Green Cleaning in Child Care Settings

Beginning on Sept. 25, every U.S. household can again place an order to receive four more free COVID-19 rapid tests delivered to their home by visiting COVIDTests.gov. Additionally, before you discard any “expired” test kits you have, please check here to see if the expiration dates of your COVID-19 tests have been extended.

Child care operators frequently ask about safer cleaning methods and materials for their facilities. In response to questions about the availability of “greener” disinfectants, sanitizers and cleaning products, the Connecticut Department of Public Health offers two fact sheets that address these questions.

Bleach in Child Care Settings

Bleach can harm both children and adults, especially when strong concentrations are used. For child care facilities that continue to use products containing bleach, please follow safe practices when using these more toxic products. See these links below:

2013 Update Report: Bleach-Free Disinfection and Sanitizing for Child Care
Cleaning for Healthy Schools - Infection Control Handbook (Chapter 5.B and 5.C)
Disinfecting and Sanitizing with Bleach (Washington State Department of Health)

Additional Information

Safer Choice For Child Care Centers

Green Cleaning, Sanitizing and Disinfection Toolkit for Early Care and Education (Produced by Western States PEHSU at UCSF)

Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards

Connecticut State Department of Public Health