Keeping daycare centers clean is essential to providing safe and healthy environments for children. Regular cleaning helps prevent the spread of germs and illnesses and maintains a pleasant atmosphere for the kids and staff. This blog post will discuss what areas and surfaces need regular cleaning, how to build a complete daycare cleaning schedule and the benefits of proper cleaning in daycare centers.
What Areas and Surfaces Need Regular Cleaning?
When cleaning a daycare center, certain areas require more frequent attention than others. Areas that need daily cleaning include bathrooms, kitchens, common play areas, classrooms, hallways, door handles, light switches, desks, tables, chairs, toys/play equipment, etc. On the other hand, surfaces such as countertops and floors require more rigorous cleaning and sanitizing. It’s also important to keep an eye out for things like mold growth or pest infestations that may require special treatment from a professional service.
Read More on Natural Cleaners for Home Daycares
How to Build a Thorough Daycare Cleaning Schedule
Building an effective daycare cleaning schedule requires prioritizing tasks such as sweeping floors versus wiping down windowsills. Once you have determined which tasks need to be done first and how often each task should be done (e.g., daily versus weekly), you can assign specific staff members to do those tasks conscientiously. You’ll also want to ensure that your staff is using the right tools and products for each area/surface—for example, using non-toxic cleaners on toys—and providing training for them on how to use those products safely.
Areas that may easily pick up germs include:
- Infant and toddler toys are often dropped or put into mouths
- Countertops where food is prepared
- Door and cabinet knobs since they can be touched with dirty hands
- Drinking fountains as they’re used regularly by kids and adults
- Napping blankets – especially if multiple kids share them
- Toilets and sinks for obvious reasons
- Floors that can collect dust and dirt from shoes
Dedicating 10 minutes daily to cleaning these main surfaces will help keep your daycare a relatively bacteria-free space.
In some environments, it is vitally important to ensure that surfaces are properly sanitized to ensure the health and safety of everyone. Without proper sanitation, germs and bacteria can quickly proliferate, causing illnesses that can potentially spread from person to person.
Examples include:
- Potty chairs
- Isolation areas
- Changing space
- Dining tables after meals
- Kitchen sinks
- Food prep surfaces
- High chairs – both before and after meals
- Mouthed toys
It is critical to clean these surfaces frequently so everyone can be safe from potential contaminants or bacteria.
It is essential to stay on top of your daycare cleaning, but sometimes it can feel like you’re playing catch up with all the tasks that need attention. Some cleaning concerns don’t fit into a standard schedule because they don’t have to be daily, such as dusting furniture or cleaning out the fridge and storage room. And let’s not forget about cleaning food stuck in the dishwasher or giving your oven an overdue scrub. You can do these types of tasks on a quarterly or monthly basis.
Devoting a little bit of attention each day, each month, or each quarter will ensure you keep up with all these tasks and your daycare remains fresh and hygienic.
A thorough daycare cleaning schedule has many benefits for both the children and staff. Keeping the facility clean can help prevent the spread of germs and illnesses, create a safe environment, and provide a positive learning experience for the children. What other benefits have you seen from implementing a strict cleaning schedule?
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