How to Clean a Childcare Centre: Step-by-Step Methods Professionals Use
Quick answer
To clean a childcare centre properly, work from the cleanest areas to the dirtiest (offices and sleep rooms first, toilets and nappy areas last), top to bottom and dry to wet in each room. Use colour-coded cloths so toilet equipment never touches play or food areas, clean every surface with detergent and water before disinfecting where needed, and finish with floors. Check each room against a written checklist and sign the log.
Most childcare cleaning problems are not about effort — they are about order and method. A cleaner who mops the bathroom then walks the same mop into the baby room has moved germs, not removed them. A cloth used on toilet seats and then on a meal table is a gastro outbreak waiting to happen.
This guide sets out the step-by-step method professional childcare cleaners use, so you can train in-house staff, brief a contractor or check the work being done in your centre. For what to clean and how often, pair it with our childcare cleaning checklist.
Key takeaways
- Clean to dirty, top to bottom, dry to wet — the three rules that prevent re-contamination.
- Microfibre cloths and flat mops in four colours do most of the work; change cloths between rooms.
- Toys, mats and soft furnishings each need their own method — not one spray for everything.
- A 300 m² centre usually takes a trained team around 3 hours a night to clean to standard.
In this guide
The three rules: clean to dirty, top to bottom, dry to wet
Clean to dirty
Start in low-risk rooms (office, staff room, sleep rooms), move to play rooms and kitchen, finish in bathrooms and nappy areas.
Top to bottom
High dusting first, then benches and tables, then chairs and skirting, floors last — so falling dust is picked up.
Dry to wet
Dust and vacuum before any wet cleaning; wet dust turns to smear.
Light to heavy
Within a room, do the least-soiled surfaces first and the most-soiled last with a fresh cloth.
Equipment and products you need
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Colour-coded microfibre cloths (red, yellow, blue, green) | Lift and hold dirt with less chemical; colours prevent cross-contamination |
| Flat mop system with removable pads | Fresh pad per room — no dirty mop water carried between rooms |
| HEPA-filter vacuum | Captures fine dust and allergens instead of blowing them back into the air |
| Neutral detergent | Daily cleaning of almost every surface |
| Hospital-grade disinfectant or bleach | Body-fluid spills, soiled toilets and nappy surfaces, outbreaks |
| Food-safe sanitiser | Food-contact surfaces in kitchens and bottle prep |
| Disposable gloves, aprons, eye protection | Staff protection for spills and chemical handling |
| Lockable cleaning trolley | Keeps chemicals out of children’s reach during early-morning or late cleans |
Staying Healthy recommends making up fresh detergent solution daily in a clean, labelled container — and not topping it up during the day. See safe childcare cleaning products for dilution, storage and safety data sheets.
The nightly cleaning order, room by room
- 1
Walk-through and bins
Unlock, check the communication book for spills or issues, empty every bin and replace liners. Remove any toys educators have left in the “to be cleaned” tub.
- 2
Office, reception and staff areas
Dust, clean desks and the sign-in station, clean the staff kitchenette. Low-risk rooms first with blue cloths.
- 3
Sleep and rest rooms
Wipe cots, mattress covers and rest mats; dust; vacuum and mop. Detail in the sleep room guide.
- 4
Play rooms
High dust, clean tables, chairs, shelves and child-height glass; wash toys; vacuum rugs and mats; leave floors for the end.
- 5
Kitchen and dining
Green cloths only. Clean then sanitise benches, clean appliances, sinks and splashbacks, empty food waste. Kitchen checklist.
- 6
Bathrooms
Yellow for basins and surfaces, red for toilets. Clean then disinfect toilets and touch points; restock. Bathroom checklist.
- 7
Nappy change areas
Full clean of tables, steps, rails and walls; clean and disinfect nappy bins. Nappy area checklist.
- 8
Floors, last
Vacuum then mop hard floors from the furthest corner back to the door, with a fresh pad for each room. Wet areas last.
- 9
Check and sign
Walk every room against the checklist, record issues (damage, low stock, pests) and sign the log.
Surface-by-surface techniques
| Surface | Method | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Tables & benches | Detergent solution, S-pattern wipe, rinse if residue remains, air-dry | Underside edges children grip |
| Hard toys | Wash in warm detergent water, rinse, air-dry on a rack or run through a dishwasher if safe | Toys with battery compartments — wipe only |
| Soft toys & dress-ups | Hot machine wash, dry completely | Limit soft toys in baby rooms |
| Vinyl mats & cushions | Detergent wipe both sides, dry before stacking | Splits in vinyl harbour germs — replace them |
| Glass & mirrors | Microfibre with water or glass cleaner at child height daily | Avoid ammonia-heavy sprays around children |
| Carpets & rugs | Daily HEPA vacuum, spot-clean spills, termly hot-water extraction | Never vacuum vomit — remove and clean first |
| Vinyl & timber floors | Neutral detergent with flat mop; scrub termly | Slippery when wet — sign and dry before opening |
| Electronics & tablets | Device-safe wipe; never spray directly | Sign-in tablets are a top touch point |
Toys have their own guide: how to clean toys in a childcare centre. Carpets: childcare carpet cleaning guide. Outdoor areas: outdoor play area and sandpit cleaning.
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.
How long it takes and when to clean
| Centre size | Typical nightly clean | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Small (up to ~200 m², up to ~30 children) | 2–2.5 hours | 1 cleaner |
| Medium (~200–400 m², 30–50 children) | 3–4 hours | 1–2 cleaners |
| Large (400 m²+, 50+ children) | 4–6 hours | 2–3 cleaners |
Most long day care centres close between 6pm and 6:30pm, so cleaning usually runs from about 6:30pm to 10pm, or early morning before opening. Evening cleans give floors and toys time to dry overnight; early-morning cleans suit centres with late-finishing programs. Either way, children should not be present while chemicals are in use.
Safety while cleaning around children
- Chemicals stay in a locked trolley or cupboard, never left on benches or the floor
- Wet-floor signs out, and floors dry before children arrive
- No aerosol sprays or strong fragrances in rooms children use; spray onto the cloth, not the surface
- Every cleaner has a current National Police Check and, where required, a Working with Children Check
- Hazards (broken toys, loose fixtures, sharps in the sandpit) are reported in writing to the director
Quality checks that keep standards high
The best centres treat cleaning like any other part of quality improvement. A weekly director walk-through, a monthly scored inspection with the cleaning contractor, and a simple process for staff to log missed items keep standards from drifting. Sign-off records also give you evidence for NQS assessment.
Prefer to hand it over? Our Melbourne childcare cleaning service runs this exact method every night with WWCC-verified teams and a signed log.
Frequently asked questions
What order should you clean a childcare centre in?
From cleanest to dirtiest areas: offices and staff rooms, sleep rooms, play rooms, kitchen, then bathrooms and nappy areas, with floors last in each room.
What cleaning products are safe for childcare centres?
A neutral detergent for daily cleaning, a TGA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant or bleach for body fluids and outbreaks, and a food-safe sanitiser for food-contact surfaces. Keep safety data sheets on file and store everything locked away.
How long does it take to clean a childcare centre?
A small centre usually takes 2–2.5 hours a night, a medium centre 3–4 hours and a large centre 4–6 hours with a team of two or three.
Can educators clean the centre instead of a cleaner?
Educators should handle after-use tasks like nappy surfaces and meal tables. Full nightly cleaning after a long shift tends to be rushed and inconsistent, which is why most long day care centres use professional cleaners. See professional vs in-house cleaning.
Deep-dive guides in this topic
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)
- Safe Work Australia — Hazardous chemicals (labels, SDS and registers)
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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