Greening The Cleaning

 

kids_in_class_cropKNOW THE FACTS: What Cleaning Products are Used in Your School?

 

 

 

 
 
Did you know?
  • Ingredients in traditional cleaners used in schools can harm your child’s health and the health of staff, visitors and peers.
  • The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of all cancers are environmentally related.
  • Common cleaning products can cause headaches, asthma, burns, permanent eye damage, major organ damage, and even cancer.
  • Children are especially affected by cleaning products, as kids breathe and play closer to the ground, where contaminants settle. They also have frequent hand-to-mouth activity, giving them many opportunities to ingest contaminants in their environment.
  • The World Health Organization estimates that 30% of all buildings experience indoor air quality (IAQ) problems. Cleaning products can be a key contributor.

Here are a couple of Health Concerns associated with traditional cleaning products:


Glass Cleaners:
Common Ingredients Known or Potential Health Effects
Isopropyl alcohol

  • Can irritate skin and eyes.
  • Acute Health Effects – can irritate and burn skin and eyes in addition to nose and throat irritation. Overexposure can cause headache, drowsiness, confusion, loss of coordination, unconsciousness and death.

Ammonia 

  • Can irritate skin, eyes, nose and throat.
  • Higher exposures can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema).


All-Purpose Cleaners:
Common Ingredients Known or Potential Health Effects
2-butoxyethanol 

  • Can irritate eyes, nose, throat and mouth.
  • Acute Health Effects – can cause headache, dizziness, lightheadedness,confusion and passing out.
  • Chronic Health Effects – may damage the developing fetus and may damage the testes (male reproductive glands).


Bathroom Cleaners:
Common Ingredients Known or Potential Health Effects
Sodium hypochlorite/chlorine 

  • Can affect breathing. Contact may severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes with possible eye damage.
  • Can irritate lungs causing coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposures can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), a medical emergency, with severe shortness of breath.

Bleach -
Common Ingredients Known or Potential Health Effects
Sodium hypochlorite/chlorine 

  • Can affect breathing. Harmful if inhaled. Causes respiratory tract irritation.
  • Ingestion: Causes digestive tract burns. May cause methemoglobinemia. Inhalation: May cause pulmonary edema.

 

Source: World Health Organization

 
close (X)