve championed a modern approach to encapsulation carpet cleaning that sets us apart from the competition. While this approach not only helps us deliver great results in a convenient and efficient process, it’s also one of the greenest carpet cleaning methods on the market today.
In fact, Oxi Fresh’s Encapsulator, one of three core products involved in every Oxi Fresh carpet cleaning, has earned the Safer Choice label from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But what exactly does that “Safer Choice" certification really mean? And why should it matter to a customer like you?
What Is “Safer Choice?”
The EPA’s Safer Choice program is all about making it easier for consumers, as well as buyers at large facilities like office buildings and schools, to find effective, high-performing products that are made with chemicals known to be “safer” for human health and the environment.
“When consumers see the Safer Choice label on products…they can be confident that the products were made with the safest possible ingredients,” said Jennie Romer, the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention at the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.
To date, the EPA has issued Safer Choice labels to roughly 2,000 products it has found to be safer for you, your family, and the environment. One such product is Oxi Fresh’s Encapsulator, an eco-friendly cleaning agent that provides powerful green carpet cleaning capabilities.
The Safer Choice Certification Process
Updated in August 2024 to make it even more transparent, strong, and effective, the Safer Choice designation requires products to undergo rigorous testing and analysis to prove their safety and performance.
When a company submits a product into this process, the EPA assesses its merits within several key areas, which we’ve broken down in the following paragraphs. Once a product earns its initial approval, the EPA conducts comprehensive annual audits to ensure that the product continues to meet the requisite standards—making Safer Choice a highly trustworthy source of safety info over the long term.
Ingredients
The EPA analyzes all chemical ingredients contained in a product, even if they appear in extremely minute amounts. This thorough analysis considers important safety factors like carcinogenicity, persistence in the environment, reproductive or developmental toxicity, aquatic impact, and more in order to identify products with minimal risks.
Performance
While environmental impact is a crucial consideration for these products, the EPA also expects them to still work about as well as conventional products and tests their performance accordingly. That means choosing a Safer Choice product for your family doesn’t mean you have to compromise on cleanliness or efficacy.
Packaging
Safer Choice partners, like Oxi Fresh, have to abide by the EPA’s sustainable packaging measures and improve their packaging profile for approved products. In that light, even the product’s packaging tends to become more sustainable within the Safer Choice program.
pH
Safer Choice products are required to meet explicit pH standards, minimizing the risk of injury or irritation to skin and eyes.
Volatile Organic Compounds
Many solid or liquid chemicals emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as gases over time, and many of those gases are known to be harmful to human health or the environment. By measuring and restricting the VOC content in Safer Choice products, the EPA is able to help minimize indoor air pollution and related respiratory issues.
Oxi Fresh’s Safer Choice Encapsulator
As the EPA notes on its website, companies like Oxi Fresh “who make products carrying the Safer Choice label have invested heavily in research and reformulation to ensure that their products meet the Safer Choice Standard. These companies are leaders in safer products and sustainability.” At Oxi Fresh, we’re incredibly proud to play a leading role in the safety and sustainability of carpet cleaning products.
Since 2009, our innovative Encapsulator product has borne the Safer Choice label. As you know, that means it’s been heavily tested and analyzed by the EPA. It also means they’ve continued to conduct regular audits of our manufacturing partners. If you’re curious to learn more about Oxi Fresh’s unique approach to encapsulation carpet cleaning, check out our recent deep dive into the topic.
Plus, at Oxi Fresh, our Safer Choice Encapsulator is just one of several elements that make us the World’s Greenest Carpet Cleaner®. Our other core carpet cleaning products are also eco-friendly and safe for people and pets, while our efficient, low-moisture process minimizes our energy and water consumption without sacrificing results. Those low-moisture methods also result in fast, convenient drying times.
Safer Choice and You
As a consumer, finding cleaning products or services that are safer for you, your family, and your environment should be a breeze. With the EPA’s online database of Safer Choice products and companies, it’s become that much easier. If you’re looking for a quality cleaning product to use in your home, that site is a good place to start.
And when you need a quality carpet cleaning from someone you can trust, Oxi Fresh has you covered. We’re proud of our Safer Choice designation and plan to continue offering safe, eco-friendly carpet and upholstery cleanings for a long time to come.
