Daycare Cleaning Checklist– There are many challenges involved in running a daycare facility efficiently. It may feel more overwhelming than ever, especially when current events emphasize the importance of cleanliness and the well-being of everyone and everything we come in contact with. The classroom must be kept safe, clean, organized, and germ-free in order to provide the best possible learning environment. There is much more to cleanliness than just vacuuming, putting toys away, and taking out the garbage at the end of the day. You can keep things running like a fine-tuned machine by creating a daycare cleaning checklist or updating it regularly. The question then becomes, where do you begin when it’s time to implement a new cleaning program?
Organization is key
In order to keep your childcare center clean and free of germs and viruses, you have a number of different cleaning tasks to accomplish. By keeping everything organized, you can make sure that everything is done. Create a list that breaks cleaning tasks down into categories, then determine what tasks need to be done continuously, every day, every week, every month, and what tasks should be left to professionals. You can keep on top of everything that needs to be cleaned with a specific cleaning schedule that will divide up the work and help you prioritize what is most important first.
Make Cleaning Lists Easily Accessible
The staff and those who care for the cleaning must have easy access to the list and be able to check things off as they are done. In addition to ensuring that tasks are completed, posting a daycare cleaning checklist in a central location will help avoid cleaning the same things multiple times in instances where it is not necessary.
1. Continuous Cleaning
The following cleaning tasks should be completed continuously throughout the day. The following list contains items that must be cleaned both before and after use.
- Diaper changing tables and potty chairs must be cleaned and disinfected before and after use. Before and after each use, ensure that they are free of any bodily fluids.
- Hand sanitizer or disinfectant wipes should be used after every diaper change or after emptying the trash.
- Ensure trash receptacles and diaper pails are empty before they get full.
- The seats and handles of the toilet should be cleaned with bleach or disinfectant after every use.
- Surfaces in play areas should be wiped down after every use.
- Cleaning food prep stations, counters, and food storage areas is necessary before and after food preparation.
- Each time you use the dishes, you should wash them. Don’t leave unwashed dishes to accumulate.
- Keep sinks clean by removing food and debris.
- All seating areas, high chairs, and other surfaces should be wiped down before and after snack time.
- Make sure not-to-be-used toys are collected and stored away. It is best to put away dirty or chewed-on toys out of reach of children so they can be cleaned. After each use, spray toys with a sanitizing solution or soak them in it.
2. Daily Cleaning
Setting up a daily daycare cleaning checklist by following schedule will help staff stay on task and make it easier to divide up the cleaning duties. There are certain things that need to be cleaned daily; some even more than once a day.
- Toys should be wiped down with a spray bottle at the end of each day and returned to their designated spot.
- Keep craft supplies organized by cleaning them.
- Make sure mats, linens, and sleeping pads are clean after each use by checking for soil.
- Ensure that kitchen equipment, sinks, and countertops are clean and sanitized.
- Vacuum all rugs and soft surfaces in your daycare center and sweep and mop the floors.
- Doorknobs, cabinets, and light switches, along with all computers and phones, should be disinfected.
- Wash toilets with bleach to make them free of bacteria. Every day, disinfect all surfaces, counters, sinks, and sink faucets.
- Be sure to wash all linens before putting them on beds or changing tables.
3. Weekly Cleaning
These are all things that can be done on a weekly basis. You can schedule each of these tasks to be completed on a certain day. The reason for this is to make overall cleaning seem less significant and to make sure that they are completed thoroughly.
- Make sure all soft toys, dressing-up clothes, and special playthings are clean and washed.
- Make sure all books and shelves are clean and disinfected.
- Remove everything from cubbies and wipe inside and out with disinfectant wipes or spray.
- Perform a deep cleaning of craft and art supplies.
- Cleaning cribs and changing tables with bleach or disinfectants is a good idea. Make sure you clean under the mats and pads.
- You may want to wash and fold the old linens.
- Ensure that all activity rooms and the center are thoroughly cleaned. Dusting should be done as well.
- As well as wiping down the walls and hard-to-reach areas.
- Clean the bathrooms thoroughly and make sure you get to hard-to-reach places, like behind the toilet and under the counters. Spray and wipe the wall and floor of the bathroom.
- Thoroughly clean the kitchen and food preparation areas, including kitchen utensils and equipment. Make sure the refrigerator and cabinets are thoroughly cleaned as well.
- Verify the expiration dates of all foods and beverages. Discard any items that are expired or will not be used.
- Do a deep cleaning of the inside of any cars or vans used by your center for transportation. Ensure each vehicle is thoroughly vacuumed. Make sure you wipe down all door and window handles, along with all interior surfaces, including the windows.
4. Monthly Cleaning
The items on this list must include areas that need regular care. The load can be shared among all staff members throughout the year by rotating these tasks.
- Make sure the plumbing and drains are in good working order. If leaks or clogs are detected, fix them immediately.
- Remove all curtains, blinds, and shades from windows.
- Deep clean behind furniture, vacuum baseboards, and dust windowsills.
- Empty all storage containers and shelves, then deep clean them. Reorganize everything after you have taken everything out and wiped it down with disinfectant.
5. Professional Cleaning
Include items on this list that should be left to the professionals. Activities that require special equipment or need to be performed during off-hours.
To prevent the buildup of bacteria in areas with heavy traffic, deep clean your carpets or upholstery every few months. Furthermore, it will prevent stains from forming as well as treat them.
- Cleaning air ducts will ensure that mold and dust aren’t accumulating.
- Restore wooden floors by deep cleaning and polishing.
- Clean bathroom and kitchen surface thoroughly. Germs, mildew, and bacteria will be minimized by thoroughly cleaning the grout.
Furthermore, it is essential to inform parents what they can do to prevent germs from spreading when picking up their children from daycare, in addition to having a safe and routine cleaning procedure inside the center.
Tips for Parents During Pickup
- Make sure your car has hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes.
- Clean backpacks and lunch boxes before getting into the car.
- Any items that cannot be kept, such as old or uneaten lunches or snacks, should be thrown away.
- Soiled or dirty items that your child is returning home should be placed in a separate bag.
You can ensure the health, happiness, and cleanliness of the children and parents who visit your center frequently by maintaining a regular cleaning routine. Your business will remain healthy as a result! To get the best cleaning services in New Jersey, contact certified cleaning specialists to get help.