How often should nursery toys be cleaned? (Nursery toy cleaning to deep clean and kill germs )

Nursery toy cleaning - how important is it?

The question of how important nursery toy cleaning is can be answered in just one word - essential! Parents are putting their trust in you and your nursery to keep their loved ones sage.

Toys and play equipment should be a source of both fun and learning for every single child within the nursery setting.

However, where toys are frequently shared between children, they may also become a source of infection and this risk needs to be minimised through the process of regular nursery toy cleaning, using the best products and correct cleaning methods.

Nursery toy cleaning
Nursery toy cleaning

Nursery toy cleaning - how to do it

It may sound obvious, but you should ensure that all toys and equipment are suitable for cleaning if being placed in your nursery. If you have toys that cannot be cleaned, then they must be discarded.

Your staff should check all toys and equipment on a daily basis. If anyone thinks that a toy is unsafe, or it is found to be damaged it should be removed immediately and taken to the duty manager for disposal or repair.

How often to clean toys

Nursery staff should clean toys and equipment as frequently as practicable, immediately when visibly soiled, during any suspected outbreak of illness and immediately upon contamination by bodily fluids, (i.e. blood, nasal and eye discharge,saliva, urine, vomit and faeces). Nursery toy cleaning rotas should be made available to all staff and should be displayed in each room.

How to clean hard toys

You should clean hard or plastic toys and equipment by washing them with water and a suitable detergent (see instructions for details on correct usage), followed by thorough rinsing and drying with a clean cloth or towels.

Hard nursery toy cleaning

How to clean soft toys

Dirty and heavily used soft toys should be laundered in a washing machine, following the manufacturer’s washing instructions as detailed on the care label. It will be necessary to dispose of any contaminated soft
toys that cannot safely go into a washing machine.

Soft nursery toy cleaning

Toys to avoid in your nursery

There are a number of toys that should be avoided in the nursery setting to remove any unnecessary risks. As a general rule, you should avoid toys that:

  • Have sharp points, jagged edges or rough surfaces.
  • Have insecure or small parts that could be swallowed or a choking risk.
  • Have sharp spikes or pins that could be exposed if a child pulls the toy apart or breaks it.
  • Computer games and videos with flickering lights that may trigger seizures in epileptic children.
  • Toys that fire objects.

Staff should ensure that all cleaning products are stored in suitable containers away from the access of children to ensure full COSHH compliance and keeping everyone safe.

At Green Fox Cleaning we provide daily cleaning services to nurseries of all sizes, both independent companies and larger groups with multiple venues.

Our highly vetted cleaning operatives are dedicated to each site, to ensure that personal pride is taken at every site, on every single clean. Our GPS tracking system monitored round the clock ensures you will never miss a clean and risk coming into a dirty nursery, being unable to open.

It is often the case that after a long day keeping all your little visitors safe and entertained all day, the last thing staff want to do is complete a full cleaning of your nursery.

To find out more about how Green Fox Cleaning can clean not only your toys but your nursery and keep it looking great, click here to learn more.

Fully vetted commercial cleaners