Daycare Cleaning Guide

Clean Daycare

Running a facility like a daycare presents a lot of challenges. With the pandemic still at bay, the cleanliness, and well-being of the kids, their parents, and even the daycare staff will be more gruesome than it already is. Most children are immunocompromised and with their health always at risk, providing the best possible environment for them means keeping the place safe, clean, and germ-free. Children are known to be a bit messy but it’s more than the usual organization that keeps a daycare much more different than cleaning other facilities.

If you think cleaning a daycare is just vacuuming, organizing the toys and other materials, and taking out the garbage then you’re already doing it wrong. The health of the children, staff, and other people involved are prioritized and optimized. Floorcare is given importance as children and teachers spend most of their activities on the floor.  

Ensuring Cleanliness and Safety

Infection control is the number one priority these days. Practicing regular hand washing and sanitizing is important but it is not enough if the surroundings are not kept clean. Infection control begins with making sure that the cleanliness of the environment is maintained as daycares could become breeding grounds for disease-causing bacteria and viruses. Here are some ways to keep daycares clean and safe for children.  

Green Cleaning Materials

Choosing the material for cleaning is one of the things that differs daycare cleaning from cleaning other facilities. When cleaning a daycare, it is vital that you choose chemical-free agents like green cleaning products. Green cleaning products are safe, biodegradable, non-toxic, and made with sustainable packaging which means it is good for children as well as the planet.

Children are vulnerable to chemicals. Using strong chemicals could have lingering chemical fumes that may be dangerous to them. They may have negative reactions to the chemicals in traditional cleaning products that may cause serious damage once they come in contact, inhale, or ingest it.

Using green cleaning products are safer as they do not include harmful chemical or ingredients. These products use natural cleansers and disinfectants that are usually found at home or bought in a grocery store. Not only are these products safer for the children, but they are also better for the environment.

These green cleaning materials could be used to clean and disinfect areas in the daycare that are commonly used or high-touched. Examples of these are tabletops, doorknobs, mats, and toys.

Cleaning, Sanitation, and Disinfection

These three words may be confusing to some as it may be thought of as words with the same meaning. They actually have three different meanings. Cleaning refers to removing dirt and contaminants. Sanitizing means reducing surface bacteria to a safe level while disinfection is pertaining to the act of destroying numerous types of organisms like bacteria and viruses. 

Cleaning the daycare regularly may not be enough as cleaning does not remove all the germs. Proper disinfection should be part of the regular cleaning schedule to make sure that the daycare is safe for the children.

Here are the most common ways to disinfect:

  • Use of bleach and water solution. This is an inexpensive way of disinfecting. Plastic toys could be disinfected with the use of a dishwasher. Soak the toys in a plastic bucket containing dishwashing liquid, then rinse the toys and allow them to air dry.
  • Use your washing machine to wash cloth toys, linens, and bedding. Add ½ cup of bleach to disinfect them.
  • Be careful with the disinfectants you use. Not all cleaning materials available in the market are safe to use in an environment that cater to children. Choose hospital-grade products that are promoted for use in child care. Read the product labels carefully to make sure they are safe. Do not use products that are labeled as dangerous or corrosive. They are toxic and leave fumes that may be inhaled by the children.

Bathroom Cleaning

Aside from toys, mats, and linens, bathrooms should also be cleaned and disinfected daily. It should be cleaned multiple times a day as ill causing bacteria and viruses usually breeds in moist environments like the bathroom.

Special Floor and Surface Care

Floors and surfaces are hot spots for germs in a child care environment. As most activities like plays are at the floor level, these should be prioritized during the cleaning schedule.

Play areas like mats and tables need to be cleaned multiple times a day to prevent the spread of diseases.  

During this pandemic cleanliness and disinfection is the top priority and may require your immense attention that is why maintaining a daycare can be overwhelming. Its environment can be a breeding ground for germs because of the nature of the activities done. Infectious diseases may spread easily, especially if cleanliness is not well maintained.

If it may seem like a big concern, you may opt to hire a commercial cleaning company to help in the maintenance and scheduling of your cleaning needs.

Commercial cleaning companies are knowledgeable and experienced in different types of cleaning. They have the right equipment that should be used in your facility may it be for child care or not. If you need any help with your cleaning needs, work with a seasoned cleaning professional. Contact us for more information.