To disinfect, or not to disinfect?  That is a question we hear quite often from customers, especially those who have businesses involving small children, such as day care centers and youth sports complexes.

It is particularly important to be aware of the products you are using in facilities where children spend time, as they are much more vulnerable to toxic chemicals and allergens than adults.  However, how do you effectively clean and disinfect for controlling the spread of illness?

The EPA and the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education (NRC) provide guidance to effectively clean for health and the prudent use of disinfectant products in the “Green Cleaning Toolkit for Early Care and Education.”

The “Green Cleaning Toolkit” is a comprehensive package of information created by a team of public health professionals, health educators, nurses, and policy makers. It contains policies and protocols for implementing a green cleaning program, the purchasing and use of safer cleaning and disinfecting products and tips on negotiating a contract for cleaning services with an outside vendor. The “Green Cleaning Checklist” provides a comprehensive list of items that should be included in a full program, and goes far beyond just cleaning supplies.  It covers some basics, such as the use of microfiber, soap dispensers with foaming soap, and washing hands post-diaper changing even when wearing gloves.

Additionally, it includes other aspects of a green cleaning program, such as having a “spill kit” for blood clean-up, being OSHA SDS compliant and using foot-operated diaper pail lids. The “Green Cleaning Curriculum” is quite detailed and provides a vast amount of information  including full description of microbes in our environment, the differences between consumer and commercial cleaning products,  details about hazardous ingredients that can be found in some cleaning chemicals, how to decide which cleaners to use on which surface, and the problems with using bleach. Additionally, the NRC provides a “quick look” reference chart of routine cleaning in each area of a child care center.  Some are surprised that the only areas recommended for disinfectant use after each use are changing tables and potty chairs.

• Download the summary of the “Green Cleaning Toolkit” from the EPA –
• Download the “Green Cleaning Curriculum”
• Download the “Quick Look” Reference Chart –
• View Cavalier’s  line of disinfecting and sanitizing products