Every summer, Illinois public schools close and release their students to the mercy of their parents, summer camps, and lakeside sunburns. While the students enjoy their freedom from pencils and books, summer cleaners are hard at work making sure the building is shipshape for the fall. ServiceMaster Cleaning by Simons provides commercial cleaning services for schools and businesses in the Chicago, IL area .
While it’s important to have a clean environment for children to return to when school starts again, it’s also important to make sure that environment is healthy. Unfortunately, many common cleaning products contain chemicals that can negatively affect health, and children can be especially susceptible to this danger.
Corrosive cleaners like bleach, ammonia, drain cleaner, oven cleaners, and lye can have the most serious immediate effects on children’s health. Some short-term symptoms from these chemicals include eye-irritation, respiratory problems, headaches, and sneezing.
Other chemicals aren’t immediately dangerous, but prolonged exposure can lead to serious risks and irrevocably damage a child’s health. Chemicals like diethanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA)—sudsing agents found in many all-purpose cleaners—can contribute to an increased risk of cancer later in life.
Other chemicals can cause long-term hormone disruption, leading to decreased sperm count and some possible male birth defects. One of the many possible causes of these hormone disruption symptoms are some substances in most detergents called alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs).
Many of these chemicals can flow into the water through drains, affecting the environment around schools, homes, and businesses as well. Phosphates are commonly found in water and most -phenol compounds are toxic and non-soluble. Any carcinogens that can permeate the skin are incredibly dangerous for developing bodies. If they can be kept out of school environments as much as possible, we can lower health risks for children.
That’s why at ServiceMaster Cleaning by Simons, we support green cleaning products. Contact ServiceMaster Cleaning by Simons today for commercial cleaning services in Chicago, IL.