J’cans warned not to overuse chemicals for sanitising

The Caribbean Poison Information Network (CARPIN) is appealing for persons to guard against overusing chemicals when cleaning and sanitising their spaces while trying to abide by COVID-19 protocols.

Poison Information Coordinator at CARPIN, Sherika Whitelocke-Ballingsingh, told the JIS News that a recent online survey found that the majority of persons were using chemicals more than seven times per day for cleaning and sanitising. The online survey, conducted between April and July 2020, had 85 respondents from 13 parishes.

Whitelocke-Ballingsingh said that one of the practices adopted by many of the respondents, particularly in the early days of the pandemic, between April and May, was the spraying of bed linen, towels, clothes and rooms with sanitisers. She said that the practice is concerning as it could cause dermatological and respiratory problems.

She suggests that a safe way to sterilise bed linen is by ironing them, noting that heat and steam are effective in destroying micro organisms.

"I do not advise that persons spray their towels before putting it on their body. The item sprayed is going to be absorbed through the skin and it starts from a small dose each day until it accumulates within the body," she said. Whitelocke-Ballingsingh is also advising persons not to spray chemicals on their masks, noting that CARPIN has found this to be the case through observation and calls made to the facility. She said persons should instead iron and sun masks after washing them.