SDS for cleaning products — what small businesses need
Cleaning products are among the most commonly regulated chemical products under OSHA HazCom. Ingredients like sodium hypochlorite (bleach), sodium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, surfactants, and solvents almost always carry GHS classifications. If you manufacture or import cleaning products in the US, you need an SDS.
The consumer product exemption applies narrowly: if a household cleaner is sold only direct-to-consumers for personal use, the exemption may apply. But if the same product is sold to a restaurant, office, or cleaning service — any commercial or industrial user — an SDS is required. Most cleaning product businesses sell to commercial users, so an SDS is generally required.
Common GHS classifications for cleaning products: bleach-based products typically carry H314 (corrosive), H318 (serious eye damage), H302 (harmful if swallowed); surfactant-based products carry H315 and H319 (irritant); solvent-based cleaners may carry H225/H226 (flammable). Citrus-based cleaners with d-limonene often carry H400 (aquatic hazard).
SDSDraft generates a DRAFT safety data sheet from the information you enter. You are solely responsible for verifying the hazard classification and all content with a qualified person before use or distribution. SDSDraft is software, not professional safety, legal, or toxicological advice.
Generate a draft SDS — free, no upload
Building an SDS for a cleaning product
- List all active and inactive ingredients with supplier CAS numbers and concentrations.
- Collect ingredient SDSs from your chemical suppliers for each component.
- Note the H-codes from each ingredient SDS at your specific concentration.
- In SDSDraft, add each ingredient with its H-codes and concentration percentage.
- Review the classification preview — bleach/NaOH products will show Danger signal word.
- Generate the draft PDF. Fill in physical properties (pH, flash point, appearance) from your lab data.
- Complete transport section (Section 14) — bleach-based cleaners may be regulated for shipping.
- Verify with a safety professional, especially for corrosive products.
Questions
Do I need a separate SDS for each product variant (e.g. scented vs. unscented)?
Yes, if the formulations differ. Even minor ingredient changes can change the hazard classification, so each distinct formulation needs its own SDS. If variants have identical hazard profiles, a single SDS covering the product line may be acceptable — verify with a regulatory professional.
My cleaner is pH 13. What classification does that trigger?
A pH above 11.5 generally qualifies as skin corrosion Cat 1 (H314) and serious eye damage Cat 1 (H318), which are Danger classification. Verify with your ingredient supplier SDSs and the GHS pH criteria in Appendix A of HazCom. This is one of the cases where professional review is most important.
Does the SDS need to list fragrance ingredients?
If the fragrance or any fragrance component is classified as a skin sensitiser (H317 — common for many fragrance ingredients), it should appear in Section 3 with appropriate trade secret protections if applicable. Consult your fragrance supplier for their SDS and discuss trade secret obligations with a regulatory professional.