Green & eco cleaning · updated August 2026
Fragrance-Free Cleaning for Offices With Allergic or Asthmatic Staff
“Fragrance-free” and “unscented” are not the same thing. Unscented products frequently contain masking fragrance to cover a base odour. The certification that actually means what it says is EPA Safer Choice Fragrance-Free, which has published criteria. If you have staff with chemical sensitivity or asthma, that distinction is the whole answer.
The Product Substitution Table
| Product category | Certification to require | Asthmagen to avoid | Substitute chemistry |
|---|---|---|---|
| General purpose cleaner | Safer Choice Fragrance-Free / GS-37 | Glycol ethers, 2-butoxyethanol, d-limonene | Plant-derived surfactants, neutral pH |
| Restroom disinfectant | Safer Choice / GS-37 | Quaternary ammonium compounds, bleach | Hydrogen peroxide or citric acid based, EPA registered |
| Glass cleaner | Safer Choice Fragrance-Free | Ammonia | Alcohol or surfactant based |
| Floor cleaner | GS-37 / GS-53 | Strong solvents, high-VOC finishes | Low-VOC neutral cleaners and finishes |
| Air freshener | Do not use | All fragranced aerosols | Treat odour at source instead |
Reading a Safety Data Sheet in Two Minutes
Three sections tell you almost everything:
- Section 2 — Hazard identification. Look for respiratory sensitiser, skin sensitiser and serious eye damage statements.
- Section 8 — Exposure controls. If it calls for respiratory protection, it does not belong in an occupied office.
- Section 11 — Toxicological information. Sensitisation data.
Ask any vendor for the SDS of every product they will use in your space before they start. It is a reasonable request and the response is informative either way.
When an Employee Makes an Accommodation Request
Chemical sensitivity and asthma can give rise to a reasonable accommodation request, and the practical response usually involves the cleaning programme. A workable protocol:
- HR receives the request and identifies the affected area or floor.
- The cleaning vendor switches that area to a documented fragrance-free product set.
- Scheduling is adjusted so any disinfection happens with maximum ventilation time before the employee returns.
- Air fresheners and fragranced products are removed from that area entirely, including anything building services supplies.
- The change is documented and reviewed with the employee.
We provide this as a one-page protocol change document for HR, because the accommodation is only as good as the record of it.
One Thing That Undermines the Whole Programme
Fragranced products introduced by anyone other than the cleaning vendor — plug-in air fresheners, scented bin liners, personal desk diffusers, or a building-supplied restroom fragrance dispenser. A fragrance-free cleaning programme in a building with a scented restroom dispenser is not a fragrance-free environment. Check what else is in the room.
Last reviewed August 2026. Figures for prevailing wage and regulatory schedules change on 1 January and 1 July — we re-verify this page each cycle.
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