Bleach Around Children

[Unregistered]

New bleach concentration on the market is 8.25%

Clorox bleach has changed it's concentration from 6.25% to 8.25% They will soon discontinue the 6.25% regular strength bleach. What does this mean for child care? It means that if your end product for sanitizing and disinfection needs to be 200 ( max. sanitizing solution for mouthed toys and food contact surfaces) and 800 parts per million (ppm) for diaper changing surfaces, the 1/4 cup bleach per gallon of water is too much! 2 1/2 tablespoon per gallon of water will create an end product of 800 ppm for diaper changing surfaces. National Resource Center and Caring For Our Children will not longer give a formula for mixing bleach. Check with your health department to find a safe formula and demand American Academy of Pediatrics make a statement about what is a safe level for the end product for bleach to be used around children in child care.

[Starburst]

It could just mean that they used too much bleach in a homemade bleach solution but not that it was direct contact with pure bleach- they are supposed to make it fresh everyday because the water eventually dilutes the bleach. One of my ECE instructors who is also the director of the college's preschool program said that when she did FCC one time she put too much bleach in her solution and one of her DCKs got bleach stains on their sleeves. One of my other ECE teachers said that if you can smell the bleach you used too much.

In some states it is mandatory to use a bleach solution or something with bleach due to sanitation standards. Sometimes using sanitary wipes with bleach can also stain clothes.

A possible fix- get a sharpie or permanent marker (fabric markers may work too) that matches the color of the shirt (black has the best results) and try to fill in the bleach stain with the sharpie.

[Play Care]

IME, if the bleach solution is causing clothing to be discolored, then it's not being mixed with enough water. While I don't love bleach, when mixed appropriately it doesn't leave an odor. In my state I am required to use bleach/water solution after every diaper change, and it's not feasible to clear everyone out of the room. The only other approved disinfectant in my state is a hospital grade herbicide and very expensive. I am legally not allowed to use anything else.

As for "safe" alternates - I would be very careful when using them around children. Years ago the group home I managed switched from bleach and water to a "natural" disinfectant after the staff complained about the dangers of bleach. After the folks had left for their day programs I sprayed down the bathrooms per policy and left them to air dry. Another employee came in and used the bathroom without my knowledge and received severe burns to her legs and buttocks. Back to bleach we went.

[Lavender]

when mixed appropriately it doesn't leave an odor

Not necessarily. We had a baby vomit in our room when norovirus was going around in our area. I cleaned everything possible in the room with correctly mixed bleach solution (and wiped everything dry). When I was done the owner commented that she could actually smell how clean it was in the hallway with the door closed, meaning she could smell some of the bleach.

Personally, I would take a correctly cleaned room using bleach solution over my kid being exposed to norovirus anyday. happyface None of our other kids caught it then, but the baby's mom did at home with her.

[Play Care]

Not necessarily. We had a baby vomit in our room when norovirus was going around in our area. I cleaned everything possible in the room with correctly mixed bleach solution (and wiped everything dry). When I was done the owner commented that she could actually smell how clean it was in the hallway with the door closed, meaning she could smell some of the bleach.

Personally, I would take a correctly cleaned room using bleach solution over my kid being exposed to norovirus anyday. happyface None of our other kids caught it then, but the baby's mom did at home with her.

When I do a quick spray of the changing table, I don't notice a bleach smell(after it dries). The type of deep disinfection you performed, I probably would - but that's also the type of thing I would get the kids out of the room/area for also. I do think on a daily basis if I were to walk into a day care and smell bleach that strongly I would question why that was being done with the children present. But I'm also with you in the sense that I would much rather they use something proven to kill certain typical day care germs then some of these products that have not been proven. I still cringe over how badly my co-worker was burned by supposedly "safe" cleaner.

[Unregistered]

The use of bleach in daycare is very dangerous because it is very caustic to the sinus mucosa. Every time that I pick up my grandchildren from the daycare that they attend, the smell of bleach is overwhelming my grandson's eye's are red and blinking.
They do not wait until the children are gone for the day. The clothing should be the least of our worries. We need to worry about their lungs and health. The bleach may be killing germs but it is also harming the children.
Another alarming point about the use of bleach is that when it is mixed with ammonia it forms a very harmful and sometimes lethal gas. Well, doesn't urine contain ammonia? What happens to the little children when urine is wiped up using the bleach mixture?
There is no way to regulate the proper mixing proportions in every daycare in the country. If it is going to be required to use shouldn't it be in a premixed form?
Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do about this? I am very worried about the long term effects that it will have on my grandchildren.

IF the bleach solution is used at the proper mixing concentrations (10 parts water, 1 part bleach) there should be absolutely no problem regarding health issues. I used to work in an Ear, Nose and Throat doctors office and we cleaned every single day with a bleach concentration as it was much cheaper than the commercial bleach mixture. If it had been any problem regarding sinus mucosa, our doctor would never have allowed us to use it in his practice.

Urine does not contain ammonia. It is often said that urine has an odor of ammonia, which is usually due to an infection. There are no dangers if bleach comes into contact with urine.

[Unregistered]

Bleach Contivesery

The main problem is your worker is using too strong of solution. They pour too much. Often centers use economy size big huge bottles of bleach, 1.5 Teaspoons per spray bottle is a very small amount to measure properly and not go over. ( We use an eye dropper) We also use color changing test strips in our solution to be sure it is the right concentration. A log is required, ask to see it. As it has to be mixed fresh every day, the workers "eye ball" it and or think if a little is good, a lot should be great! When mixed properly, it shouldn't be strong enough to bleach clothing or smell at all. When there is contaminated water from disasters bleach is even used in very very very small concentrations to make drinking water safe! They can wipe a surface dry after 2 mins of contact. I keep a timer set at 2 mins and always dry off the change mat before the next kid. I also spray my snack table, set the timer and stand gaurd in front of it for 2 mins. Or spray right before we head out the door to recess and it's air dried by the time we come back in.