Childcare Centre Cleaning Guide for Sydney

Young children explore the world with their hands and mouths. They crawl on floors, share toys, and touch every surface within reach, so illnesses spread quickly through a centre. That makes childcare centre cleaning one of the most important routines an early learning service runs. It's part of how a centre protects children and staff, and it's something families notice the moment they walk in. This guide is for centre directors, nominated supervisors and owners in Sydney. It covers how to divide cleaning between educators and a professional cleaner, what to clean and how often, and how to choose products that are safe around children.

Know the Framework Your Centre Works Within

Services operating under the National Quality Framework are assessed against the National Quality Standard, which includes children's health and safety and the physical environment. The NHMRC publication Staying Healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services is the main practical reference for hygiene in Australian centres, and NSW Health publishes guidance on managing outbreaks. Your cleaning schedule should support your centre's own hygiene policies. If your policy and this guide differ, follow your policy and check it against Staying Healthy.

Split the Work: Educators and Cleaners

In most centres, cleaning happens on two levels.

Throughout the day (educators)

Educators handle cleaning that has to happen immediately or between activities: wiping tables before and after meals, cleaning nappy change mats after each use, dealing with spills, toileting accidents and vomit, and removing toys that have been mouthed.

After hours (cleaners)

A professional cleaner handles the detailed, whole-of-centre clean once children have gone home: bathrooms, floors, kitchens, high-touch points, bins and the periodic deep-clean tasks. Write down who does what. Confusion about responsibilities is the main reason tasks are missed.

Daily After-Hours Cleaning Checklist

Playrooms and sleep rooms

• Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces: door handles, light switches, gate latches, cupboard handles, tap handles and bench tops. • Clean tables and chairs, including chair backs and table edges. • Vacuum carpets and rugs thoroughly, including under shelving where possible. • Mop hard floors with a neutral detergent, working from the cleanest rooms to the dirtiest. • Empty bins and replace liners. • Wipe cot rails and sleep mats according to your centre's procedure. Bedding is usually laundered on a set schedule or between children.

Bathrooms and nappy change areas

• Clean and disinfect toilets, child-sized basins, taps and flush buttons with bathroom-only equipment. • Clean the nappy change bench, including the sides, the step and the surrounding wall. • Empty and clean nappy bins, and wash the lids. • Restock soap, paper towel and toilet paper. • Mop floors last.

Kitchen and bottle preparation areas

• Clean benches, sinks, splashbacks and appliance exteriors. • Clean the fridge handle and the microwave inside and out. • Sweep and mop the floor, including under appliances where accessible. • Follow your food safety program for anything involving food contact surfaces.

Entry, foyer and staff areas

• Clean the sign-in tablet or kiosk, pens and the front counter. • Clean glass doors, especially at children's height, where hand prints build up quickly. • Vacuum or mop the foyer, and clean the entry mat. • Clean the staff room and staff bathrooms.

Weekly Cleaning Tasks

• Dust high surfaces, vents, ceiling fans and the tops of shelving. • Wipe skirting boards, doors and door frames. • Clean internal windows and glass partitions. • Clean the inside of the staff fridge and discard old food. • Wipe down storage tubs and the outside of cupboards. • Clean outdoor furniture, and sweep paths and verandahs.

Periodic Tasks

• Hot-water extraction carpet and rug cleaning. Our carpet cleaning service can schedule this during holidays or closure days. • Strip and reseal vinyl floors when the finish is worn. • Clean light fittings, exhaust fans and air-conditioning grilles. • Wash curtains and soft furnishings. • Clean external windows where safe and accessible.

Toys and Play Equipment

Toys need a routine of their own. Staying Healthy recommends cleaning toys regularly, and immediately when they've been mouthed or soiled. • Keep a "to be cleaned" tub so educators can remove mouthed toys straight away. • Wash hard plastic toys in warm water and detergent, rinse and air-dry. A dishwasher can work for suitable toys. • Launder soft toys and dress-ups on a schedule. • Choose toys that can be cleaned easily, and retire ones that can't. • Clean sandpits, outdoor play equipment and water play areas according to your policy, and cover sandpits overnight. Agree whether toy cleaning is included in the cleaner's scope or done by educators. Both arrangements work, as long as everyone knows which one applies.

Cleaning vs Disinfecting

Detergent and warm water, followed by rinsing and drying, removes most germs from surfaces and is suitable for most routine cleaning. Disinfectants are generally used for specific situations, such as nappy change areas, bathrooms, spills of body fluids, and during outbreaks of illness. They work best on a surface that has already been cleaned. When you do use a disinfectant: • Follow the label exactly, including dilution and contact time. • Store chemicals in their original labelled containers, locked away from children. • Keep Safety Data Sheets for every product on site. • Never mix products, particularly bleach with ammonia or acids. • Apply products when children aren't present, and let surfaces dry before children return.

Managing Outbreaks

When gastro, hand, foot and mouth disease or another infection moves through a centre, cleaning has to step up. Your outbreak plan should say: • Which areas get extra cleaning and disinfection, and how often. • Whether additional after-hours cleans are needed. • What changes for toys, bedding and shared equipment. • Who communicates with the cleaner, and how quickly an extra clean can be arranged. Follow NSW Health advice and notify your local public health unit where required.

Choosing Products for Children's Spaces

• Prefer fragrance-free or low-fragrance products. Strong scents can bother children with asthma or sensitivities. • Use the simplest product that does the job. Detergent and water is enough for most surfaces. • Avoid aerosol sprays in rooms used by children. • Ask your cleaner for their product list and SDS before they start.

Choosing a Cleaner for a Childcare Centre

Ask potential providers: • Have they cleaned early learning centres or schools before? • Do their staff hold Working with Children Checks where required, and police checks? • Will they follow your hygiene policy, colour-coding and product requirements? • Can they clean after hours, and lock up and set alarms reliably? • How will they record what was done and respond to issues? Our commercial cleaning service works to a written scope agreed with your centre. If your centre is part of a medical or allied health building, our medical centre cleaning checklist explains how we approach higher-risk areas, and our commercial cleaning contract checklist covers what to agree before you sign.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should a childcare centre be cleaned?

High-touch surfaces, bathrooms, nappy change areas, kitchens and floors are usually cleaned daily, with spot cleaning by educators throughout the day. Weekly and periodic tasks are added on top. Increase the frequency during outbreaks.

Should childcare centres use disinfectant every day?

Detergent and water are suitable for most routine cleaning. Disinfectants are generally used in specific areas and situations, such as nappy change areas, bathrooms, body fluid spills and outbreaks. Follow your hygiene policy and Staying Healthy.

Who cleans the toys in a childcare centre?

It varies. Many centres have educators clean mouthed toys during the day, and include a weekly toy clean in the cleaner's scope. Write down which arrangement applies.

Do cleaners need a Working with Children Check?

Requirements depend on the role and whether cleaners are present when children are. Many centres require cleaners to hold one regardless. Check the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian guidance and your own policy.

Book a Site Walk-Through

If you'd like a written cleaning scope for your centre, contact iCleanPro to arrange a visit outside operating hours. Related guide: School Cleaning: What a Good Program Covers

Childcare Centre Cleaning: A Practical Guide for Sydney Centres