This blog explains the importance of maintaining a clean childcare centre, and explores what childcare centre cleaning should cover and how often. To enquire about commercial cleaning services for your childcare centre or purchasing a Cleantastic franchise, get in touch with our helpful and knowledgeable team today.
Why Childcare Cleaning Is So Important
A clean childcare centre is of the utmost importance. All high-touch surfaces are prone to incubating germs that can cause illness, and many young children enjoy touching items and surfaces due to their innate curiosity.
Not only can this cause the child to become unwell if they touch a dirty object or surface, but if the child had harmful bacteria on their hands, this can then be transferred to the item or surface. If this is not cleaned before the next child touches it, the second child may put their finger in their mouth and ingest the germs that could make them ill.
In childcare centres, this can easily happen frequently which increases the chance of that bacteria being passed around between students and teachers.
How And Why Dirt And Germs Can Cause Issues
Young children often have a lot of curiosity in conjunction with a lack of good personal hygiene. Unlike adults, they’re usually not aware of the importance of good personal hygiene and why it’s important.
Because of this, infections can spread rapidly in childcare settings. Children have an instinctual need for human contact with those they’re close to, which can extend to friends and teachers in childcare centre settings. When a childcare centre is not thoroughly cleaned regularly, this can allow germs to spread faster and more easily.
As young children are building their immune systems, they can frequently become infected with illnesses such as colds and other respiratory infections. As such, they are more likely to sneeze and cough, both of which involve body fluid spills. The droplets from these fluids, however small, can attach to items and surfaces. If these are not cleaned and sanitised regularly, an outbreak of illness can occur quickly.
While sometimes these illnesses can be mild, it is also possible for a child with a health condition such as asthma to become seriously ill. All possible actions should be taken to mitigate this risk.
What Should Good Childcare Cleaning Cover?
Good childcare centre cleaning should cover as many items and surfaces as possible. This includes:
- Carpets
- Mats
- Other flooring
- Kitchen items such as plates, bowls, and utensils
- Toilets and nappy-changing areas
- Toys
- Books
- Bedding
Good childcare centre cleaning should also extend to areas the children do not frequent, such as administrative areas and rooms such as the kitchen. Anybody who prepares food should actively aim to prevent illnesses such as salmonella, giardiasis, hepatitis A, B, and C, and bacterial or viral meningitis, among others. This can be done by cleaning:
- Table surfaces
- High chairs
- Food preparation areas
- Sinks
- Doors
- Cabinet handles
- Light switches
- Floors
- Fridges
- Microwaves
- Ovens
Proper food storage and preparation are also key in preventing food-borne illnesses. Keep cold items refrigerated, discourage sharing food and drinks, and do not prepare food near nappy-changing areas or toilets.
How Often Should A Childcare Centre Be Cleaned?
A childcare centre should be cleaned daily, and some areas should ideally be cleaned twice daily. Individual items and surfaces that should be cleaned regularly in the following ways:
- Nappy-changing areas— while wearing latex gloves, clean with a dilated bleach solution
- Floors— vacuum daily and regularly clean and sanitise, especially in germ hot spots. Steam clean at least once every six months
- Curtains— wash every six months, spot-clean as required
- Kitchen cupboards— spot-clean as required, wash every three to six months using hot water and detergent
- Food preparation areas such as tables and benches— spot-clean as required, wash every three to six months using hot water and detergent. Clean and disinfect in between preparing cooked and raw food
- Eating areas such as tables— clean and disinfect before and after meals
- Kitchen areas such as sinks, floors, and cabinet handles— clean and disinfect once or twice per day, more frequently if visibly soiled
- Fridges— clean weekly by removing food spillage and cleaning shelves
- Microwaves and ovens— clean monthly, weekly in cases of food spillage
- Hand-washing sinks— clean and disinfect once per day, more frequently if visibly soiled
- Toys— wash at the end of each day in warm water and detergent. Some can be washed in the dishwasher, though ensure the dishwasher-safe toys are washed in their own cycle without any dishes
- Books— dust off and clean with moist cloth and detergent, allowing to dry before returning to children
Interested In Childcare Cleaning?
A clean childcare centre can give parents peace of mind as they drop their child off for the day, as it indicates the centre is a healthy and clean environment. This cleanliness can help to reduce illness and infection in children and childcare staff, which can allow a childcare centre to operate smoothly while keeping the wider community safer from harmful viruses and bacteria. If you’re looking for commercial cleaning for your childcare centre or are interested in buying a commercial cleaning franchise, contact our team at Cleantastic today.
