In response to your article in the Tam News, related to the cleaning products used by the
custodians at Tam, It seems the article lacked adequate information for readers.
Although an article titled “Tam’s cleaning products pose serious health risks to users”
definitely will capture the reader’s attention, it may be a bit misleading.
The following information may be beneficial in any future articles related to cleaning
products.

We have not purchased the 126 Vandalism Mark Remover since 2002 and the 177
Liquid Sunshine in aerosol, since 2003. This must be old inventory.

Also, in August of 2009 we replaced the 387 Visi Max Glass Cleaner with the 915
Concentrated Glass Cleaner, which is completely free of any hazardous materials. Our
new glass cleaner should be an A.

The graffiti wipes are a good replacement for the 126 Vandalism Mark Remover, as it
said in the article, it’s a much safer alternative.

Most importantly, the 262 Hepacide is our disinfectant. We have to use a quaternary
cleaner to kill bacteria and the quaternary is what puts this into a hazardous
category. Quaternary disinfectants are considered non-hazardous if used in diluted
concentrations.

Disinfectants such as the 262 Hepacide are our front line of defense against serious
staph infections such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococous aureas (MRSA). This type
of staph infection is a growing concern in public schools. There are not any disinfectants
on the market that do not contain a quat compound (that I am aware of). However,
when diluted at 64 to 1, as we have set in all your blend centers, the diluted product is
considered nonhazardous. The blend centers themselves are another way we insure
the safe handling of all our products. Their intention is to automatically dilute the
cleaning product to an effective yet efficient balance for cleaning.

We continue to strive to be green. The safety of our staff is always a top priority.
I have a great deal of information related to the cleaning products our district now
purchases and would be glad to assist the Tam News in it’s effort to bring information to
it’s readers.

Thanks,
Tony Catrino