Daycares are notorious for being harbingers for germs and spreading them. Children come into the centres with germs which spread like rapid-fire amongst the rest of the children as well as the daycare workers. Furthermore, families are trusting daycares to care for their children while they’re at work, and this is not limited to keeping children active, learning and happy, but also entrusting that they are in a safe and healthy environment. Because the spread of germs happens so easily in daycares, it is essential to have a tip-top maintenance, cleaning, and disinfecting routine in place. Here are 7 tips for keeping a clean and healthy daycare.
Washing, washing, washing.
There’s never too much washing in a daycare. Having a bin where toys and items that have been contaminated (such as gone in mouths, gotten dirty) near a sink or washing stations can help keep the spread of germs contained. However, when doing the washing, ensure that the products that you’re using are safe for children.
Hands free bins, faucets, dispensers.
Having hands free utilities in a daycare serve two purposes: they are easy for children to use, and hands-free means that they don’t have to touch anything, therefore not spreading germs all over everything. Win-win!
Sanitize first, then clean up, then disinfect.
Before putting away anything that has been played with, it’s essential to sanitize the toys. Using sanitizing products that are safe for food surfaces is a must, even for toys, as infants and toddlers tend to put everything in their mouths. Disinfecting is the last step – using a non-toxic surface cleaner for tables, chairs and counters, putting any towels or clothes into the washing machine and dryer and putting anything that can go in the dishwasher through a cycle to super disinfect.
Tackle spills and messes immediately.
Don’t let them sit. Spills and messes can spread easily or even stain. As soon as it happens, clean it up and sanitize it.
Start and end the day with thorough cleanings of high traffic areas.
Every morning and evening, bathrooms, changing areas, play areas, lobbies and entrance ways and kitchen areas really need to be cleaned properly.
Vacuum daily.
Morning and night, it’s important to vacuum all the areas. Don’t let tracked dirt, food crumbs, bits and bops from arts and crafts stay on the daycare floors day in day out.
Hire professional cleaners to deep clean the whole daycare monthly.
Even with daily deep cleans, there are just some jobs that are best left to the professionals. Because daycares, more than most businesses, really tend to get dirty and germy, having professionals come in for monthly cleanings at the least can really make the difference in maintaining your space.
Daycare maintenance is of utmost importance. Families trust that daycares are taking care of their young ones, and ensuring that the environment that they are spending time in is hygienic. While taking the proper protocol daily is essential, it’s also important to have a commercial cleaning company as part of your maintenance routine.