CHSA Accreditation Schemes guaranteeing standards
The Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA) completed 100 audits of its manufacturing members and 77 audits of its distributor members during 2025. More than 50,000 products have also been checked.
Auditing gives substance to the guarantee offered by the CHSA’s Accreditation Schemes for manufacturers and distributors of cleaning and hygiene products. The Inspector, who reports to but is independent of the CHSA’s governing Council, audits all members each year.
During 2025 the CHSA also widened the guarantees offered to buyers and end users of cleaning and hygiene products. All members of CHSA Accreditation Schemes must guarantee ‘what’s on the box is what’s in the box’ and that products are fit for purpose. The Accreditation Schemes for manufacturers of cleaning chemicals and soft tissue were tightened following the unanimous agreement of Scheme members. Members of the Accreditation Scheme for Soft Tissue must also now provide evidence of, or be working towards, a recognized quality certification, have a forestry certification and comply with standards on health and safety. Members of the Accreditation Scheme for Cleaning Chemicals must also provide evidence to substantiate product claims and show they comply with all relevant regulations.
The CHSA also introduced a preference for an ethical audit requirement in 2025. For CHSA Accredited Product, the manufacturer, whether based in the UK or overseas, will need to provide a copy of their most recent official ethical audit report. The report must meet the CHSA’s minimum requirement, and encompass labour standards, and health and safety. This requirement is now part of the audit process, the independent inspector requesting information from affected members during 2026. For those within the Scope, compliance will be compulsory by the end of 2026.
The continued evolution of the Accreditation Schemes and the rigour of the inspection process underwrite the guarantees offered by CHSA members.
Lorcan Mekitarian, chair of the CHSA, explained: “We offer buyers of cleaning and hygiene products an important guarantee. Our inspection process means they can trust our Accreditation Scheme Marks. The 177 audits conducted and the huge number of products checked validates the commitments made by our members.”