10 Benefits of Using Natural Cleaning Products in Schools

The average child gets sick 6 to 10 times per year with a cold.

Schools, unfortunately, can be a breeding ground for germs and illness. Parents, teachers, and staff try to teach children ways to reduce the spread of germs, but kids, after all, are just kids.

Children's immune systems are also not mature enough yet to fight off some of the bugs they catch. Despite telling them to steer clear of sick people and teaching them how to wash their hands, they still wake us up in the middle of the night with a cough.

Sickness happens, but a clean and healthy school building can help to reduce the spread of germs. We believe the solution to reducing illness, improving the school environment, and making it healthier lies in the power of natural cleaning products.

Harsh cleaning chemicals traditionally used in schools make it seem like the germs are at bay, but are they really promoting a healthier school environment overall?

Read on to discover why your school should make the switch to natural products by learning about their top benefits.

1. Increased Safety

Traditional cleaning products simply aren't safe. They commonly contain hazardous materials and chemicals that are toxic and corrosive to the body. Chemicals such as alkylphenol ethoxylates act as a potent hormone disruptor which can potentially cause damage to kidneys.

When you invest in natural cleaning products, you are promoting a safer environment for the students. Not just in the short-term to prevent colds, but for their long-term health as well.

2. Reduction of Long-Term Illness

Asthma is one of the leading causes of absences in school children. Asthma is a long-term illness characterized by coughing, chest tightness, and trouble breathing. Asthma attacks can be terrifying for kids and adults alike and traditional cleaning products can make asthma worse.

Chemicals in traditional cleaning products contain irritants that can damage respiratory health. They can also trigger asthma attacks. People with asthma are taught to avoid their triggers, but what if their triggers are present in their school environment?

This can present a real problem for those suffering and in danger of developing asthma. Natural cleaning products, however, don't contain common asthma-triggering substances which make schools safer places.

3. Cleaner Air

Natural cleaning products improve the school's air quality. Quite simply, no one should breathe in harsh chemicals from traditional cleaning products. By making the switch to natural products, you can improve your school's air quality making it a safer and more comfortable place to be.

In addition to purer air quality, staff and students will also enjoy the scent of essential oils contained in natural cleaning products flowing throughout the school.

4. Cost-Effective

Natural cleaning products are now competitively priced compared to traditional cleaning products. And, with the chance of harsh chemicals threatening your staff and student's health, you simply can't afford not to make the switch.

5. Improved Attendance

When your teachers and staff are happy and healthy they show up to work and are productive. Creating a healthier, purer environment using natural cleaning products can help teachers and staff to miss fewer days and improve their well-being.

Teachers and staff also want to take pride in their workplace and cleaning with natural products can help make that a reality. When teachers are happy to come to work, student performance and attendance also improve.

6. School pride

It's difficult to make school-wide changes. You likely have a supply cabinet full of traditional cleaning products and a schedule for purchasing more. But, the benefits of natural cleaning products can help you to make these changes by keeping in mind the enhanced sense of school pride that will result.

Your teachers, students and staff will be able to say with beaming pride, "our school uses all natural cleaning products!" Natural cleaning products can make them feel like they are worthy of better, more fulfilling lives. This will, in turn, makes them feel more school pride and connection to the school system that made the change to natural products a reality.

7. A More Welcoming Environment

The smell of bleach and ammonia simply isn't welcoming. It reminds us of a sterile, cold environment and most of us would rather steer clear of these spaces. Natural cleaning products, on the other hand, smell great and invite people to feel at ease in any space.

8. Improved Well-Being

A natural reaction to a healthy, welcoming environment is an improvement in well-being. Not only do natural cleaning products gently reduce and remove germs from the environment, but they can also act as aromatherapy.

Students and staff will naturally feel better when they can focus on learning instead of being distracted by harsh chemicals.

9. Teaching Environmental Consciousness

Harsh cleaning chemicals are harmful to the environment. They contain ozone-depleting substances and are dangerous to animals. Quite simply, traditional chemicals are toxic to the school environment and the Earth.

By using natural cleaning products, your school is teaching your students to be more environmentally conscious. When you lead by example by using natural products, your students will take more pride in how they treat the environment.

10. Happier Custodians

Custodians work with cleaning supplies day in and day out. Harsh cleaning chemicals, however, put them at greater risk for injury and illness. These hard-working people work so closely with these cleaning chemicals that it would be difficult for them to not be affected.

Natural cleaning products, however, make custodian and janitorial staff's jobs more enjoyable, healthy and safe.

Making the Switch to Natural Cleaning Products

Switching to natural cleaning products may seem daunting at first, but once you make the switch your school will benefit greatly. You'll know exactly what ingredients are in natural cleaning products and can feel at peace using them day after day.

Interested in investing in natural cleaning products and services? Contact us today to request facilities service information.

Founded in 1983, OpenWorks is a full-service commercial cleaning franchise that offers cleaning, janitorial, and maintenance services. Since opening our doors, OpenWorks has been guided by our mission to improve your results by consistently making your facility cleaner, safer and healthier.