$1 Million on Household, Laundry and Cleaning Supplies

The Department of Veteran Affairs and the Department of Transportation were among the departments that spent the most on household, laundry, and cleaning supplies.

by Amanda Griffin-Johnson

Using our transparency website, IllinoisOpenGov.org, I found that in 2008 and 2009 the State of Illinois spent over a million dollars on household, laundry, and cleaning supplies. In 2008, the Department of Veteran Affairs spent the most with $436,058.77, and the Department of Employment Security came in second with $21,763.07. By the time of our FOIA request in 2009, the Department of Transportation spent $256,024.62, the Department of Veteran Affairs spent $181,885.70, and the Department of Military Affairs spent $107,659.32. The table below breaks down the spending by year and department.

There are 381 vendors listed for the expenses. The three vendors who received the most are Industrial Soap Company ($119,823), Shelby County Comm Serv Inc ($104,720), and Aladdin Temp-Rite LLC ($65,198).

To find these expenditures on the IllinoisOpenGov site, go to “Checks to Businesses & People” and scroll down “Category of Spending” to “House Laundry & Cleaning Supp,” “Household Cleanin&Laundry Equip not exceeding $100,” “Household, Laundry & Cleaning Supplies,” “Household, Laundry and Cleaning Supplies,” “Household, Laundry&Cleaning Equip, Not > $100,” “Household, Laundry&Cleaning Supplies,” “Household/Cleaning Supplies,” and “Hshld, Laundry, Clean Supplies.”

*Expenses showing “$0” have been classified by their respective departments, and were not available through the FOIA.