Question from Cheryl
Hi Debra,
I am a School Nurse with very low immunity and subsequent severe chemical sensitivities. The chemicals used at school are destroying me. My body burns and itches the moment that I walk through the door. I need recommendations for products that both sanitize and clean floors, counter tops and rugs. Help, please!
Thanks.
Debra’s Answer
Well, we’re in luck today because the EPA just issued a whole new page just a few months ago on Cleaning Effectively for a Healthy School Environment.
This page tells why it’s important, what you can do, and gives a long list of resources and organizations that can help.
At the end there are three programs that are specifically about cleaning products for schools:
- The Product Review Database maintained by the Los Angeles (California) Unified School District offers a searchable database of over 6,000 products evaluated by the district’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety to determine their suitability for use in and around Los Angeles schools.
- New York’s Green Cleaning Program operated by the New York State Office of General Services presents best practices and a list of approved green cleaning products. A toolkit also describes five steps to a green cleaning program as well as online training courses and customizable documents and templates.
- Green Cleaning, Sanitizing and Disinfecting: A Toolkit for Early Care and Education, supported by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, helps programs use less hazardous cleaning products and practices while also reducing infectious disease.
But do check out the entire page and the entire list as there are many more resources.
With this page, there should be no reason why any school should us toxic cheaning products. Just show this page to the powers that be in your school and get them to take action. All the information is right here.
