It doesn't matter to me one way or the other, as long as it's clean. If this really does bother you,when you see them coming to your table with the cleaner,just politely ask them to spray the cloth. I doubt if it matters to them one or the other either.

Not at my table, when they clean an adjoining table. Doesn't seem an efficient use of the product either, to put most of it in the air to drift around instead of on the surface to be cleaned. I just thought things may be different in other countries. Australia's not exactly a world leader in health and environmental issues. I've been in eateries, and other shops, where the staff are trained not to expose customers to cleaners, which are irritating to a proportion of the population. It's a shame more people don't realise it's a simple thing that would make life easier for a few of us. But then the minority of people who need guide dogs still encounter problems taking them into shops sometimes despite the fact that they are legally allowed to. Sometimes I tell myself not to worry, there are people doing it much tougher than me in a world where people seem increasingly incapable of compassion. Other times I get annoyed because it's so easy to fix and if some shops can do it why can't the rest?

Maybe they never thought about it; just handed the spray and a cloth and told whoever to "go clean the table." Spray the cloth as opposed to spray the surface was likely never specified. This may be a case similar to TP--whether the roll goes end out or end to the wall is up to the individual.

If it's a place that you deal with as being a repeat customer, I think it would be worth a letter to the management explaining that you really like their food, service, etc. but you are allergic to the cleaner they use, so could they use XXX which also meet the health regs but doesn't have the allergen [you'd have to find out which cleaners do meet the regs while being suitable].

However, if it is a particular person standing near you and spraying stuff into the air in your direction, then I think you have a situation for the manager, explaining that most cleaners contain substances harmful to the eyes and so-and-so sprayed the cleaner into the air and at you. Explain [if it's true] that you were not harmed this time, but you really think he ought to explain to the staff how to use cleaners properly so that no one gets injured.