If you’re a childcare provider, you know that keeping children in a clean environment is important. Between dirty bedding, well-loved toys, and crumb-covered eating surfaces, daycares can be a breeding ground for nasty germs. Learning how to disinfect a daycare is a key step to keeping little ones healthy.
How to Disinfect a Daycare
Check Your State’s Requirements
All daycare facilities are required to comply with state health and safety standards. These standards are strictly enforced by regular inspections. Regulations can vary, so it’s important to check your state’s requirements before an inspection. Regulations can apply to water temperatures, the use of washing machines or dishwashers, and the different kinds of disinfecting solutions that are acceptable in each state. State requirements can also change on an annual basis, so make sure to stay up-to-date with the latest changes.
Go Beyond Washing
It’s obviously very important to thoroughly wash items like toys, bedding, and other common daycare surfaces with soap and hot water. However, it’s also important to learn how to disinfect a daycare to kill stubborn germs. While cleaning removes dirt and odors, it may not kill harmful germs that could make children sick. Pay special attention to disinfecting during cold and flu season, when little hands can spread illnesses incredibly quickly.
Try Your Washing Machine or Dishwasher
Check your state’s regulations to find out if you can use your washing machines or dishwasher to disinfect daycare items. Dishwashers and washing machines can save you a lot of time and hassle when disinfecting things like toys and bedding. You can wash durable plastic toys in the dishwasher, and your washing machine is a good tool for soft toys, bedding, and other linens. To disinfect items in the washing machine, make sure to add half of a cup of chlorine bleach to your colorfast cycles. If you’re washing non-colorfast material, make sure to use non-chlorinated bleach.
Use Safe Products
While washing machines and dishwashers can be a big help, you’ll need to wash and disinfect many daycare surfaces by hand. When disinfecting counters, tables, high chairs, and other common surfaces, make sure you’re using products that meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safety standards. Many facilities prefer to work with “hospital grade” products, which kill a variety of germs. However, these products can be dangerous or toxic to children. Make sure to read all labels before using any product in your facility. For example, make sure to stay away from cleaning products with “corrosive” labels. You should also be careful with commercial disinfectants or products that boast “germicidal action.” These products can be highly toxic, especially to children.
Consider a Germ Fogger
Even the most experienced childcare professional may forget to clean some daycare surfaces. Germs can be sneaky, especially during periods of high infection like cold and flu season. During those times, consider an EPA-approved germ fogger product. Germ foggers are aerosol products that are released from cans, allowing a disinfectant solution to work in even the hardest-to-reach corners of an area. Our SafeSpace® Disinfectant Germ Fogger is EPA-approved and capable of killing 99 percent of the germs responsible for colds, flu, staph, MRSA, and other common ailments.
In addition to tackling dangerous germs, the SafeSpace® Disinfectant Germ Fogger eliminates unpleasant odors with its powerful, hospital-grade contact disinfectant. It doesn’t leave behind any harmful residue, and no cleaning or wiping down is required after treatment. Most importantly, it is completely safe for all people – including the young children at your daycare.
Follow Product Instructions Exactly
When using commercial products to clean your childcare facility, make sure to read all labels and follow instructions exactly to avoid harmful chemical interaction. Make sure all products are EPA-approved, and don’t ever mix cleaning products with anything that a child may ingest.
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Keeping a childcare facility germ-free is essential to protect the health of the little ones in your care. At SafeSpace, we carry a full line of products to keep your daycare germ-free. Check out SafeSpace products today.
Copyright SafeSpace Company 2018
