While Green cleaning chemicals are now available for most all cleaning tasks, manufacturers are still making conventional cleaning chemicals. And, there is a reason for this.

According to Paul Wildenberg, vice president of sales for Charlotte Products, a manufacturer of both conventional and Green-certified cleaning products, "in some cases, a conventional, non-Green cleaning product may actually be the better choice, at least right now."

In some settings, Wildenberg adds, green cleaning products may not be allowed.

For instance, most hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout North America are legally required to use EPA-registered antimicrobial products, which are not available as green products, at least in the U.S.

An EPA-registered product is one that has been tested and evaluated by the Environmental Protection Agency to perform its intended function when used according to the manufacturer's directions without posing unreasonable risks of adverse effects on human health or the environment.

"These include disinfectants and sterilizers," Wildenberg says. "Further, depending on the need, they may be required to use specific types of disinfectants which are also not Green. [These are] designed to kill specific pathogens." 

 Other instances when a Green cleaning product may not be the best option include the following:  

— When it is uncertain if the product really is Green; certification must be established by a credible third-party certification organization
— When there is a public health emergency; in such cases, regulatory agencies may require certain types of cleaning chemicals be used, many of which may not be Green
— If the product does not perform or meet performance standards
— If the product is not cost effective
— If and when a Green equivalent is not available.

"The last point typically refers to floor care products," explains Wildenberg. "However, in recent years some [chemical] manufacturers have introduced green floor care products that are considered comparable — if not better — than conventional floor care products."