Childcare Cleaning: The Checklist You Need

Running a childcare facility is a lot of work and has many challenges. If there is anything people have learnt recently, it is how important hygiene and cleanliness are linked to our well-being. When working with children, parents expect the professionals to have a certain standard of safety, cleanliness, and organisation.

There is a lot more to childcare cleaning than just putting the toys away, vacuuming, and taking the garbage out. You should have a whole cleaning schedule for when and how often items and the room gets cleaned in your facility. This post will break down precisely what you should be cleaning and how often it should be cleaned.

Organisation Is Key

Many different cleaning tasks need to be completed every day when running a childcare centre. That is why you should be organised. Make a checklist with the following tips and have them in a specific spot for you and your staff to see. Additionally, you can sit your team down and make a rota, so everyone is helping with the cleaning duties.

When you break up the tasks throughout the team, it will take less time.

Continuous Cleaning

The following are tasks that you should be doing daily. Everything on this list should be cleaned before and after each use:

• All diaper potty chairs and changing tables should be cleaned and disinfected. There should be no bodily fluids.
• Remember to use hand sanitiser or disinfectant wipes after every diaper change or if you have emptied the trash.
• Empty the diaper pails or trash bins before they are full.
• After each use, all handles and toilet seats should be wiped down with bleach.
• Wipe down all play area surfaces after each use with a disinfectant wipe.
• Food prep areas and countertops should be wiped down before and after each use.
• Leaving unwashed dishes in the sink to pile up is a big no. Wash them up immediately.
• Clean the sinks, and make sure there is no food or debris.
• All tables, chairs, and other surfaces should be cleaned before and after snack time.
• Toys should be picked up and put away if they are not being played with. If there are toys that have been bitten or dirty, put them in a safe space to be deep cleaned after the children are gone.

Daily Cleaning

When you have a daily cleaning schedule, your staff will understand what needs to be done, and they can divide up the duties amongst themselves. You should be cleaning the following things daily or throughout the day:

• Spray and wipe all the toys at the end of each day and put them back in the correct spot.
• All arts and crafts supplies should be cleaned up and organised.
• Mats, sleeping pads, and linens should all be checked for soil, and you need to wash them after every use.
• Sanitise and clean all kitchen equipment, countertops, and sinks.
• Vacuum all the soft surfaces and rugs in the centre and sweep and mop the floors.
• Go over all doorknobs, light switches, cabinets, phones, and computers with disinfectant.
• Scrub the toilets with bleach and disinfect. Also, remember to clean the sinks, countertops, and other surfaces.
• Wash the linens before putting them back on the changing tables or beds.

Weekly Cleaning

The following list involves things that you should be cleaning weekly. These can all be divided among the staff on a specific day, so it does not take as much time. Also, if you do this weekly, then the overall cleanliness of the facility will be well maintained.

• Wash and clean all dress-up clothes, toys, and special play items.
• Wipe and disinfect all reading material and bookshelves.
• Clear out the cubbies and wipe inside and out with wipes.
• Deep clean the crafts area and art supplies.
• Wipe the cribs and changing tables; make sure to go under the pads and mats.
• Change out all of the linens and wash and fold the used ones.
• Deep clean all of the rooms; this also means dusting difficult places to reach and wiping the walls.
• Thoroughly clean the bathroom; get behind the toilet and sink. Also, wipe and spray the bathroom stalls and walls.
• Clean the kitchen and all of the equipment. Take time out to check on all of the items in the fridge. Throw away anything that is expired and make a new shopping list.
• If you have a van or car, you should also deep clean that. Make sure to vacuum everywhere and wipe down the dashboard and handles.

Monthly Cleaning

Rotate the following list amongst the staff throughout the year, so it is not just one person who is stuck doing the monthly cleaning by themselves. This is a list of all the things you should be cleaning monthly:

• Inspect the drains and plumbing, ensure there are no leaks and nothing is clogged.
• Deep clean all the windows, curtains, and blinds. We have a post about how to deep clean blinds, so read that if you need some tips. If your curtains are fabric, then this is an excellent time to take them down and wash them.
• Vacuum behind furniture and dust windowsills and baseboards.
• Take everything out of all the closets, shelves, and storage containers. Wipe everything down and make sure it has been disinfected before organising it again.

Professional Cleaning

The following list should be left to the professionals to deep clean. It is useful when cleaning services come in and do the following because they are getting the germs and bacteria that you cannot get yourself.

• Have the company deep clean your carpets and upholstery a couple of times a year because there will be bacteria build-up on these heavy traffic items. This will also help get rid of any stains.
• Get your air ducts cleaned so there is no mould or dust. Having mould and dust in your centre can cause respiratory problems in children and make it harder for people to breathe.
• If you have hardwood floors, get them deep cleaned and polished to bring them back to life.
• Have the bathrooms and the kitchen deep cleaned, especially the grout. This will ensure less accumulation of mildew, germs, and bacteria.

While you can do everything you can to keep your space clean, there are also cleaning tips you can tell parents to do when they pick their child up from you. The following are tips that you can send to parents in a newsletter so that they can help with the cleaning process as well.

Tips for Parents

• Have hand sanitiser and disinfectant wipes ready in the car.
• Wipe backpacks and lunchboxes before jumping into the car.
• Throw away any uneaten or old food or snacks that cannot be stored and kept.
• Bring a spare bag for any soiled items your child may have.

Conclusion

Cleaning a childcare centre is vital for the health of everyone who steps foot in there. If you break up the cleaning duties throughout the staff, it will take no time to complete. Also, if you keep up with your cleaning schedule, you will notice that the cleaning is not that strenuous to complete.

Keeping a clean environment for yourself, your staff, and the children is vital when running a childcare centre. Make sure to follow these tips when it comes to your cleaning routine.

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