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> Daycares, Schools and Child Care Facilities
"There is a connection between exposure of domestic cleaning products and wheezing in toddlers, which is an early sign of asthma, according to new research. The study of 14,000 children up to the age of three and a half, published in the journal Thorax found that exposure to household products such as bleach, aerosols, carpet and window cleaners increased the risk of wheezing."
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Many child care workers and others are aware of the dangers of traditional cleaning products and bleach. Studies have drawn links between these chemical cleaners and the development of physical afflictions such as asthma and allergies, especially in children. These studies are the reason many states now require the use of green cleaning products in schools and state agencies. And children are not the only ones at risk, workers regularly exposed to these toxic chemicals can also develop problems.
Green cleaning products have been around for decades now but it wasn’t until recently that they began to gain mainstream acceptance as their cleaning power grew and their prices came down. Many households and commercial buildings have made the switch to greener cleaning supplies, but yet many child care facilities continue to use bleach, and use it frequently.
Why is this? The response we repeatedly heard was that it was believed the licensing agencies required it. But the fact is, your state guidelines very likely either state disinfectant alternatives are acceptable, or they don’t require bleach at all! New York and California guidelines--believed to be amongest the strictest—-state acceptable commercial alternatives can be used by those who prefer other sanitizing agents.
Good news. teraforé Disinfect Cleaner is a hospital-grade disinfectant that is registered with the EPA to kill 64 strains of bacteria and viruses. Not only is our disinfectant safer and often more effective, it is a cleaner as well. Bleach and other disinfectants are ineffective on soiled surfaces so you have to clean first, doubling your duty. And while bleach has to be discarded after a day, our product’s shelf life is 2 years, mixed or not.
Better news. teraforé Disinfect Cleaner and green cleaning products release no volatile organic compounds into the air—pollutants linked to asthma and allergies, possibly other maladies. So we know they’re safer and effective, right? What about value? Our solutions come in hyper-concentrated formula. One gallon of our disinfectant cleaner can yield on average 40 32oz. spray bottles at its highest-hospital grade dilution ratio!
Since bleach is a risk factor for exacerbating asthma and causing new asthma, and asthma is the chronic disease that affects mostly children and the working class of teachers/teachers' aides, we seek to reduce the overuse and over concentration of bleach and find safer alternatives.
Protocol for Reducing the Overuse of Bleach & Introducing Alternative Products in Child Care Settings
National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education
Individual States' Child Care Licensure Regulations
An Example:
New York State Family Day Care Provider Handbook
Page 136: Remember to label your spray bottle with the contents and keep out of reach of children. Do not spray surfaces when children are at or near them. Allow the surface plenty of time to completely air dry or wipe the surface dry with a paper towel. Bleach is inexpensive and readily available. However, acceptable commercial alternatives can be used by those who prefer other sanitizing agents. If purchasing commercial products, select those that are EPA chemical germicides registered as hospital disinfectants.
A Safer, Greener Alternative!
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