Childcare Cleaning Checklist and Schedule: What the Staying Healthy Guidelines Say

Australia's national guidance on cleaning in childcare is Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services, published by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). The 6th edition came out in 2024. It sets out what to clean, how often, and with what. This guide summarises the cleaning parts for centre directors, and what they mean if an outside cleaner looks after your centre.

Regulation 103 of the Education and Care Services National Regulations requires the premises, furniture and equipment to be "safe, clean and in good repair". Element 3.1.2 of the National Quality Standard expects premises, furniture and equipment that are "safe, clean and well maintained". ACECQA's Guide to the National Quality Framework says assessors may discuss "schedules for cleaning all toys and equipment used by children", and may sight documented schedules for "the cleaning of buildings, premises, furniture and equipment".

Staying healthy also says that if a separate organisation provides cleaning for your service, you should tell its cleaning staff about its cleaning table. In other words, your cleaner's schedule should follow it.

This checklist follows the cleaning table in Staying healthy. It works as a daily, weekly and periodic cleaning schedule for a childcare centre, preschool or kindergarten.

Every day, and when visibly dirty: bathrooms (tap handles, toilets and doorknobs, with checks during the day), toys and objects children put in their mouths, surfaces children touch often such as benchtops, taps, cots and tables, and doorknobs.

Every week, and when visibly dirty: floors.

Beds, stretchers, linen and mattress covers: daily if children don't use the same items every day, weekly if they do.

Regularly, and when visibly dirty or contaminated: sofas, soft chairs, beanbags and cushions, low shelves, and other surfaces children don't often touch.

Wet areas: the kitchen, toilets and nappy change areas at least once a day, and again if they become visibly dirty or contaminated with body fluids.

Carpets, mats and curtains: vacuum carpets and mats daily and steam clean them at least every 6 months. Wash curtains every 6 months and when visibly dirty.

Toys: wash them at the end of every day, especially in rooms with younger children, in warm water and detergent, then rinse well.

Staying healthy says toys should be washed at the end of every day, especially in rooms with younger children, in warm water and detergent, then rinsed well. During the day, educators should set aside any toy a child has sneezed on or put in their mouth, so it can be washed before another child uses it.

Toilets, nappy change areas and the kitchen are wet areas: clean them at least once a day, and again if they become visibly dirty or contaminated with body fluids. Educators clean the nappy change surface after every change. After a spill of urine, faeces, vomit or blood, clean the area first and then use a disinfectant.

The guidelines say routine cleaning with detergent and water, followed by rinsing and drying, is the best way to remove harmful germs from hard surfaces. Scrubbing physically removes germs, rinsing takes away the loosened germs and the detergent, and drying makes it harder for germs to survive.

Spray bottles: if detergent is used from a spray bottle, spray the surface heavily and rub it. A fine mist wiped dry "is not enough to dislodge germs".

Fresh mixture daily: make up fresh detergent and water every day in a clean container, labelled with the time, date and detergent, and don't top it up during the day.

Disinfectant: use it after spills of body fluids such as urine, faeces, vomit or blood, and always clean first. Products labelled "hospital-grade" or similar are recommended. Bleach is not needed for routine disinfection and should never be used in a spray bottle.

No vinegar or bicarb: domestic kitchen products such as vinegar or bicarbonate of soda are not as effective against germs and shouldn't be used as cleaning products.

Order of work: start in the cleanest areas and finish in the dirtier ones, so germs aren't carried from a dirty room into a clean one. The guidelines also suggest colour-coding cloths by area, for example red for bathrooms, green for the kitchen and blue for general use.

Vacuuming: a vacuum with a HEPA filter is recommended. If you don't have one, finish vacuuming before children come into the room so the dust can settle.

Some cleaning can't wait for the cleaner. Spills of body fluids should be cleaned up immediately, the nappy change surface after every change, and toys that a child has sneezed on or put in their mouth set aside for washing. Staying healthy says centres should have ready access to cleaning equipment and products "even if an external provider usually cleans your service", including a spill kit.

A clear split works best: educators handle what happens during the day, and the cleaner handles the full daily clean, the weekly and periodic tasks, and keeps a record of what was done.

Is your schedule based on Staying healthy? The frequencies above should be in it, including the daily tasks and the 6-monthly carpet and curtain cleaning.

Do you clean with detergent, rinse and dry? A quick spray and wipe with disinfectant is not what the guidelines recommend for routine cleaning.

Can you give us a written schedule and a record of each clean? That is what assessors may ask to see under Element 3.1.2.

Who will actually be cleaning? The same people each time learn your centre's rooms, routines and access arrangements.

Staying healthy gives centres a clear, national standard to hold their cleaner to. We've cleaned a Ku-ring-gai kindergarten for more than 15 years, and we're happy to walk through your centre and build a schedule around these guidelines. See our childcare cleaning service or request a quote.

Sources: National Health and Medical Research Council (2024), Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services, 6th edition, section 3.2 Cleaning. ACECQA, Guide to the National Quality Framework (updated July 2026), Element 3.1.2 and regulation 103.