Are there alternatives to disinfecting with bleach/water?

[Pam Meier]

I live in Iowa and years ago as a preschool director, we used the bleach & water solution to disinfect. Now as a kindergarten teacher, the pre-k teacher and I both find our school's cleaning products and the bleach and water solutions to be irritating to asthma and to students. I'm just wondering what the requirements are for licensed sites-both daycare and preschools? Because of my chronic respiratory illnesses, I have started to use non-toxic products in my home and classroom. If anyone would like to hear more about the products, I'd love to talk to you!:)

[michael]

Iowa Cleaning and Sanitizing Requirements:
http://www.daycare.com/iowa/iowa_cleaning_requirements.html

Wet the entire changing surface with the sanitizing solution (e.g. spray a sanitizing bleach solution of 1/4 cup of household liquid chlorinebleach in one gallon of tap water, mixed fresh daily). Put away the spray bottle of sanitizer. If the recommended bleach dilution is sprayed as a sanitizer on the surface, leave it in contact with the surface for at least 2 minutes. The surface can be left to air dry or can be wiped dry after 2 minutes of contact with the bleach solution.

Seemingly minor requirements can create complexities for programs. In states where school-based afterschool programs must be licensed, schools sometimes face conflicting requirements. For example, in some jurisdictions, schools are required to use one type of bleach to clean classrooms under education regulations and another type of bleach to clean classrooms underchild care regulations.

Also, Clorox is starting a "green" products line. It should be interesting to see what they advance toward both health and green in the childcare environment. They do not pay advertise with us but here is a link.
http://www.clorox.com/healthier_lives/new_moms/

[learnwithtoys]

We are allowed to use Quatinery Ammonia(spelling?). It is found at custodial supply stores and doesn't bleach children's clothes or toys.

[michael]

That would be Quaternary Ammonia.

A manufacturer of quaternary ammonia products (“quats”) was contacted and indicated that a solution of 200 ppm quaternary ammonia with a contact time of ten minutes was recommended for sanitizing. Some quaternary ammonia products require a longer contact time to sanitize. A 100 ppm chlorine solution requires a two minute contact time to sanitize a surface. The manufacturer also recommended a 400 ppm quaternary ammonia solution for disinfecting diapering surfaces. However Child Care Sanitation rules only requires sanitizing.

The lengthy contact time needed for a quaternary ammonia solution to sanitize a diaper changing surface makes it’s use impractical because of the numerous diapering events that may occur in a room full of infants. Therefore, a quaternary ammonia solution is not considered an “equivalent method” to a chlorine solution for sanitizing. Finally, chlorine is widely available and is an economical product.

[Unregistered]

We use a product called ODO Ban. We get it at Sam's Wholesale. It kills as effectively as bleach water, is safe and approved by our state. It is very cheap and smells wonderful. We looked forever for an alternative product for toys and changing tables and this was recommended to me by a state health employee at a class I took. Good Luck!

[Unregistered]

I live in Iowa and years ago as a preschool director, we used the bleach & water solution to disinfect. Now as a kindergarten teacher, the pre-k teacher and I both find our school's cleaning products and the bleach and water solutions to be irritating to asthma and to students. I'm just wondering what the requirements are for licensed sites-both daycare and preschools? Because of my chronic respiratory illnesses, I have started to use non-toxic products in my home and classroom. If anyone would like to hear more about the products, I'd love to talk to you!:)



Pam,
I work at a preschool and need bleach alternatives for a pregnant teacher to use to disinfect.

[DinTx]

Daycare homes and centers in Tx are allowing to use Hospital Grade Disinfectant alternatively.

Lysol Disinfectant that claims on the label to kill 99.9% of germs in 60 seconds is HG, but doesn't specify "HG" on the label. It has an EPA number. Note that some Lysol products are NOT HG.

Here are a few questions I posed to the EPA on this topic, and their responses:

1- Are the terms germicide and disinfectant synonymous?
No... A disinfectant may be limited (gram positive or negative), broad spectrum (gram positive and negative), or hospital grade (gram positive, gram negative, and pseudomonas) whereas a germicide can be equivalent to a hospital grade disinfectant.

2- Is bleach considered a hospital grade germicide? Is it safe on eating utensils, toys, crib rails; after drying? Which would be considered safer- a low-grade disinfectant like Lysol All Purpose Cleaner and Disinfectant or diluted bleach?
The Agency does not allow use of the term "safe" on pesticide products*. If you wanted to check the toxicity of each product, you would have to supply the registration number(s) for comparison. As for bleach, it is used on eating utensils for warewashing in food handling establishments after rinsing and drying.
*Note: Disinfectants are considered Pesticides and the EPA recommends that children and elderly have little to no contact with them. The negative health effects to those populations are excellerated exponentially.

3- Is it true that in order to be classified as a HGD (disinfectant) a product must only be proven to kill these 3 germs: Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ?
Yes....

4- You mentioned that Lysol All Purpose Cleaner and Disinfectant met the criteria for a HGG, even though they do not make that claim on the label? Can you briefly explain why that is sometimes the case?
Pesticide products are permitted to "split" their labeling... This means that there is a "Master Label" on file with the Agency that has all of the permitted use sites and pests. At any time, the registrant may market to a target audience and drop other uses off the labeling. For example, if you have a hospital grade disinfectant that also has home uses, the registrant may sell 2 products under the same registration number with different label claims. One would be sold to hospitals, the other to homewoners.

Another HG Disinfectant option is Melaluca's Sol-U-Guard. I now use this.

So there are at least two options to bleach, Lysol (the one with an EPA number) and Sol-U-Guard.

If your licensing rep attempts to cite you for using one of these alternatives, show him/her the EPA number on the label.

[Pamela]

Hi everyone, I work with a few daycares here in Canada and I have them using a new natural disinfectant approved by the EPA for use in hospitals, nursing homes, restaurants, daycares etc.. We have changed all the daycares over to safer, healthier non caustic products. As a result they are actually saving money and their health !

If you would like more information on the products please contact me phenley@cogeco.ca

[Unregistered]

I know that the childcare facility where I work they use Steramine tablets dissolved in a gallon of water. It is what restaurants use to steralize tables, chairs, and dishes. It's safe to use on toys and for the children to put into their mouths. With a one minute contact time, it is supposed to kill everything including the MRSA virus. I have contacted the company and spoken with the chemists there. I also talked to our licensing agency in Pennsylvania and they said it was fine. I recommend it!!