Why is it important to keep a clean child care facility

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When planning your indoor child care atmosphere, your big concerns should be the safety and health of the children in your care. You will need to look for future hazards in your child care area and take steps to stop injury and dangerous conditions. You should also think about how your area will promote safe play and learning for the kids in your care.

Why hygiene is vital in child care?

When you consider all the activities in a child care center – cute people running around with their small hands touching everything, crayons, sharing toys, playing in sand, books, touching furniture, food and eating utensils, it is no shock that germs can spread so simply. This high degree of physical contact creates an environment in which germs and bacteria thrive, spreading infectious diseases. So, it is important to keep a clean, sanitized and hygienic facility.

How do infections spread?

Infection can spread in different ways. Some germs are in the air, coming from sneezes and coughs while others are extend through direct contact with surfaces and objects.

Encourage hygiene in child care services

There are several hygiene techniques that can be put in place in child care facilities to minimize the danger of infection. Some of these procedures are for kids while others are for parents or adults. Some of these techniques include:

  • Regularly cleaning and disinfecting equipment, toys and overall child care center. Using a professional cleaner is a must; having the right cleaner can do wonders for any child care facility.  There are many websites that allow you to find and compare cleaning quotes from many service providers.
  • Attracting children to follow principal rules of hygiene such as hand washing, not sharing drinks or food, covering mouth when coughing, using a tissue when they have a cold etc.
  • Encouraging adults to fully wash their hand and use hand sanitizers frequently. Avoid touching faces and rubbing nose and eyes.
  • Adhering to hygienic practices for toileting, nappy changing, and wiping kid’s noses
  • Maintaining hard hygiene practices in areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, rest/sleep areas and play areas.

Encouraging families to support best hygiene and cleaning practices

When a family practices best hygiene, it greatly helps the child care center as it will decrease the chance of carrying and moving infectious illnesses. Once again, one of the top methods for families to support the best hygiene practices of child care center is by drying and washing hands regularly. Additional, if families adopt the habit of washing their hands upon arrival and prior to leaving the facility, they will encourage good hygiene in children and greatly reduce the risk of bacterial transmission.

More helpful hygiene reminders for family members

Attract family members to reinforce hygiene habits is very helpful for all concerned. Some advises include:

  • Daily reminding children when to wash their hands, before and after meals, after the toilets, after playing with family pets or playing outside
  • Provide the kid with a change of underwear or clothes in case of accidents in child care
  • Most vital – keeping a child home if they are sick and only permitting the child to return once they are no longer contagious.

TEACHING YOUNG CHILDREN ABOUT CLEANING THROUGH SONGS

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It is funny how cleaning can be associated with songs. But, one thing that helps our clean up time is putting on some music. Songs are a great way to switch from one activity to the next. Generally, children love music and are most likely to respond to a song than spoken words. This is because songs will immediately get their attention and transition them into the next activity. As soon as they hear the “clean up” song, they will know it’s time to finish what they are doing and start to tidy up.


Clean Up!” is the perfect simple song to signal cleanup time at home or in the classroom. The clean up song was sung by Barney the Dinosaur and you can sing it to your children easily. This song can be used to transition from one activity to another by having your children help with cleaning and organizing stuff. Teach your kids the words to a traditional tune like London Bridge is Falling Down. This example uses the tune of ‘Row, row, row your boat’:
 

Clean, clean, clean up time

Put your toys away

Everyone, let’s get it done

It’s clean up time today

All you have to do is start playing or singing the song each time you need to clean up your room. You also have to be specific at the time assigned for your cleaning. Children will quickly get used to the song and engage in it when it is clean up time. The easiest way to teach young children skills is through routines and repetition. So, constantly repeating this song will make your kids get used to the song each time you clean.

NOTE: Each time you attempt to teach your children any cleaning song, try not to expect perfection. Your child might not get it at the first stance but with time and so long as he/she tries, they will surely get it someday.

Also, make sure you clean up always so that your kids will have the song laid in their heart. While playing the song, challenge the children to have everything cleaned up and turn off the song when they are done.

At home, use the “clean up” song to encourage children to pick up their belongings after they are finished playing. Or try singing it together (with or without the CD,) when doing chores around the house. Mind you, giving children too much cleaning responsibility is very bad. Do not make them clean the living room or handle any other hard chores. Offer them something more appropriate like to help with the dishes and take care of their rooms.

A final note: when composing clean up song, carefully remove negative lyrics so it does not impact the song, melody, rhythm or quality of a song. While playing the music, get the children to act out their roles as vacuum cleaners, busy bees or pickup trucks. If you are playing “clean up freeze”, get your kids to freeze. At the end of the day, you will have nothing but fun with your kids.