Green Cleaning for Schools and Day Care: What Cleaners Should Avoid

September 11, 2017

In order to practice green cleaning in schools and day-care centres in the appropriate manner, you must first learn the cleaners that you need to avoid. While there are numerous cleaners that claim to be green, some still contain harmful substances. We provide you further facts below to help you tell the difference between fake green cleaners and real ones.

Learn to Identify ‘Fake’ Green Cleaning Products

Unscrupulous companies will label their products ‘natural’ or ‘green’ in an attempt to make money when in reality their products contain unsafe chemicals that do not qualify as ‘green’ ones. For this reason, you must follow the steps below to ensure that you purchase only ‘true’ green products:

• Choose products that have been certified by third parties, such as the ones that carry the ‘Green Seal’, to use those products that adhere to this country’s national standards. The thirty-party certifications show that the products have undergone the proper testing to ensure they are safe for use in schools in a green manner.
• Your school district should develop a policy on green cleaning products and examine each product to ensure that all schools are cleaned according to the same standards.
• Always double check your school’s cleaning products to ensure that they are void of harmful substances.

Avoid Products with Artificial Fragrances

Eco-friendly cleaning products will not contain any artificial fragrances since these are chemically based. Only natural ingredients should provide a pleasant, non-toxic aroma to the green cleaners, but only if these ingredients also offer cleaning benefits.

Do Not Use Disinfecting Wipes or Air Fresheners

Air fresheners and disinfecting wipes are two other products to avoid since both contain toxic chemicals. Natural cleaning products are highly effective at removing germs so the disinfectant wipes are unnecessary. Also, just cleaning the school with eco-friendly solutions will provide it with a safe, clean, fresh aroma. Another caution that we need to add is to stay away from aerosol sprays due to the fact that they also add chemicals to the air or surfaces.

List of Harmful Chemicals to Avoid

Below, we provide a sample list of chemicals to avoid:

1. Ammonia can irritate the throat, ears, skin and lungs. In addition, ammonia quaternary compounds such as those in toilet cleaners and disinfectant sprays can trigger asthma attacks.
2. Chlorine bleach can cause breathing and other issues.
3. Triclosan or triclocarbon can be in antibacterial soaps and increase the risk of cancer and may cause hormone imbalances. In fact, you should avoid all antibacterial products.
4. Nano-silver may be toxic to the brain and liver, and is in a variety of cleaners.

Faye’s Cleaning will provide you with further information about what cleaners to avoid to ensure that you are green cleaning for schools and day-care centres upon request. We provide commercial cleaning services to schools and all of our products comply with the standards set by the Department of Education. Also, we follow a stringent environmental policy to ensure that we clean safely and in a green fashion.

Faye's Cleaning Pty Ltd

ABN 74 123 030 080
Suite 3, 17 Comalco Court, Thomastown, VIC 3074
T: (03) 9460 5592 | F: (03) 9460 5562

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