Schools Need Non-Toxic Products

Westmoreland Elementary Pilots Non-Toxic Cleaning

"Most green cleaning products researched were also labeled with Keep Out Of The Reach of Children, thus causing some skepticism about removing one problem from Westmoreland Elementary School only to add another. Fortunately, one cleaning product that will allow for the removal of all toxic commercial cleaning products from WES, along with the health and learning problems associated with commercial cleaning products was found...."
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All Natural Formulas cleaning solutions are especially desirable for cleaning schools as they are safe and extremely effective at cleaning. They are not only non-toxic and biodegradable but most importantly, they are humanly safe (no "Keep out of the Reach of Children" label necessary!).

When using All Natural Formulas cleaning solutions in a school environment there will be a measurable improvement in attitudes and behavior of the students. Children are more attentive and better behaved because of the lack of neurotoxins or "brain poison" found in chemical cleaning products. Ergo, it is difficult to learn in an environment in which one does not feel good. Absenteeism (of students AND teachers) will also be reduced, since immune system deficiency is linked to toxic cleaning chemicals.

Children are our biggest proponents and most appreciative of the All Natural Formulas cleaning solutions as they recognize their safety immediately because of the lack of offensive or perfumed odors.

But children are not the only beneficiaries of using non-toxic cleaners. Janitorial staff often have direct contact with high concentrations of cleaning chemicals and therefore may suffer serious and direct injury due to their use. Teachers who often complain of headaches at the end of the school day will also benefit from a less toxic environment.

The U.S. Department of the Interior's criteria for products to be considered green:

• Must not contain any carcinogens, mutagens, or teratogens designated by federal law.
• Must not contain any ozone-depleting compounds, greenhouse gases, or substances that contribute to photochemical smog and poor indoor air quality.
• Must have a pH between 4 and 9.
• Must have a flash point higher than 200 F.
• Must not be corrosive or irritating to the skin or eyes.
• VOC levels must meet or be less volatile than the California Code of Regulations maximum allowable VOC levels for appropriate cleaning product categories.
• Must not be delivered in aerosol cans.
• Must not contain petrochemical-derived fragrances.
• Must not contain dyes.
• Must not contain ingredients included on the Chesapeake Bay Program's Toxics of Concern list.
• Must be dispensed through automatic systems in order to reduce employee contact with the concentrate and to ensure proper dilution ratios.
• Must not contain any chemicals under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).
• Must not constitute hazardous wastes, as defined in 40 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) Part 261, when offered for disposal.
• Must not be toxic to humans or aquatic life.
• Must not contain endocrine modifiers, alkyl phenyl ethoxylates, dibutyl phthalate, or heavy metals (e.g., arsenic, lead, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, mercury, nickel, selenium).
• Must be biodegradable.
• Must not contain petroleum distillates.
• Must not be combustible.
• Must not contain more than 0.5 percent by weight of phosphorous.
• Must be biobased (i.e., utilize biological products or renewable, domestic agricultural [plant, animal, or marine] or forestry materials).
• Must not contain chlorinated solvents.
• Must not contain persistent or bioaccumulative substances.

All Natural Formulas meets these criteria and MORE!

Sources of information about non-toxic cleaning for schools and buildings:

• EPA's article on Indoor Air Quality
• Toxicity and Exposure Assessment for Children's Health (TEACH)
• Department of Interior's site on Green Cleaning
• Word doc: Department of Interior Recommended Practices
• New York Governor Pataki's Executive Order requiring "Green and Clean" State Buildings (including schools) - PDF