How to Choose a Childcare Cleaning Company in Melbourne: 10 Questions to Ask

The 10 questions to ask every childcare cleaning company

1. 1

   Does every cleaner have a current police check and Working with Children Check?

   Ask for the list of names and card numbers of everyone who will attend, and how the company keeps them current. Many Melbourne centres make a valid WWCC a condition of entry even for after-hours work.

2. 2

   Are cleaners employees or subcontractors?

   Either can work, but you need to know who is responsible for pay, supervision, insurance and checks.

3. 3

   Can you show certificates of currency?

   Public liability (commonly $10–20 million for childcare sites) and workers’ compensation. Ask for the certificates, not a statement.

4. 4

   What childcare experience do you have?

   Ask for current childcare or kindergarten clients and a reference you can call.

5. 5

   How do you follow Staying Healthy?

   Listen for clean-before-disinfect, colour coding, nappy area procedures, toy washing and body-fluid spills. See our infection control guide.

6. 6

   What products will you use, and can I see the safety data sheets?

   A chemical register should list every product with a current SDS. Ask about fragrance-free options for nurseries.

7. 7

   Will we have the same team each visit?

   Consistency matters for quality and child safety. Ask how leave and turnover are covered.

8. 8

   What happens in an outbreak?

   There should be a written escalation: more frequent cleaning, chlorine-based disinfection, extra visits at agreed rates. See outbreak cleaning.

9. 9

   How do you check quality?

   Look for signed nightly logs, a monthly scored inspection and a named supervisor you can call.

10. 10

    What are the contract terms?

    Notice period, price review dates, what is included, and how extra work is approved and charged.

Documents to request before you sign

Working with Children Check requirements depend on the work and whether children are present; check the Victorian WWCC rules for your situation. Requiring a WWCC for every cleaner is a sensible minimum for any early childhood service.

Red flags to watch for

• A price with no hours behind it. If a provider cannot tell you how many hours a visit includes, you cannot tell what you are buying.
• Quotes far below the market. Childcare cleaning typically runs $45–$75/hr; well under $45 an hour after-hours is hard to reconcile with award pay and insurance. See the cost guide.
• “We just use one spray for everything.” Childcare needs detergent cleaning, targeted disinfection and food-safe sanitising.
• No written scope or checklist. Disputes almost always start here.
• Different strangers every week. A revolving door is a quality and child-safety problem.
• Reluctance to provide certificates. Any legitimate company can email them the same day.
• Long lock-in with no performance clause. Good providers keep clients by performing, not by contract terms.

How to compare childcare cleaning quotes fairly

What a good childcare cleaning contract includes

• Scope of works by room and frequency (after-use tasks clearly stay with educators)
• Access times, alarm and key procedures, and who to call after hours
• Fixed price per visit, what it is based on, and the price review date
• Products, colour coding and chemical storage rules on site
• Child-safety requirements: checks, conduct, no photos, reporting obligations
• Outbreak escalation and the rate for additional visits
• Quality inspection schedule and how defects are fixed
• Notice period for either party (30 days is common)

Switching cleaning companies without disruption

1. 1

   Give notice per your contract

   Check the notice period and the return of keys, fobs and alarm codes.

2. 2

   Book a reset clean

   Many new providers start with a deep clean to bring the centre to a baseline they can maintain.

3. 3

   Induct the new team

   Walk them through rooms, the communication book, chemical storage and any child-specific allergies or sensitivities.

4. 4

   Review after two weeks

   Do a joint walk-through, adjust the scope and confirm the log is being completed.

How Cleaning Professionals approaches childcare cleaning

We clean childcare centres, kindergartens and early learning centres across Melbourne with police-checked, WWCC-verified teams, a consistent crew for each centre, colour-coded equipment, low-tox and fragrance-free products where possible, and a written checklist signed every visit. Pricing is one fixed price per visit after a free walk-through — a typical 3-hour visit is around $180 + GST, with no travel fees.

See our childcare cleaning service and request a walk-through.