Childcare Cleaning Tips for a Healthier Center

As a child care provider, you know how quickly germs, bacteria and illnesses can spread throughout your center, children and your staff. Every surface, from toys and books to tabletops, floors and walls can harbor unsafe bacteria and grime. Therefore, it’s essential that you make germ fighting a priority to stop the spread of sickness, create a healthier and safer environment, and ease the minds of parents who are frequently concerned about center cleanliness.

While you likely already perform a number of daily childcare cleaning tasks to keep dirt and bacteria at bay, here are some additional tips to amp up your current cleaning routine and keep everyone healthier:

Require frequent hand washing

In addition to washing up after using the bathroom and before and after eating, staff and children should wash when they arrive at childcare in the morning, between activities or after wiping a runny nose. Additionally, caregivers should sanitize or wash their hands frequently. Some centers opt to have all parents and children wash their hands immediately upon entering the center, a great practice to get into!

Check that you are meeting standards for cleaning and disinfection

When and where cleaning or sanitizing is required in a childcare facility varies by state or province. In general, sanitizing is expected areas where food is prepared, bathrooms and where diapers are changed, while regular cleaning is required throughout the childcare center.

Choose safe cleaning products

Be careful when selecting products for childcare cleaning. Young children are especially vulnerable to chemical exposure, so read all labels to avoid introducing toxic substances. Choose simple soap and water cleansers for cleaning, and for disinfecting or sanitizing, pick an approved product or bleach and water solution.

Carefully clean toys

Many child care centers have a policy that requires toys to be cleaned and sanitized at least once a day. Since toys are one of the biggest culprits when it comes to spreading germs, every time a toy is placed in a child’s mouth, it should be set aside until it can be properly cleaned and disinfected.

Remember that a cleaner center is a safer and healthier center for both children and staff! Keep these childcare cleaning tips in mind to minimize the spread of germs and allergens, and reduce the number of sick days among children and your employees.