The average household spends over $200 on back to school gear and supplies. The average teacher is spending $200-$1500 throughout the school year to cover costs when those initial supplies run out. There is obviously a problem.
We always buy extra when we can to help but there are some things on the required school supply list that really should be rethought to improve the classroom and support our children’s health.
I say its time we demand an overhaul on these items and stop the overexposure of our children to toxins and chemicals in their classrooms. Here are two simple areas we could start out on:
Classroom Cleaners and Wipes
I totally agree we need to control germs and keep the classrooms but these things we use to accomplish that are full of toxic chemicals. It is harmful to our teachers and the kids.
Think about when you clean your home with chemical cleaners. Often your nose burns and your eyes water, your hands get dry and cracked. It’s miserable. You really want your child exposed to that?
School supply lists always ask for Clorox Wipes. I get the convenience and handiness of this product. However, it is wasteful, harmful to the environment and incredibly bad for our health.
Many schools however are not allowing natural versions of the products to be used for fear of parent reaction. This is very unfortunate. If anywhere should be safe for children, it should be their classroom.
Natural cleaners are harmless. They use plant based ingredients that effectively kill germs and clean surfaces. They can be inhaled and touched without worry about irritation to the respiratory system or skin. They will not stain clothing or discolor clothing.
With wipes being convenient and handy for teachers to use, they can be made with cloths and similarly on hand like the paper wipes when needed. Yet we are reducing waste and eliminating chemicals in our environment.
Cost is another factor to consider in this situation. Clorox Wipes are expensive! So not only are they wasteful but we’re increasing costs unnecessarily on us as parents and teachers.
SO what’s the alternative?
I recommend OnGuard Concentrate Cleaner for this purpose. It is a wonderful natural cleaner that is highly concentrated so a bottle will last a very long time. The oils used in this product are natural germ fighting and cleans without harm. It can be touched and inhaled without worry about skin or respiratory irritation.
At $14.50 a bottle, even two of these per classroom is a significant savings and much less wasteful compared to the cans of Clorox Wipes.
Hand Sanitizier and Soap
Like the cleaners and wipes I agree we need to control germs and children’s hands are always in need of cleaning but here too we are exposing our children unnecessary to harmful things.
Many children have soft tender skin and should not be using alcohol based hand sanitizer. It’s terrible for their skin and can cause irritations.
It also smells strong and is often overused on children.
doTERRA’s OnGuard foaming hand soap and hand mist spray are natural effective alternatives to these alcohol based sanitizers. OnGuard is gentle and smells much better than rubbing alcohol too.
With younger children who are always putting their fingers in their mouth, OnGuard is safe and supports their immunity system against germs. It can be taken internally without worry about what they are ingesting. This is because OnGuard is plants and not chemicals.
The best part of using OnGuard hand mist and soap is there is less waste. You don’t require as much to clean a child’s hands and it’s safe.
The OnGuard foam soap with two bottles of soap dispensers and a 16 ounce soap is $22.50. A two pack of the soap refills is $33.50. Three bottles of this would more than cover a complete school year for a classroom. Again you need only 1 pump to clean hands!
The OnGuard Hand Mist spray is a $6.50. A few of these would again cover the entire classroom and perfectly affordable for every family to purchase at least 1.
COMPLETE Classroom Make Over Supplies
Here’s what I recommend:
If you are an existing customer, the $35 wholesale membership listed below does not apply.
Enroll as a new wholesale customer for $35
Purchase 1 bottles of OnGuard Concentrate Cleaner $14.50
Purchase 5 hand mist sprays at $6.50 each
Purchase the 2 pump and 16oz hand soap for $22.50
Total purchase price (wholesale) $105
This is a savings of more than $40 and more importantly your child, their classmates and the teacher will breathe easier and not have a bunch of toxic chemicals in their classroom.
To show you the price difference, I’ve also listed out the cost of typical supplies purchased at Sam’s Club
Club membership $45
3 pack Clorox wipes $17.99
1 gallon hand sanitizer $10.99
Hand soap 3 pack $18.99
Total cost $92.97 and this is nothing but chemical laden items that produce a lot of waste for the environment and classroom.
AND the difference in cost $12.03. Seriously, for $12 more you eliminate the chemicals and give a much better solution for protecting your child through the school year.
Interested in more?
I encourage you to talk to your teachers and get them to consider using natural alternatives this school year. I also encourage you to gift your child’s teacher with these products. Not only will it save money and be less wasteful but it will honestly improve the quality of the cleanliness and air in the classroom.
This is a great welcome back gift to a teacher and your child. Kick the toxic chemicals out of the classroom at last!
If you have questions or would like to setup your child’s classroom with an all natural solution, please reach out!
amyk@dragonspitapothecary.com
my.doterra.com/dragonspitapothecary
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