It never hurts to speak up about things that matter to you. You could make a difference.
I recently found out that my son’s school was using a chlorine bleach solution to clean tables that the children used for snack time. Surprisingly, the bleach was sprayed while the children were in the room and only minutes before they sat down to eat. If you’ve read my Green Cleaning post, you know of the concerns surrounding chlorine and the noxious fumes it produces. I approached one of the teachers. I asked her whether she would be willing to use a safer alternative if I provided one and she seemed eager to find out more. It became quite clear that she hadn’t been aware that safer cleaners even existed nor where to get them. I also approached the director of the school and spoke with her about my concerns. She was very receptive too.
Just this week, my son’s teacher told me that the entire school is switching to “green” cleaning solutions–ones without dangerous chemicals like chlorine and ammonia, which are biodegradable as well. They were already available to the school through the provider of their previous cleaning chemicals; the school had just never thought to use them. The teachers will also be wearing gloves while cleaning to protect their skin. I couldn’t be happier with the response.
