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Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)
? for MCPS teachers re cleaning supplies allowed in classrooms
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Anonymous
| MCPS teacher here. Our Building Services manager informed us that we are no longer allowed to use any store bought cleaning products in our classrooms (clorox wipes, Lysol, etc.). Instead, we are only allowed to use the MCPS approved watered down spray provided to us in a generic spray bottle. Supposedly, this "green" spray both cleans and disinfects. If desks need to be cleaned, that's up to us classroom teachers. With kids that pick their noses and wipe them on desks, kids that cough and sneeze everywhere, kids who have had the flu (sent one home today with a fever of 103), headlice, etc. using clorox wipes and lysol to sanitize items the kids touch every day has been part of my daily routine. We were also informed that the county will be inspecting classrooms and that teachers face a $5,000 fine and possible firing if store bought cleaning products are found in our classrooms. My question is...have other MCPS teachers been given this same information or are you allowed to use whatever cleaning products you purchase on your own in your classroom? |
Anonymous
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I don't know about MCPS, but have just heard about the struggle some daycares/preschools have about complying with outdated state sanitizing regulations. My DC's preschool and others (dare I say enlightened ones) disapprove of the decades-old policy of using diluted bleach on some surfaces, specifically on non-rinsable, reusable food dishes, which last is clearly toxic to the children (the bleach then air-dry method - no rinsing!). Unfortunately policies take a long time to change because biomedical facts on bleach or other cleaning products percolate very slowly through the system.
Without more information on the actual policy change in MCPS, could it be that the spray MCPS wants to enforce is less powerful therefore less toxic? Or is it just less expensive than the store-bought ones, and MCPS refuses to determine who buys what? |
Anonymous
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Yes, we've heard this, too - no products other than "MCPS recommended" ones.
If necessary, carry them to and from work. The Clorox wipes are the bomb; I use them at home. So, during the day, keep them locked up and then transport them home when duty day is done! I can guarantee that no one is that much of Big Brother these days, especially when the economy is bombing and they're cutting jobs right and left. My guess is that MCPS bought stock in eco-friendly supplies! So it's use or lose! Sincerely, rebellious HS teacher |
Anonymous
I'm right there with you Rebellious HS teacher! Good idea 
Rebellious ES teacher |
Anonymous
|
My guess is that the county is getting sensitive to complaints about indoor air pollution, esp its effect on allergic children.
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/iaq/faq.shtm If a student in your class complains about fumes or smell from some product you have used, or worse has a bad reaction to something, you will be on very poor legal grounds. If the cleaning products you are using are not detectible by students, there probably won't be a problem. |
Anonymous
I'm the rebellious HS teacher. In my many years of teaching, I've never had an issue with this sort of reaction. At my daughter's preschools, we used Clorox wipes all the time on toys and countertops - in addition to a Clorox-water solution for their tables. Wipe down, and if necessary, run a wet paper towel over it after to remove traces of the cleaning agent, and then keep the windows open (if you're lucky enough to have a window, that is). One year, I kept a fan in my room. PP, in this field, we're trying to protect ourselves as well. It's hell to make plans for a sub, and unlike other professions, the work we do can't wait until we return from an illness. Furthermore, I have two small children whom I want to protect. It's bad enough that we can't use the bathroom when we need to. At least give us credit for trying to stay healthy so that we can teach your children. |
Anonymous
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PP, I'm the poster you were responding to. Just so you know, I'm also an elementary school teacher.
I was just trying to understand what was behind this new rule. My guess is that somebody complained, somewhere, about some kind of cleaning product a teacher used. Maybe one with fragrance? And the school distirct has just decided, everyone needs to use approved products, end of story, to be safe. A $5,000 fine is pretty serious. I've never heard of that before. |
Anonymous
| OP, first, you need to find out what is in that spray bottle. They must let you know. |
Anonymous
It's probably this:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/schoolplantops/PDF/MCPS%20Green%20Cleaning%20Plan.pdf |
Anonymous
Yes, but what is in it, like the chemical names. |
Anonymous
Our school's Building Service Manager gave us this information at a recent staff meeting |
Anonymous
It appears to be primarily hydrogen peroxide. http://www.kellysolutions.com/WA/showproductinfo.asp?Product_Name=Alpha-HP+Multi-Surface+Disinfectant+Cleaner&EPA_Id=70627-54 (click on active ingredient) |
Anonymous
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No one's going to sniff the desk tops or swab! (maybe some of our huffers . . . )
Just use the damn Clorox wipes! They'll kill anything - MRSA, H1N1, and yes, even the AIDS virus! I'm sure MCPS is in bed with some "green" cleaning manufacturer. I can't believe everyone is so fearful. I've taught gang members. Do you think I care about Alpha-HP Multi-Surface Cleaner??? |
Anonymous
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It is very important that our bodies not accumulate toxic chemicals over time. The concept of long-term progressive toxic accumulation is a very recent one - remember a few years ago the first studies on detecting flame retardants from treated pyjamas in toddlers' bloodstreams?
Please consider this above all. We are living in a polluted world - air and water pollution, PBA in plastic, lead in toys, unnecessarily harsh chemicals in every day household cleaners, pesticides/nitrates/etc in food... Taken separately, each toxic component means little. But globally reducing many sources of toxicity will go a long way towards living a healthier life. It is strongly suspected, for example, that decreasing overall toxicity will reduce the rate of cancers. |
Anonymous
I'm somewhat fearful of a $5000 fine. Our staff was told that there will be inspections of classrooms and if anything other than the MCPS approved spary bottle is found in our classrooms, there will be serious consequences. This year in my portable, I've had students with headlice, students with swine flu, a student throw up, kids sneezing and the spray going everywhere, and nose pickers who wipe their snot on to their desk, the floor, etc. The spray bottle of cleaner provided to us does not seem to clean the desks well. Stains still remain and a vinegar like smell permeates the air. In the past, I would use lysol spray after school on common areas like the door, pencil sharpener, crayon bins, etc. The MCPS spray bottle is liquid and can't be used in the same way lysol can be used. I will still be using clorox wipes and lysol on MY desk. The kids are on their own with the MCPS approved, watered down cleaner that doesn't seem to clean. |