# Childcare Cleaning: What to Clean, How Often, and With What > A frequency table for daycare cleaning drawn from Alberta Health Services, with the Ontario checklist and the supplies that go with it. - **URL:** https://janitori.com/blogs/the-clean-room/childcare-cleaning **In this guide** - [How Often Should Each Daycare Area Be Cleaned?](#freq) - [How Do You Clean and Disinfect Toys?](#steps) - [What Does the Diapering Area Need?](#diaper) - [What Cleaning Supplies Does a Childcare Centre Need?](#supplies) Buyers searching “childcare cleaning” want a schedule they can hand to staff and a supply list to match. This guide sets out the frequencies in [Alberta Health Services Health and Safety Guide for Operators of Child Care Facilities (April 2025)](https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/wf/eph/wf-eh-health-safety-guidlines-child-care-facilities.pdf), adds the points from the [Public Health Ontario child care IPAC checklist](https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/C/25/child-care-centre-ipac.pdf), and lists supplies from our store that fit each task. It is a summary of two public-health documents, not a licensing opinion. Product prices change, so we quote none here. **Key takeaways** - Alberta Health Services puts changing tables and mouthed toys at cleaning and disinfecting after each child's use, and floors, tables, counters and light switches at daily and when soiled. - For toys, AHS gives four steps: wash and rinse first, then apply an approved disinfectant for 2 minutes, then air dry, and rinse toys that children mouth. - Mops and cleaning rags are on the list too, to be cleaned and disinfected after a day of use or as needed, so budget for spare heads and cloths as well as the chemicals. - The frequencies here come from Alberta's guide and the Ontario checklist; your province's licensing rules and your public health unit decide what binds your centre. ## How Often Should Each Daycare Area Be Cleaned? Most surfaces are daily, but the surfaces children put in their mouths and the changing table are after each use, according to Alberta Health Services. The table reproduces its Appendix F rows for the areas most centres ask about. | Area | How often | Step | Changing tables, potty chairs | After each child's use | Clean + disinfect | Toys, utensils and surfaces that go in the mouth | After each child's use, or use disposable single-use items | Clean + disinfect | Water tables and toys | Twice daily (midday and end of day) | Clean + disinfect | Countertops, tables, floors, light switches, doors, cabinet handles | Daily and when soiled | Clean + disinfect | Highchairs and plastic bibs | Daily and when soiled | Clean + disinfect | Toilet bowls | Daily | Clean + disinfect | Hand washing sinks, faucets, soap dispensers, door knobs | Daily and when soiled | Clean + disinfect | Crib rails, shelves, infant and toddler-level furniture | Twice weekly | Clean + disinfect | Activity centres, play mats, larger toys, chairs | Weekly and when soiled | Clean + disinfect | Mops and cleaning rags | After a day of use or as needed | Clean + disinfect | Carpets and large area rugs | Vacuum daily with children absent; deep clean at least monthly in infant areas, every three months elsewhere | Clean | Waste and diaper containers | Empty daily; clean weekly or as needed | Clean Frequencies are from the AHS Appendix F table (April 2025); the guide lists more areas, including cribs, cubbies, curtains, humidifiers and pet areas. Anything contaminated with saliva, mucus, vomit, urine, stool or blood is to be cleaned and disinfected immediately. ## How Do You Clean and Disinfect Toys? Alberta Health Services gives a four-step method for toys that do not go through an approved dishwasher: wash, rinse, disinfect for 2 minutes, then air dry. - **1.** Wash with detergent and warm water: For toys not run through an approved dishwasher, start by washing with detergent and warm water. - **2.** Rinse the detergent away: Rinse with clean, warm water, because the guide lists cleaning as a separate step before disinfecting. - **3.** Apply an approved disinfectant: Wipe, spray or submerge the item for 2 minutes in an approved disinfectant, mixed and used as that product's label says. - **4.** Air dry, and rinse mouthed toys: Let the item air dry, and give toys likely to be mouthed a potable-water rinse. The guide lists approved sanitizers and says a quaternary ammonium product must carry a Health Canada DIN. Strength, mixing and contact time come from the product's own label and safety data sheet, so read both before you set the routine, and test concentration regularly unless the product is premixed and marked with an expiry date. ## What Does the Diapering Area Need? A diapering area needs an approved disinfectant and liquid soap beside the table, and the pad is cleaned and disinfected after each use, per the Public Health Ontario checklist. The same checklist asks for a lined waste container with a foot-operated lid at the changing area, bar soap is not used, and soiled clothing and diapers are not rinsed at the centre. Alberta lists waste and diaper containers to be emptied daily and cleaned weekly or as needed. ## What Cleaning Supplies Does a Childcare Centre Need? Plan for gloves, a mop and bucket with spare heads, cloths you can clean and disinfect after each day of use, and a foot-operated waste container. From our store: [Ansell TouchNTuff nitrile](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/ansell-touchntuff-92-600-gloves-nitrile-5-mil-powder-free-green) or [PIP vinyl](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/pip-examination-gloves-vinyl-5-mils-powder-free-clear-class-2) exam gloves (the listing titles state material and thickness), a [RMP microfibre mop bucket and wringer](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/rmp-maintenance-microfibre-mop-bucket-wringer-strainer-11-us-gal-44-quart-yellow), a [M2 microfibre dust mop pad](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/m2-professional-dust-mop-pad-hook-and-loop-style-microfibre-10-l-x-5-1-2-w) for dry floors, and the [RMP step-on garbage can](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/rmp-maintenance-step-on-garbage-can-plastic-12-us-gal-capacity). Browse the full [gloves collection](https://janitori.com/en-ca/collections/supplies-gloves). We list these as supplies; the sources above, not this page, decide your protocol. ## Frequently Asked Questions ## How often should a daycare be cleaned? Alberta Health Services sets floors, tables, counters and light switches at daily and when soiled, changing tables after each child, and toilet bowls daily. Your own province's licensing rules govern your centre. ## What is the difference between cleaning and disinfecting in a daycare? Cleaning removes dirt with detergent and water. Disinfecting is a separate step that follows it. The Ontario checklist asks that items be washed, rinsed and dried before they are disinfected. ## What supplies does a daycare need for cleaning? Gloves, a lined waste container with a foot-operated lid for diaper changing, mop and bucket, and cloths you can clean and disinfect after each day of use. A [12 US gal step-on garbage can](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/rmp-maintenance-step-on-garbage-can-plastic-12-us-gal-capacity) is an example of the container. ## Do mops and rags need cleaning too? Yes. Alberta Health Services lists mops and cleaning rags for cleaning and disinfecting after a day of use or as needed. ## Related Articles - [Nitrile vs Latex vs Vinyl Gloves: A Commercial Buyer's Comparison](/blogs/the-clean-room/nitrile-vs-latex-vs-vinyl-gloves) - [Are Nitrile Gloves Food Safe in Canada?](/blogs/the-clean-room/nitrile-gloves-food-safe) [Shop Gloves](https://janitori.com/en-ca/collections/supplies-gloves)