Are Your Cleaner's Chemicals Making You Sick?

 

Whether accepted or not, you'll spend seemingly endless hours inside your office going over that next TPS Report or using your glazed-over eyes to look for trends in that spreadsheet your co-worker sent you. You're sitting at your desk for long periods of time and physically touching it for much of that time. What's lurking under the surface level of the desk? 

In the last post, we talked about germs, but what chemicals did your cleaner leave behind to kill those germs?

There was one time we cleaned at a private school and the school called us in to discuss the cleaning products we used on site. It was nearly the start of the school year and their facilities manager and business manager disclosed they have a new student on campus who is allergic to everything. It was so much so that any residual cleaning product left on a desk or lunchroom table could not only make the student sick but send him to the hospital. Together we came up with a sanitizing plan and a water-rinse plan to make sure that student is kept safe throughout the school year, and thankfully it all worked out. 

But that experience shifted my paradigm and thoughts around cleaning products. I began to realize more care was needed in our processes. While 99% of people out there may be ok, there were people out there who could have reactions to cleaning chemicals and not even know it. 

In a recent example, I talked to two different cleaning business owners in different markets who both started their cleaning company because they formed an allergic reaction to cleaning products they were exposed to. Both knew there had to be a better way to keep them and their families safe. 

We've spent time studying the latest science and research. The purpose of this post is to share what we found and what we're doing about it.

Lurking Dangers:

VOCs - VOCs are volatile organic compounds. Don't let the word "organic" fool you. It's not good in this context. According to the American Lung Association, VOCs vaporize at room temperature and those pollutants can cause respiratory problems, allergic reactions, and headaches. More severe cases include circulatory issues, nervous system issues, and even cancer. This category is broad with a range of products including air fresheners, bleach, aerosol cleaning products, floor wax, furniture polish, oven cleaner, and more. 

Specifically, you should avoid any products with benzene which are found in some hand sanitizers and dry carpet shampoo. Formaldehyde is commonly found in some disinfectants, toilet bowl cleaners, and other cleaning products. Another are alcohols, which are found in many different cleaning products. And toluene is another VOC that is found in different cleaning products. 

Quats  (Quaternary Ammonium) - Quats are a category of disinfectants. They rose in popularity early in the COVID days because they were among the first to be approved by the EPA for EPA's List N (approved disinfectants for coronaviruses, which cause COVID). Science already declared quats weren't the best compound to have in a disinfectant. But between COVID and health hazards from chemicals, science declared quats the lesser evil. Now we have over 600 disinfectant options on List N and there's no need to rely on them. Quats can irritate the nose and throat and even trigger asthma. 

Ammonia - I remember as a kid playing with ammonia in school while making a craft, and then caught a whiff of it (I also remember playing with mercury in my hand. Any ill-effects were offset by the PBR our uncle gave us when we were 10....Ah, Gen X. Good times). From personal experience, ammonia causes respiratory issues and can even cause edema if exposed for a period of time. These are commonly found in glass cleaners. 

Phtalates - That's a mouthful. It's commonly found in toilet bowl cleaners and other fragranced products. Studies link these to reproductive issues and can lead to organ failure issues. 

Ethanolamines - These are commonly found in surfactants, which help draw up the dirt in the cleaning process. These commonly found in shampoos (even human hair shampoos, carpets aside), general cleaning products, and tile and floor cleaners. It's corrosive and will harm skin.

Nonylphenol Ethoxylate - This is used in many degreasers and multi-purpose cleaners. It is also suspected in reproductive issues and endocrine compromise which can lead to cancer. 

Glycol ethers - These include 2-butoxyethanol and butoxydiglycol (nope, these roll off the tongue a little bit better). These are found in degreasers and other cleaning products and are suspected in respiratory and reproductive issues.

Trichloroethelyne (TCE) - These are also found in various cleaning products including metal cleaners, carpet cleaners, and more. This is suspected to cause Parkinsons in many and scientifically has been linked to that. On a personal level, my father-in-law has been diagnosed and shows advanced signs of Parkinsons. He had been in the cleaning business for 33+ years. I can't help to think that there could be a correlation.

So, How Do I Find These Chemicals? 

Well, look on the bottle and product sheets. I also recommend looking at the Safety Data Sheets. Below is an example of a quaternary ammonium found through EPA's List N as an approved disinfectant:

It's clearly a quat as evidenced by EPA's List N compound description and listed above in the chemical list. 

Or to be more obvious, I found a product called Trichloroethelyne Degreaser. It obviously is what it is, but to be sure, here's from their SDS:

Well, What Can We Use That's Safer?

It's really difficult to keep tabs in what's what and the chemical breakdown of each. At the end of the day, anything that's used in the cleaning process can be considered toxic, water included. 

At Clean Line Janitorial Services, we prefer to focus on "green" products that are safer for the environment. The term "green" is very subjective. Standards are needed. Whenever possible, we purchase products that are Green Seal Certified. These products have been certified to conform with standards within green cleaning for certifications like LEED or Fitwel. Many of Washington, DC's larger buildings are LEED certified by the US Green Building Council, for example. An alternative to Green Seal for many is EPA's Safer Choice Program. This is part of their Pollution Prevention Program and gives more consumer-guidance on what to use and what to avoid.

An ounce of prevention goes a long way and if we can play a small part in the process by providing safer alternatives for our clients, their employees and guests, then all the better. Look for our Green Cleaning section within our proposals to see other alternatives and solutions in providing a green cleaning program within your facility. 

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Clean Line Janitorial Services provides janitorial and porter services to facilities throughout the DMV. Give us a call to 703-541-9761 or email cleanlinejanitorialservices@gmail.com for your FREE, no-obligation comprehensive guide and proposal for services at your commercial office or facility.