EWG Gives School Cleaning Supplies Their Report Cards (and it ain’t pretty)

Terri Bly — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:17:18 +0000

Last week, while volunteering at my daughter’s classroom Halloween party, I flinched a little as I saw one of the other parents dutifully strolling around dispensing the requisite waterless, chem-filled hand sanitizers. Aside from my skepticism that anti-bacterial soaps will actually do much to kill a virus, I also suspected the ingredients in the sanitizer weren’t much better than the germs they were designed to kill. So when the teacher instructed two of my daughter’s peers that they were supposed to wash their hands with soap and warm water instead (apparently per parental instruction), I quickly chimed in that I wanted Eliana to do the same. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder what other chemicals were being sprayed around the room when the cleaning staff arrived.

Natural Hand Sanitizer That is Safe for Children

Jennifer Lance — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 19:39:12 +0000

One challenge of working in a rural school is the well water! About two months ago, my school failed its safe drinking water test. While we awaited for a new water tank, UV filter, etc., we became dependent upon hand sanitizer and wipes to keep the children’s hands clean. Most commercial hand sanitizers contain a large amount of alcohol, which can cause accidental alcohol poisoning or intoxication in children, besides these products are unpleasant to smell. Since my son was in the hospital in August, I have carried around EO Hand Sanitizer in my purse. Although this product is made with organic lavender and smells wonderful, it leaves a film on my hands that I can’t stand. Recently, I discovered CleanWell Hand Sanitizer and Wipes.

CleanWell products are all natural and kill 99.99% of germs naturally with a combination of plant oils called “Ingenium”. The active ingredient on the labels of both the CleanWell Hand Sanitizer and Wipes is thyme oil. The company was founded by a concerned father whose son was born with an immune system disorder. CleanWell Sanitizer is a spray, which mists a light layer of the product on your skin. There is no strange residue left on your hands, and it leaves your skin soft. My son, who has super sensitive skin, has not had any negative reactions to CleanWell products. Of course, CleanWell’s products are not tested on animals. The Hand Wipes are strong and large, and in fact, I think you could clean several children’s hands with them before tossing them. You can read CleanWell’s excellent blog by clicking here.

Green Options » hand sanitizer

EWG Gives School Cleaning Supplies Their Report Cards (and it ain’t pretty)

Natural Hand Sanitizer That is Safe for Children