It’s a common occurrence in Nurseries and Child Care Centers around the globe. Facilities condone the practice of spraying toys with Lysol Disinfectant Spray (or another similar product), allowing toys to air dry, and returning them immediately for use.
What they often don’t realize, is that this is not the intended use for Lysol Spray. In fact, leaving Lysol Disinfectant residue on toys and surfaces is a chemical hazard, and can cause serious health risks in young children who come in contact with them.
The Health Risks of Lysol Disinfectant Spray
The ingredients in Lysol Spray carries significant health risks, more so than other disinfectant products of it’s kind. It contains denatured ethanol, which can affect the eyes, mucous membranes, and can affect the central nervous system if inhaled or ingested.
Lysol Disinfectant Spray also contains ammonium hydroxide, which is thought to be a respiratory toxin, and is linked to serious health conditions such as bronchitis, pulmonary edema, emphysema, and cancer.
How to use Lysol Disinfectant Spray Properly
When using any product that contains chemicals, I urge you to read the directions carefully before use. Lysol Disinfectant Spray should be used away from children and animals, in a well-ventilated area, and all toys and surfaces should be rinsed with warm water after application to remove any chemicals.
Read your bottle of Lysol Disinfectant Spray for specific instructions.
Alternative Options for Disinfecting Children’s Toys
Disinfecting toys without the use of toxic chemicals is easy.
Vinegar is an effective disinfectant, and can be used as a spray on toys and surfaces, or to soak toys. It can be used in concentrated form or diluted with water. Try a 50/50 mix of distilled vinegar and water. Allow toys to air dry before returning for use.
Toys can also be washed in hot, soapy water, rinsed, allowed to dry, and returned for use.
What You Can Do
Have you personally seen the misuse of Lysol Disinfectant Spray? If so, what can you do to alert those involved and let them know that you are concerned?
If you are involved with the facility directly, the first step would be to approach the director and let them know that you are concerned about the misuse of disinfectant sprays and about the safety of the children. You can then direct them to information about the correct use of Lysol Spray, and about other less hazardous methods of disinfecting toys and equipment.
The next step is to write a letter to any local churches, daycares, preschools, and other facilities in your area that deal with children’s toys and equipment. The letter should inform them of this common error and what they can do about it.
Sign the Petition
The makers of Lysol are mostly responsible for the misuse of their product. Commercials representing Lysol Disinfectant Spray depict a mother spraying toys and surfaces, but never depict the mother washing off the chemicals. In other words, they never show the mother completing the process of correct use, as if to misrepresent the product’s correct use, and to create a false assumption of it’s ease of use.
If you think that the makers of Lysol should apologize and correct this false assumption they have created, Sign the Petition.
Article by Vanessa Pruitt
Vanessa Pruitt is a doula and the founder of Natural Family Today, where she writes about pregnancy and birth, eating real food, and natural living.
Vanessa has written 168 awesome articles for Natural Family Today.
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