
School Summer Commercial Cleaning Services in Chicago, IL and Health Risks Common Cleaning Products Can Pose For Children

Nasutsa Mabwa
July 23, 2015Every summer, Illinois public schools close and release their students to the mercy of their parents, summer camps, and lakeside sunburns. While the students enjoy their freedom from pencils and books, summer cleaners are hard at work making sure the building is shipshape for the fall. ServiceMaster Cleaning by Simons provides
commercial cleaning services
for schools and businesses in the Chicago, IL area .
While it’s important to have a clean environment for children to return to when school starts again, it’s also important to make sure that environment is healthy. Unfortunately, many common cleaning products contain chemicals that can negatively affect health, and children can be especially susceptible to this danger.
Corrosive cleaners like bleach, ammonia, drain cleaner, oven cleaners, and lye can have the most serious immediate effects on children’s health. Some short-term symptoms from these chemicals include eye-irritation, respiratory problems, headaches, and sneezing.
Other chemicals aren’t immediately dangerous, but prolonged exposure can lead to serious risks and irrevocably damage a child’s health. Chemicals like diethanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA)—sudsing agents found in many all-purpose cleaners—can contribute to an increased risk of cancer later in life.
Other chemicals can cause long-term hormone disruption, leading to decreased sperm count and some possible male birth defects. One of the many possible causes of these hormone disruption symptoms are some substances in most detergents called alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs).
Many of these chemicals can flow into the water through drains, affecting the environment around schools, homes, and businesses as well. Phosphates are commonly found in water and most -phenol compounds are toxic and non-soluble. Any carcinogens that can permeate the skin are incredibly dangerous for developing bodies. If they can be kept out of school environments as much as possible, we can lower health risks for children.
That’s why at ServiceMaster Cleaning by Simons, we support green cleaning products.
Contact ServiceMaster Cleaning by Simons
today for commercial cleaning services in Chicago, IL.
Nasutsa Mabwa is the CEO of ServiceMaster Restoration By Simons, a nationally recognized, award-winning disaster restoration firm serving Cook, DuPage, and Lake Counties. Under her leadership, the company has become one of Chicagoland’s most trusted providers of water and flood damage restoration, fire and smoke damage cleanup, mold remediation, and specialty cleaning services for both residential and commercial clients.
A respected business and civic leader, Nasutsa has received numerous honors for her contributions to the industry and her community. Her accolades include:
- Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies - 2025 recipient
- Top 100 Women to KNOW in America (2024) by KNOW Women & JPMorgan Chase
- Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40
- SB100 Best of Small Business Award
- 2020 BBB Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics
- Stevie® Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year
- 2020 Daily Herald Business Ledger C-Suite Award
- 2018 ServiceMaster® Achiever Award
She is IICRC-certified in both Water Damage Restoration (WRT) and Fire & Smoke Restoration (FSRT), combining technical expertise with visionary leadership. Nasutsa holds a Master’s in Urban Planning & Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MBA in Real Estate Development from Roosevelt University.
Beyond her business achievements, Nasutsa is an active community advocate. She is a Board Member of the Civic Federation, an Advisory Board Member, and Past President of the Executive Committee for the Evanston Chamber of Commerce. She is also a long-standing member of the Women Presidents Organization (WPO).
She is the co-author of RESTORE: A Complete Guide to Protecting Your Home As Your Most Valuable Asset, an essential guidebook for homeowners navigating the challenges of water and fire disasters.
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