Daycare and preschool cleaning requires steady attention because children touch everything. Tables, toys, cubbies, restrooms, nap areas, classroom floors, entry doors, and shared supplies all become part of the daily cleaning routine. Below is a practical daily, weekly and monthly checklist that daycare directors and cleaning teams can adapt. For a professional program, see our daycare and preschool cleaning services.
Daily Daycare Cleaning Checklist
- Classrooms: remove trash, clean tables, counters and chairs, and wipe doors, handles, light switches and cubby tops.
- Restrooms and handwashing sinks: toilets, sinks, counters, partitions, fixtures, mirrors, floors and dispensers, with supplies restocked.
- Snack and art areas: tables, chairs and floors after use, since spills and crumbs collect quickly.
- Floors: vacuum carpets and rugs, and sweep and mop hard floors in classrooms, hallways and play areas.
- Entry, lobby and sign-in area: doors, glass, counters and floors parents see first.
- Nap areas: floors cleaned around mats and cots, following your center's own policy for mats and bedding.
Weekly Tasks
- Detail-clean baseboards, cubbies and shelves
- Wipe vents, window sills and high-touch walls
- Clean staff rooms, offices and storage areas
- Spot-clean carpets and entry mats
Monthly and Seasonal Tasks
Plan deeper work on a monthly or seasonal schedule: carpet extraction, hard floor scrubbing and refinishing, window cleaning, and high dusting. School breaks and holiday closures are a good time for larger projects because rooms can dry and reset before children return.
Cold and Flu Season
During the cooler months, many centers ask for extra attention on high-touch surfaces such as door handles, faucets, light switches, tables and shared equipment. Follow the sanitation requirements that apply to your center's license and your own health policies, and make sure the cleaning scope matches them.
Who Cleans What: Staff vs. Cleaning Crew
Cleaning teams should coordinate with daycare leadership on how toys and learning materials are handled. Some items may be cleaned by staff during the day, while floors, shelves, bins, and surrounding surfaces can be part of the janitorial scope. Writing this split into the checklist avoids gaps, for example when teachers sanitize toys during the day and the cleaning crew handles floors, shelves, bins and restrooms after hours.
Build the Checklist Around the Facility
Every childcare facility is different. A good cleaning plan accounts for classroom count, age groups, flooring, restrooms, nap areas, playground access, food service, traffic, and operating hours. Stratus Clean Palm Beach builds daycare and preschool cleaning programs for centers across Palm Beach County, and also cleans schools and campuses.
Daycare Cleaning FAQ
How often should a daycare be cleaned?
Classrooms, restrooms and high-touch surfaces need cleaning every day the center is open, with weekly and monthly tasks layered on top. The right schedule depends on enrollment, age groups, hours and the requirements that apply to your center.
Should daycare toys be cleaned by staff or the cleaning company?
It depends on your policies. Many centers have staff clean and sanitize toys during the day, while the cleaning company handles floors, shelves, bins, restrooms and common areas after hours. Agree on the split in writing.
Can a cleaning company clean a daycare after hours?
Yes. Most daycare cleaning is scheduled after children leave, so classrooms, restrooms and floors are ready for the next morning.