Why We Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products (And Why It Matters for Your Family)

When I started Ultimate Cleaning Service over 20 years ago, eco-friendly cleaning products were a niche market — expensive, hard to find, and frankly, not very effective. Today, the landscape has completely changed. The products we use are not only better for your family and the environment, they actually outperform many conventional chemical cleaners. Here is why we made the switch years ago and never looked back.

What "Eco-Friendly" Actually Means to Us

The term "green cleaning" gets thrown around a lot, and not all products that claim to be eco-friendly truly are. At Ultimate Cleaning Service, we evaluate every product we use based on four criteria: it must be non-toxic and safe for children and pets, it must be biodegradable and safe for our Pacific Northwest waterways, it must be effective enough for professional-grade cleaning, and it must be fragrance-free or use only natural essential oils. We avoid products with chlorine bleach, ammonia, phosphates, and synthetic fragrances. Many conventional cleaning products contain volatile organic compounds that linger in the air long after cleaning is done — that "fresh clean smell" from chemical cleaners is actually a cocktail of airborne chemicals your family is breathing.

Why It Matters in the Pacific Northwest

Living in the Seattle area means we are surrounded by sensitive ecosystems — Puget Sound, Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish, and countless streams and wetlands. Everything that goes down our drains eventually reaches these waters. Using biodegradable, non-toxic products is not just better for your home, it is our responsibility to the environment that makes this region so special. For our clients in waterfront communities like Kennydale, West Bellevue, Madison Park, and East Lake Sammamish, this matters even more. The cleaning products used in your home are quite literally yards away from the water.

Safer for Kids and Pets

Children and pets spend more time on floors and close to surfaces than adults do. They touch everything and then touch their faces. Babies crawl across freshly cleaned floors. Dogs lie on carpets that were just shampooed. Using non-toxic products means that even if your toddler puts their hands on a freshly cleaned surface and then in their mouth, there is nothing harmful to worry about. Many of our Eastside families specifically chose us because of our eco-friendly approach — parents in communities like Education Hill, Issaquah Highlands, and Sammamish are especially conscious about what chemicals are used in their homes.

But Do They Actually Work?

This is the question I get most often, and the answer is absolutely yes. Modern eco-friendly cleaning products use plant-based surfactants, enzymes, and natural acids that are incredibly effective at cutting grease, removing stains, and killing bacteria. For tough jobs — oven interiors, soap scum buildup, grout stains — we have professional-grade eco products that handle the work without harsh chemicals. After 20 years of testing and refining our product selection, we have a toolkit that delivers spotless results every single time, without compromising on safety.

Making the Switch at Home

If you want to start using eco-friendly products in your own daily cleaning between our visits, here are my top recommendations. For everyday countertop and surface cleaning, a simple solution of white vinegar and water works remarkably well. For glass and mirrors, a plant-based glass cleaner outperforms the blue chemical sprays. For bathroom disinfecting, look for products with thymol, a natural disinfectant derived from thyme oil. And for laundry, fragrance-free, plant-based detergents are gentler on skin and just as effective on stains.