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September/October 2009 |
You are here:  Cleaning Matters HomeClean Ideas: Protecting Children from Environmental Risks |
Ways to teach clean and healthy habits that benefit children and the environment
October is Children’s Health Month. This initiative, sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, is designed to highlight the importance of protecting children from environmental risks. Here are a few suggestions for ways to help children incorporate clean and healthy habits into their daily lives.
- Walk more. October 8 is International Walk to School Day. The goal of the day is to encourage fitness and reduce traffic and air pollution by encouraging walking, biking, carpooling or riding school buses to get to school safely. If need be, rearrange morning habits to make this happen. If it isn't possible, use the day as a starting point to walk more places as a family.
- Get screened. Sunscreen isn't just for summer months. Those damaging rays that can cause skin cancer later in life are there all year long. If you think about it, many of us are outdoors more in the fall, when the weather is cooler, than in the summer. And if winter sports are on the agenda, the rays that reflect off the snow can be brutal to one's skin. Choose a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, even on a cloudy day, up to 80 percent of the sun's ultraviolet rays can pass through the clouds. In addition, sand reflects 25 percent of the sun's rays and snow reflects 80 percent of the sun's rays.
- Promote food safety. Get your children involved in meal preparation. As you do, teach them the importance of clean hands, which means washing hands with soap and warm water and scrubbing for at least 20 seconds. This should be done before starting meal preparation and after handling raw meat, fish or poultry. For more information on cleaning tips for food safety, visit www.cleaning101.com/health/foodsafety.
- Consider composting. Fall is a great time to add a compost pile to your children's concept of recycling. It'll cut down on the amount of garbage your household generates and the results will enrich your garden. There are many ways to create a compost pile, some more complicated than others. One of the easiest ways is to purchase a closed composting bin and follow the directions that come with it. Often, it's impractical to run out and immediately dump every suitable kitchen scrap into the pile. Keep a covered container in the kitchen to store scraps until you have time to take it to the pile. Place the container under the sink or near the back door. Then, before you refill the container, clean it with a household cleaning product that contains a disinfectant.
- Support school custodial efforts. The National C.L.E.A.N.® Awards Program recognizes five school custodians or custodial teams that make outstanding contributions to public health in their schools, communities and their professions. This is a joint initiative of The Soap and Detergent Association, National Education Association, National Education Association Health Information Network, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 2009 top recipient was Pat Nicholson, head custodian at the Brownsville Elementary School in Brownsville, Washington. His "cleaning for health" program draws on sound information and a sense of humor to inspire and educate students and staff. He even went so far as to personalize his floor scrubber, painting it to resemble a saber-toothed tiger that has been affectionately named "Fang." Using images captured from the Internet, the kids have inserted Fang into photos from around the world. To learn more about Pat's efforts and to meet Fang, visit www.washingtonea.org/static_content/video/09/clean/frame.html. Talk to your school about how students and parents can help the custodians clean for health and encourage them to apply for the 2010 awards!
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