After-hours daycare cleaning is the part of the job that happens once the last child has been picked up: floors, washrooms, high-touch surfaces and restocking, done so the centre is dry, stocked and ready before morning drop-off. This article covers how the evening shift runs, from arrival and alarm codes to the handover note staff read the next morning.
It doesn’t cover what to clean or how often. For daily, weekly and monthly tasks and provincial frequencies, see our daycare cleaning checklist.
When after-hours daycare cleaning starts
Everest schedules daycare cleaning after the last pickup and lock-up, so the crew doesn’t overlap program hours. Late pickups or a staff meeting can still push back the time the building is clear, so the start time needs to be agreed with the centre.
Agree on these points before the first night:
- The earliest arrival time, based on the centre’s posted closing time
- The centre’s handover window: when the last staff member locks up
- Which door the crew uses after hours
- What happens when a late pickup runs past the crew’s arrival
When you book with Everest, tell the team your handover window so the crew’s start time fits it.
Access, keys and alarm codes
Night access is the centre’s security, so it needs a written procedure. Settle these items before service starts:
- Who holds keys or fobs, and how they’re signed out
- A personal alarm code for the crew rather than a shared staff code, if the system allows it
- What to do if the alarm goes off: who to call, and in what order
- Rooms that stay locked, such as offices, medication cabinets and file storage
- The lock-up and arming routine at the end of the shift
Coordinating with closing staff
The handover at closing sets up the whole night. A short check-in, or a note left at a fixed spot, should cover:
- Rooms that are clear, and rooms still in use
- Spills, toileting accidents or illness during the day that need attention
- Items set out for tomorrow’s activities that must stay where they are
- Toys staff have already pulled for cleaning, and where they’ve been left
Educators know what happened in each room that day, and the crew needs that information before it starts.
Staff vs cleaner: who does what at night
Some tasks can’t wait for the evening crew. Change surfaces, mouthed toys and eating tables are handled by staff during the day as they’re used. The evening shift covers the work that needs empty rooms and time to dry.
The plan should also include a “leave alone” list: children’s bags and belongings, classroom projects, labelled storage bins, staff paperwork, medication cabinets and locked cupboards, electronics, teaching materials, personal food, and anything set up for the next day. If a toy looks damaged or unsafe, the crew should flag it for staff rather than throw it out.
Agree who covers each of these before after-hours daycare cleaning begins
Order of work for evening daycare cleaning
Floors go last. Otherwise the crew walks across surfaces it has just finished. A common order is:
- Empty garbage and collect anything that needs to go out.
- Clean washrooms and change areas.
- Clean surfaces, cubbies, benches and high-touch points, working from the back of the centre toward the entrance.
- Restock supplies.
- Do floors last, again from the back toward the entrance, so dirt from the entry isn’t tracked into classrooms.
Under benches and cubby units is easy to miss. Cups, crumbs, mittens and moisture collect there, so include it whenever the furniture can be moved safely.
Before morning drop-off after after-hours daycare cleaning
The building has to be ready when the first child arrives, which means wet surfaces and product odours are dealt with before opening.
- Leave the surface wet for the contact time on the product label, then let it dry. Schedule wet work early in the shift so floors and tables have time to dry.
- Work in well-ventilated space while cleaning. CCOHS’s guidance on working safely with cleaning products lists ventilation alongside reading the label and SDS before use.
- Book deeper jobs, like carpet extraction or floor refinishing, on nights or weekends with enough time to dry before children are back in the room.
- Put back anything moved for cleaning, such as chairs, mats and bins, exactly where it was.
Chemical storage and lock-up
Cleaning products in a daycare have to be out of children’s reach at all times, including the crew’s own supplies. Public Health Ontario’s IPAC checklist for child care centres includes “Cleaning and disinfection products are not accessible by children” (item 3.8). CCOHS adds the basics: store products in their original containers as the manufacturer instructs, check containers for leaks or damage, and keep them away from children.
For the evening crew, that means:
- A locked closet or cabinet for crew products and equipment, agreed with the centre
- No carts, buckets or spray bottles left in rooms at the end of the shift
- Labelled containers only, matching the products listed in the cleaning plan
- Safety data sheets available for every product the crew uses, so the centre can see them
Restocking supplies
Restocking at night means staff start the day with soap, paper towel and liners in place. Agree on:
- Which supplies the crew restocks: soap, paper towel, toilet paper, garbage liners, change-table paper
- Who buys them, the centre or the cleaning company
- Where stock is stored, and the minimum level that triggers a reorder note
End-of-shift log and handover notes
The handover goes both ways. The crew leaves a short record each night so the morning staff know what was done and what needs attention.
A useful log entry includes:
Agree where the log lives, for example a binder at the office door or a shared document, so the first staff member in can read it before children arrive.
For cleaning frequencies and a task-by-task log template, see the daycare cleaning checklist.
Frequently asked questions
What time does after-hours daycare cleaning start?
After the last pickup and lock-up. Everest doesn’t overlap program hours, so tell the team your handover window when you book.
Who locks up and sets the alarm?
Whoever the access procedure names. Agree it in writing before the first night, including what to do if the alarm is triggered.
Are surfaces dry before children arrive?
Wet work is scheduled early in the shift so surfaces can stay wet for the label contact time and then dry before opening.
Does the crew clean toys?
Only if toys are in scope. Everest cleans toys and high-touch surfaces when they’re listed in the quotation, so say whether you want them included when you book.
Does the crew leave a report?
It should. Agree on an end-of-shift log covering rooms done, issues found, supplies and security checks, and where staff will find it each morning.
Set up after-hours cleaning for your centre
Everest provides daycare cleaning services after closing. A walkthrough is the place to agree on the room list, access, storage and handover routine before the first night.
