How to Properly Clean a Daycare Room

With young children playing in a room all day, dirt and germs can spread very quickly. Laws and guidelines for daycare cleaning vary from state to state, so you should familiarize yourself with the laws and abide by your state's requirements. If you want your daycare to be spic and span to keep parents happy and children healthy, follow these guidelines for a proper cleaning.

Things You'll Need

• Bleach Water Spray bottles Broom Mop Rags Garbage liners Scrub brushes Toilet brush

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Instructions

• 1

  Make a bleach solution for general disinfecting and cleaning purposes with 1/4 cup of unscented bleach to 1 gallon of water for heavily soiled areas. The solution should be made fresh daily, as it loses it's strength quickly and remaining solution should be discarded at the end of the day. Put this into a clean spray bottle. Be sure that it does not mix with other chemicals or cleaning solutions, as some can have a toxic reaction when mixed with bleach.

• 2

  Clean soiled areas with soapy water and a rag, then rinse with a clean water rag. After dirt and soil is removed, spray them, and all heavily handled areas, with the bleach solution. Wipe with a clean, damp rag and allow them to air dry. Areas you should clean at the end of every day and throughout the day when necessary, are tables and other surfaces, chairs, rubber mattresses, changing tables and rubber pads, crib and changing table railings, stair railings, toy boxes, play or nap mats, all bathroom surfaces, fixtures, light switch plates, cabinet handles and around door knobs.

• 3

  Scrub toilet bowls daily with the bleach solution. Wipe the entirety of the bowl, as well as the base of the bowl where it connects to the floor. Scour sink basins daily. At least twice a week, wipe down bathroom walls and stalls with the bleach solution.

• 4

  Place any eating utensils, dishes, and cups that are not disposable in a dishwasher for sanitizing daily. Wash any teething toys or plastic toys that frequently go in the mouth daily with warm water and dish soap in a sink. Use a rag or scrub brush reserved for toys to remove any stuck-on debris. To disinfect, immerse them in a mixture of one gallon of cool water with 1 tablespoon of bleach for one minute. Allow the toys to air dry.

• 5

  Clean larger toys that are dirty with a soapy rag, rinse with a water-soaked rag, then spray and wipe toys handled frequently with the bleach solution and clean rag. Less frequently handled toys should be wiped down at least once a week to remove any dust or debris.

• 6

  Change crib sheets, pillow cases and cloth changing table covers on a daily basis if the children are put in direct contact with them and wash them in a washing machine before reusing. If you use paper or cloth liners, they should be changed after every use. If you use rubber or plastic liners, they should be wiped down after every use, and then change the cloth sheets or covers at least once a week, or more if needed. Stuffed animals or cloth toys and costumes should be washed in a washing machine weekly.

• 7

  Wipe any mirrors or windows that the children come into contact with on a daily basis. Any that the children do not reach or come into contact with can be washed as needed.

• 8

  All trash bags should be removed and clean liners should be put into them every night. If soiled, wash with soapy water and then rinse with a clean water rag, and spray and wipe with the bleach solution. Even if not visibly soiled, trash receptacles should be taken out, hosed down and cleaned with a bleach solution once a week.

• 9

  Pick up and shake out small rugs on a daily basis and vacuum carpeting daily. Steam clean rugs once per month or on an as-needed basis. Sweep all floors and mop each night with an Environmental Protection Agency approved commercial cleaning solution mixed with water. Once a week, or as necessary, scrub the baseboards and creases where the floor meets the wall before mopping to prevent a build-up of debris.

• 10

  Wash mop heads nightly and soak in a bleach solution for 10 minutes. Then rinse them, wring them out and hang them to dry. Any used rags should be collected in a laundry bag at the end of the night and washed in a washing machine before the next use.