Green Cleaning in Northern Virginia: What We Use and Why

Green cleaning often comes up in conversations we have with new clients. And however it’s worded it usually boils down to this: what are you actually spraying in my house, and is it safe for my family, my kids, my pets?

It’s a good question and deserves a full and detailed answer. Below we share exactly what products we use, what the labels on the bottles mean, and how we handle jobs that require something stronger than a typical home cleaning.

One bit of context first: “green cleaning” isn’t a regulated term. It gets used loosely, often in marketing copy and ads, so the words on their own don’t tell you much, and companies can mean a wide range of things. Here’s what we mean!

What WellNest uses in your home

Everyday cleaning. Plant-derived products from Eco-Me, ECOS Pro and Dr. Bronner’s, along with baking soda, vinegar and water. These handle the vast majority of what a home needs, and they handle it well.

Disinfecting. BotaniClean, which is EPA-registered as a disinfectant.

Commercial accounts. Green Seal certified products.

When something needs more. Mold and mildew in a bathroom, or baked-on grease in a kitchen, are the two jobs where plant-derived products genuinely fall short. For those we use bleach or a degreaser, then re-clean the area with our regular products. We’d rather tell you that than claim we never do.

If you have a preference. Many clients have a specific allergy, a sensitivity, or a product they’d rather we used. Let us know your preferences when you book and we’ll be prepared when we come to clean your home.

Five things worth knowing about green cleaning

If you’re comparing cleaning companies, these are the things worth asking about.

1. Which products, by name. Any company using genuinely safer products will happily tell you what brands they use. It’s a quick way to get past the marketing language.

2. Whether the same products are used everywhere. Bathrooms and kitchens sometimes need a different approach, as referenced above. A company that walks you through that level of detail is giving you the fuller picture.

3. What the certifications mean. Three come up often and they’re each a little different:

• Green Seal is an independent standard covering a product’s health and environmental performance.
• EPA Safer Choice is an EPA program that certifies products whose ingredients meet its safety criteria.
• EPA registration is required for anything sold as a disinfectant. It confirms the product is registered for that use and its claims have been reviewed. It’s a different thing from a green certification though, and the two are easy to mix up.

4. How allergies and sensitivities are handled. These vary a lot from home to home, so it’s always important to ask how a company will handle your needs.

5. Who’s actually coming to your home. Families who care about what goes on their floors usually care just as much about who’s walking on them. Ask whether cleaners are employees or subcontractors, and whether they’re background-checked.

On that last one: every WellNest cleaner is a W-2 employee, never a subcontractor. Everyone is interviewed, reference-checked, criminal background-checked, E-Verified, bonded and insured before they set foot in a home.

Green cleaning cleans just as well

This is a question we get asked a lot, and the answer is yes. The products above handle everyday household soil as capably as conventional cleaners do. You’re not trading a clean home for a safer one.

The narrow exceptions are the mold and grease jobs described above, and we handle those directly rather than pretending they don’t exist.

A quick note on “chemical-free”

You may have seen this phrase on cleaning websites, and it is a little misleading. Water is a chemical. Vinegar is a chemical. Everything is, technically.

It’s not that anyone using the phrase is being dishonest; it’s just that “chemical” isn’t really the useful word here. What matters more is what’s in the bottle and what it’s certified for. That’s the question worth asking, and it’s why we name our products specifically rather than describing them generally.

Why this matters in a Northern Virginia home

A lot of homes here are older, particularly in Alexandria’s Del Ray and Old Town, in North Arlington, and around Falls Church. Older homes hold dust differently: original hardwood with gaps in it, plaster, radiators, and years of settled dust in places most vacuums don’t reach. Throw in a rainy spring or a dog or a toddler and the need for thorough, regular cleaning gets pretty strong.

Green cleaning in Alexandria, VA

Alexandria is where we see the most interest in green, eco and non-toxic cleaning. Old Town and Del Ray have many lovely, older homes that have been cared for carefully. We serve Alexandria on the same recurring weekly, biweekly and monthly schedule as the rest of Northern Virginia, with the same products.

Getting your price

You can get a price estimate online in less than a minute. Enter your ZIP code, bedrooms, bathrooms and how often you’d like us to clean, and the number comes right back. And we’re here if you have any questions.

Want the full detail on our products and standards? See our eco-friendly cleaning page.

Have young kids at home? We go deeper on that here: Benefits of Green Cleaning for Falls Church Families with Young Kids.