Most daycare cleaners and staff do a great job of cleaning their facilities. Though there is always those spots that slip your mind and sometimes get overlooked. Here we will list the top 5 places that we have found over the years get missed by almost everyone.
1.Breakroom
The breakroom is one of the germiest places in your facilities and is frequently overlooked due to the fact that the kids don’t use it. Though, it’s still imperative that the breakroom is clean for staff!
We aren’t just talking about the germs on the sink or the floors or the tables. In 2012 Kleenex studied the sanitary conditions of 5,000 different office buildings that house at least 3,000 employees daily. The results indicated that simple places like microwaves that weren’t being cleaned properly carried more germs than the bathroom door in some cases!
The researchers swabbed all kinds of surfaces in various offices and analysed the bacterial contamination on each surface. The percentage of surfaces they considered to have high level bacterial contamination were:
- 75% of breakroom
- 48% of microwave door handles
- 27% keyboards
- 26% refrigerator door handles
- 23% of water fountain buttons
Although the study was conducted on office buildings, you can only imagine a daycare centre would have similar, if not worse, results! So what are you waiting for? Get in there and clean that breakroom! Or else, to take the stress out, hire a professional cleaner like us to do it.
2. Curtains & Blinds
You probably clean your windows regularly, but what about the blinds or shades that cover them? They need TLC too. Whether they’re vinyl, wood, fabric, or aluminium, window blinds are great at keeping a room cool, providing privacy or blocking out light, but when it comes to collecting dirt, dust, germs and bacteria they are also experts at that. That is why they need that little bit of extra care, that people often miss.
If your curtains and blinds continue to be neglected, you will need to replace them more frequently, and cleaning blinds is considerably cheaper then replacing them. Many people are nervous about cleaning blinds in case they’re ruined in the process, but cleaning them regularly can keep them in tip-top condition throughout their lifetime. Check out this great DIY tutorial for some more info on how to do it yourself.
3. Vents & Ducts
These past couple of years Covid-19 has been making “back to school” look very different from previous years. With the increasing importance of fresh air, it is more vital than ever that your air-conditioner vents and ducts should be regularly cleaned.
Now, about getting a professional to take it apart and give it a deep clean (although that is recommended every 6-12 months). You can simply do it yourself to maintain a clean airflow throughout your daycare rooms. Check out this guide on an easy way to clean vents and ducts yourself.
4. Light Switches & Door Handles
Light switches and door handles are two other common items that are often overlooked, even though it is something that everyone in the building is constantly touching. It has become more popular since the spread of the Covid-19, but many people are still not doing it effectively.
In order to clean these surfaces, you can use a spray on disinfectant or disinfecting wipes. However, a good thing to do is always make sure the areas remain wet for 10 minutes. This with assure that germs, bacteria, and any potential virus are gone for good.
It is recommended that you do this at least 3-5 times throughout the day, as it will really help to stop the spread of germs and maintain a virus free environment for the kids and staff.
5. Furniture & Upholstery
We saved the best for last. Daycare furniture often slips under the radar when it comes to cleaning tasks. After all, if it doesn’t look dirty, why clean it? But when talking about cleanliness, what you can’t see can still hurt you.
Even if your furniture doesn’t look dirty; dust, oil, residue, and bacteria are piling up on a daily basis. Especially with fabric couches and chairs. These pieces should be cleaned regularly to stop the spread of germs throughout your facility. Check out this article to find out how to do it yourself.
Now, I think that’s just about everything. Good luck! Get to cleaning. If you need a hand, call today to book a free walk through of your facilities. We clean daycares all over the Gold Coast, QLD area and we are experts in the field.