Daycare and School Cleaning Checklist
A cleaning scope for a daycare, preschool or school, room by room. It assumes your staff clean and sanitize during the day and the crew does the deep work after children leave.
How to use it
- Cross out what you don't need and add anything special to your building.
- Attach it to your janitorial RFP, and give every company the same copy so the proposals price the same work.
- Walk through the building with each company using it, and keep it as the scope in the contract.
The checklist: 29 tasks
Classrooms
| Task | How often |
|---|---|
| Clean and sanitize tables, desks and chair seats | Every visit |
| Wipe door handles, light switches and cubby tops | Every visit |
| Clean and disinfect classroom sinks and drinking fountains | Every visit |
| Vacuum rugs and carpet, mop hard floors | Every visit |
| Empty trash and recycling | Every visit |
| Wipe cubbies, shelves and window sills | Weekly |
| Clean interior glass and door windows | Weekly |
| High dusting: vents, lights and the tops of cabinets | Monthly |
Restrooms and diapering areas
| Task | How often |
|---|---|
| Clean and disinfect toilets, child-height sinks and fixtures | Every visit |
| Disinfect diaper-changing tables and the counters around them | Every visit |
| Empty diaper pails into the outside dumpster | Every visit |
| Restock paper towels, toilet paper and soap | Every visit |
| Mop the floor with a disinfectant | Every visit |
| Wash out diaper pails and lids | Weekly |
Nap rooms
| Task | How often |
|---|---|
| Vacuum and mop | Every visit |
| Wipe cots and mats, if the center asks for it | Weekly |
Kitchen and cafeteria
| Task | How often |
|---|---|
| Clean tables and chairs | Every visit |
| Sweep and mop the floor | Every visit |
| Empty trash | Every visit |
| Wipe walls and baseboards near eating areas | Weekly |
Hallways, gym and offices
| Task | How often |
|---|---|
| Mop or auto-scrub hallways | Every visit |
| Dust-mop the gym floor | Every visit |
| Spot-clean entrance glass and doors | Every visit |
| Empty office trash and vacuum | Every visit |
| Wipe locker fronts and handrails | Weekly |
Summer deep clean
| Task | How often |
|---|---|
| Strip and wax all vinyl tile | Over the summer break |
| Extract all carpet | Over the summer break |
| Screen and recoat the gym floor | Over the summer break |
| Wash windows, walls and light fixtures | Over the summer break |
Usually not included
Price these separately if you need them:
- Sanitizing toys and eating surfaces during the day
- Diaper changes and cleanup during the day
- Washing nap-time bedding, unless you arrange it
- Outdoor playground equipment
Worth knowing
- The standard most licensing rules draw on, Caring for Our Children, sets which surfaces get cleaned, sanitized or disinfected and how often.
- Ask whether your state's licensing rules require background checks for anyone working in your building after hours, and ask for proof.
- Ask for fragrance-free products where possible, and for the crew to finish well before children arrive.
What this costs where you are: daycare and school cleaning prices by city, or the 2026 cleaning cost index.
Want a local company to price it?
Send your building details. One licensed local company walks through it and sends a written proposal.
- Free, no obligation
- One company contacts you, not five
- Licensed, bonded and insured
- A written, itemized proposal