Schools are positioned precariously when it comes to protecting student safety and maintaining wellbeing of students. When the pandemic hit the shores in the beginning, the school authorities were mainly concerned about the functioning of the institution in such a severe crisis.

Cleaning protocols were amplified, which was good but just about disinfecting anything seems to be not a great idea. It was a breather for officials when schools switched to remote learning but now we need to look upon converting the existing spaces into COVID- free areas.

In some countries like the US, disinfectants are believed to be pesticides which definitely aids in killing germs but it can also jeopardize the indoor environment which is harmful to the users. Excessive use of chemicals can directly impact the physical health of both staff and students and neither can we afford to avoid disinfectants during this aggravating situation. So, it is preferred to use cleaning agents in specified areas abiding by the standard guidelines to protect the health of people who are spending their time within the compound

Besides the negative impact that disinfectants can cause an ecosystem, let’s discuss some of the drawbacks of these germ-killing chemicals:

High priced/application training: it requires substantial time, research, and testing to manufacture them which invariably reflects on the costs. The application requires proper training which means dilution ratios should be on point or else it can reduce the efficacy of the product. Some other training concerns have the surface been cleaned before applying, has the disinfectant been allowed to set before removing, or was the same cloth used to wipe the surface also used to clean disinfectant from the surface. This can spread pathogens and reduce the effectiveness.

Gives a false sense of security: if the disinfectants are not applied correctly, we might believe they are killing pathogens and in fact, it might not be. The cleaning agent can be proven highly ineffective when not used properly.

Leave chemical residue: Many disinfectants have some form of chemicals that might attract pathogens sometimes on the surface. This increases the possibility of spreading bacteria instead of diminishing it.

Quat binding, a major concern: Quaternary ammonium chloride is an active ingredient used in disinfectants which is popular because of their effectiveness against germs. When these are sprayed in a cleaning cloth, it gets absorbed and the disinfecting abilities of the product decreases. These products also take considerable time to research and develop by the chemical manufacturers.

School authorities must be considerate and find ways to keep their school facilities clean and healthy without overusing disinfectants. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), surfaces need to be cleaned with soap and water and depending on the degree of contamination.

There are distinct options for the use of disinfectants in the school compound area to make it less harmful for students and staff throughout their stay inside the campus. Among them are the following:

Disinfect only those areas which is needed

Disinfect for once or twice per day and not several times

Properly use these agents as mentioned earlier

Reevaluate cleaning tools and its procedures before using it

Make use of the solutions that have a lesser impact on the environment

In conclusion, the main purpose should be to clean the areas and not disinfect completely which can be hazardous and create another problem for a whole group of people amidst this crisis.