Bathroom Cleaners

Covered Products

• Calcium, lime and rust removers
• Descalers
• Grout cleaners and whiteners
• Mold and mildew removers
• Toilet and urinal cleaners
• Tub and tile cleaners

Exclusions

• Disinfectants and sanitizers, see GreenNY Specification: Disinfectants and Sanitizers
• General purpose cleaners, see GreenNY Specification: General Purpose Cleaners
• Glass cleaners, see GreenNY Specification: Glass Cleaners
• Hard floor cleaners, see GreenNY Specification: Hard Floor Cleaners

Minimum Requirements

Products MUST have the following sustainability attributes:

• At least one of the following certifications:
  • Green Seal
  • UL ECOLOGO
  • US EPA Safer Choice 
    This excludes all products where the parent company is overdue for their yearly partnership review and is identified with a double dagger (‡) next to the company name in the Safer Choice product list.
• Not in an aerosol container
• Not labeled with an US EPA registration number or as antibacterial, antimicrobial, disinfecting, or sanitizing
• All concentrated bathroom cleaners must be one or more of the following:
  • Available with a controlled-dose dispensing system (e.g., wall-mount or hand-held dilution equipment)
  • In spill-resistant product packaging
  • In a portion-control package or formulation (e.g., a bottle with a built-in pump that delivers an accurate dose, a tablet, or pre-measured package)

Additional Desirable Attributes

Products are ENCOURAGED to have one or more of the following sustainability attributes:

• Concentrated, preferably designed and packaged for use in a closed-loop dilution-control system
• Fragrance-free
• In spill-resistant packaging
• USDA Certified Biobased
• Compliant with CA SB-258: Cleaning Product Right to Know Act of 2017, which requires manufacturers and distributors selling designated cleaning products in California to fully disclose the product’s ingredients on product packaging and/or the manufacturer’s or vendor’s website.

Products meeting the minimum requirements of this GreenNY Specification comply with the following NY state sustainability policies:

• Executive Order 22: Leading by Example: Directing State Agencies to Adopt a Sustainability and Decarbonization Program
• Pollution Prevention Policy
• Procurement and Use of Environmentally-Sensitive Cleaning and Facility Maintenance Products by Elementary and Secondary Schools
• Prohibition on the Sale and Use of Household Cleaning Products Containing 1,4-dioxane and Phosphorous

• GreenNY Sustainable Purchasing Definitions
   
• GreenNY Sustainability Certifications and Standards
   
• NY State Sustainability Policies

To support compliance with NYS policies and GreenNY procurement requirements, contract managers are encouraged to incorporate the GreenNY Sample Contract Language into bid solicitations and contracts. The GreenNY sample contract language covers the following topics:

• GreenNY Sales Reporting
• Packaging Language
• Product Labeling per GreenNY Specifications
• Takeback Services
• Verification of Vendor Compliance with GreenNY Requirements and Documentation of Desirable Attributes and Other Environmental Claims

Product-Specific Sample Contract Language

In addition to the GreenNY Sample Contract Language, contract managers are encouraged to include the following language in bid solicitations and vendor contracts involving Bathroom Cleaners:

Pursuant to NYS Prohibition on the Distribution, sale, and use of household cleansing products containing 1,4-dioxane and phosphorus law (ECL § 35-0105) no household cleansing products containing 1,4 dioxane exceeding 1 ppm can be sold or offered for sale in New York State. At the request of the purchaser, the vendor must provide verification of compliance with ECL § 35-0105. 

Verification documentation may cover multiple products that are distributed, sold, or offered for sale by an individual vendor. The following types of verification documentation will be accepted:

• Third-party certification
• Product test results
• Compliance certification or affidavit signed by the manufacturer
• Other acceptable documentation as approved by the purchaser

Note: While the required certifications in the applicable GreenNY specifications restrict 1,4-dioxane to 100ppm, New York State law prohibits 1,4-dioxane above 1ppm in household cleaning products.

• Closed-Loop Dilution-Control System – A system that controls the dilution of a concentrate product so that the undiluted product cannot be practically accessed by users (Green Seal, 2022). Concentrate product containers must:
  • Have "spill-resistant packaging" that requires coupling to a specially designed device to dispense the product.
  • Cannot not be able to be "practically accessed" during routine use. The packaging must not allow for access or exposure to the concentrated product after opening a cap or lid, or before or while connecting to the dispensing system.
  • Contain a backflow prevention system that meets the current American Society of Sanitary Engineering (ASSE) 1055 Standard.
• Fragrance-Free – Means that products do not contain chemicals that impart or counteract an odor or scent. This is different than “unscented,” which means a product has no scent, but may contain chemicals that neutralize or mask the odors of other ingredients.

Updated January 8, 2025