MERIDEN - Head Custodian John Beardsley stood over a kind of environmental divide on Wednesday at Platt High School.

He gestured to the foyer before him and explained that it had been waxed using traditional chemicals four times since August.

The adjoining hallway had been waxed once in that time with a "green" sealant containing no substances harmful to the environment.

"It takes a lot less to get to that shine," Beardsley said of the environmentally friendly wax.

Though a number of schools have been experimenting with such cleaning agents, the district has designated Platt as the city's green school pilot project.

Beardsley said he couldn't be more pleased.

He said the new cleaning products have simplified his staff's duties and provided a healthier work environment. He also said green cleaners work as well or better than chemical cleaners.

"I have some older gentlemen (on staff)," he said. "In the past, when they were using a floor stripper, it would bother their lungs. Green products don't do that."

His crew used to have to lug around 55-gallon drums of chemical cleaner and a half-dozen products, but most cleaning is now done with an all-purpose cleaner and a disinfectant.

The new cleaning product is concentrated and can be evenly dispensed into buckets of water, creating less waste.

Platt Principal Tim Gaffney said his wife uses green cleaning products and that he likes that they don't harm the environment or pose a potential health hazard to students or staff.

Green cleaners are slightly more expensive than chemical cleaners, said Charles Waterfield, assistant manager of buildings and grounds for the school district. But in many cases the cost is the same because condensed cleaners cost less to transport.

The green wax being tested on floors is more expensive than traditional waxes, Waterfield said, but "instead of putting it on once a week, we get months between coats."

"Then, in summertime, we don't have to strip as much. We focus on different parts of the building instead. Bleach and ammonia are kind of antiquated chemicals. Bleach in and of itself is not that great of a cleaner."

Waterfield said students and parents have reacted favorably to the change.

Assistant Superintendent Glen Lamontagne said the Platt project has been a success and that he will look to expand it to other schools. He said he hopes to have it in place at all city schools within two years.

Kinnon Schwartz, marketing manager for Seaside Naturals Inc. in North Branford, said the green cleaning industry is thriving.

"There's a lot of demand, and it's growing every day," he said.

His company distributes its products to Big Y and Whole Foods supermarkets and other stores.

Seaside Naturals' founder created green cleaning products after noticing that his children's asthma disappeared when his house wasn't cleaned with chemicals, Schwartz said.

"Children shouldn't be breathing in the toxic chemicals used to clean schools," he said.

Schwartz said he is often asked whether his products are safe or as effective as chemical cleaners. They are made from grain alcohol, vinegar and oils from fruits and vegetables and are as effective as the chemical competitors, he said.

"That's a pretty big concern," he said. "Does it do a good job? Is it truly clean? That's something we address on a daily basis and we keep working to improve our ingredients. It's 100 percent natural, but also totally effective."