Commercial Cleaning in Daycare

February 26, 2015

Kids are filthy. I know it’s not a popular sentiment among parents, but that’s only because it’s true. They don’t think to stop and wash their hands whenever they touch something dirty; in fact, they may choose to writhe around uncontrollably in dirt just for the heck of it. They sneeze without covering their mouths and they wipe their noses on their hands and clothes. It’s really no stretch of the imagination to describe them as walking Petri dishes.

So then, when you drop your kid off at the local daycare, how often do you think “how clean is this place?” You’re not alone. When we choose a daycare, we obviously want to know about the quality of care our children will receive, the type of activities and toys they can access, and other information about the environment the daycare provides. Part of that environment is cleanliness. But how can you evaluate the cleanliness of a daycare or how can you even ask about it?

Let’s consider a few facts, when it comes to pre-school aged children:

They spend a lot of time on the floor.
They have frequent contact between their hands and mouths. In fact, they have frequent contact with their mouths and just about everything.
Children in daycares share everything from toys and snacks to colds and flues.
Children’s immune systems are still developing.

So given this information, how well or frequently your child’s daycare is cleaned should be an important question for any parent. Certainly, you’re not going to prevent every sickness and it’s actually important for your children to get sick sometimes in order to strengthen their immune systems. But more serious illnesses can often be prevented by proper hygiene at home and in the daycare.

Before choosing a daycare, feel free to ask about their cleaning routine. In fact, it’s not excessive to expect that toys, surfaces, and floors are cleaned on a daily basis. You probably want to have some information about what kind of cleaning supplies they are using, especially since many commercial cleaners are actually toxic to children and pets. And finally, you can even take some steps to ensure your child keeps clean by teaching him or her about proper hand washing techniques.

Nevertheless, always look for a daycare that works with a commercial cleaning company that specializes in cleaning daycares. They’ll often have the experience to know how to keep toys and play areas free of disease-causing germs but also the equipment and supplies to do the cleaning safely. After all, kids are filthy, but if the environment in which they spend most of their time is clean, then you don’t need to worry so much about what they might pick up.