Childcare Sleep Room Cleaning Guide: Cots, Mats & Linen
Quick answer
Clean childcare sleep rooms daily: wipe cot rails, frames and mattress covers with detergent and water, wipe and stack rest mats, bag used linen and vacuum or mop. Weekly, launder all linen (or sooner if soiled), move cots and mat stacks to clean underneath, and clean sills and blinds. Termly, remove and inspect every mattress and replace any with split covers. Use low-tox, fragrance-free products.
Sleep rooms are calm, dim and easy to overlook — but they are where children spend hours with their faces against shared surfaces. Coughs, runny noses, dribble and the odd vomit all end up on cot rails and mattress covers.
This guide covers cleaning cots, mattresses, rest mats, linen and the room itself. It also supports the safe-sleep practices your service already follows.
In this guide
Daily sleep room cleaning
- Wipe cot rails (where children mouth and grip), frames and slats with detergent and water; dry
- Wipe mattress covers on top and sides
- Wipe rest mats on both sides; dry before stacking so clean surfaces do not touch
- Bag used linen for laundering per your linen policy
- Wipe door handles, light switches, dimmer controls and storage
- Vacuum with a HEPA vacuum or damp mop; avoid stirring up dust while children are present
Fragrance-free, please
Strong-smelling products and aerosols are a poor fit for rooms where babies sleep. Spray onto the cloth rather than the surface, and air the room after cleaning.
Linen rules
- Each child has their own linen — never shared between children without washing
- Wash at least weekly, and immediately if soiled or the child goes home unwell
- Wash in hot water where fabric allows and dry completely before storing
- Store clean linen separately from used linen, in labelled bags or tubs per child
Want this cleaning done for your centre?
WWCC-verified, police-checked teams cleaning after hours across Melbourne. A typical 3-hour visit is around $180 + GST, with one fixed price per visit after a free walk-through.
Weekly and termly tasks
| Frequency | Task |
|---|---|
| Weekly | Move cots and stacked mats; vacuum and mop underneath and in corners |
| Weekly | Clean window sills, blinds and curtains’ hems; dust vents |
| Weekly | Clean storage tubs and linen shelves |
| Termly | Remove every mattress; clean all sides and inspect covers for splits — replace damaged mattresses |
| Termly | Wash curtains; clean light fittings and air-conditioning vents |
When a child is unwell
If a child vomits or has diarrhoea in a cot or on a mat, follow the body-fluid spill procedure: remove the spill, clean with detergent, disinfect, and launder the linen separately on a hot cycle. During a gastro outbreak, increase spacing between cots where possible and clean and disinfect sleep surfaces at least twice a day — see cleaning after an outbreak.
Our childcare cleaners include cot and mat cleaning in every nightly visit and move cots weekly as part of the rotation.
Frequently asked questions
How often should cots be cleaned in childcare?
Wipe cot rails, frames and mattress covers daily, clean underneath weekly, and remove and inspect mattresses each term.
Can children share sleep mats in childcare?
Mats can be used by different children if they are cleaned between uses, but each child should have their own linen.
What should childcare sleep rooms be cleaned with?
Detergent and water for routine cleaning, with disinfection only after body-fluid spills or during outbreaks. Choose low-tox, fragrance-free products.
This guide is part of
How to Clean a Childcare Centre: Step-by-Step Methods Professionals UseRelated deep dives
Want this cleaning done for your centre?
WWCC-verified, police-checked teams cleaning after hours across Melbourne. A typical 3-hour visit is around $180 + GST, with one fixed price per visit after a free walk-through.
Sources and further reading
- NHMRC — Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services (6th ed.)
- NHMRC — Staying healthy, Part 3: A healthy environment (cleaning, disinfection, body-fluid spills)
- ACECQA — National Quality Standard (Quality Areas 2 and 3)
This guide is general information for early childhood services. Always follow your service's policies, product labels and safety data sheets, and current advice from your regulatory authority and local health department. Prices are guide estimates only; your fixed price is confirmed after a free walk-through.
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