To choose a daycare cleaning company, check five things before you sign: proof of insurance and workers’ compensation coverage, how the crew is screened and trained, a written scope that names every room and task, how problems get reported, and what the contract lets you do if the service slips. Price comes after those.
This is the daycare version of our guide to choosing a commercial cleaning company. It gives you the questions to ask and what a good answer sounds like. It doesn’t cover what gets cleaned or how often (see our daycare cleaning checklist), or how an evening shift runs night to night (see our guide to after-hours daycare cleaning).
Key takeaways: how to choose a daycare cleaning company
- Ask for documents, not promises: a certificate of insurance, a workers’ compensation clearance, training records.
- Ask who will actually be in your centre, and whether they are employees or subcontractors.
- Compare quotes line by line. Two prices mean little if one includes washrooms, toys and restocking and the other doesn’t.
- Ask how a missed clean gets reported and fixed, and who you call at 7 a.m.
- Read the trial and cancellation terms before the price.
Before you start hiring a daycare cleaning company
Before you choose a daycare cleaning company, write down what you want cleaned and when. A company can’t quote a centre it hasn’t seen, and you can’t compare quotes that describe different jobs.
- The earliest time the building is clear after the last pickup
- The number of rooms, washrooms and change areas
- Whether toys, the kitchenette and restocking are in or out
- Any rooms the crew must never enter
If you’re unsure what your licensing officer or public health unit expects from a contractor, ask them first. The licensee answers for the cleaning at inspection even when a contractor does the work.
Questions to ask a daycare cleaning company about credentials and insurance
1. Are you licensed and insured, and can I see the certificate? A good company sends a current certificate within a day or two. Check the expiry date and the liability limits. If your insurer or landlord requires it, ask whether the company will name your centre on the certificate.
2. Do you carry workers’ compensation coverage in my province? Ask for a clearance letter or certificate from the provincial board (WSIB in Ontario, WorkSafeBC, the Alberta WCB or the Manitoba WCB). If a crew member is hurt at your site, you want to know the company is covered. Your insurer can tell you what documents they expect on file.
3. Do you hold any independent certification? CIMS, the Cleaning Industry Management Standard from ISSA, certifies how a cleaning company runs its business: documented processes, training, quality checks and complaint handling. It doesn’t replace the questions below, but it tells you the company has written systems and has been audited against them.
Questions about the people a daycare cleaning company sends
4. Are the crew employees or subcontractors? This decides who trains them, who supervises them and whose insurance responds. Subcontracting isn’t automatically a problem. Not knowing about it is.
5. How do you screen crew who will work in a childcare centre? Ask whether the company runs police information checks, and whether it can provide vulnerable sector checks where your licensing requires them. Rules vary by province and by whether anyone could be alone with children, so confirm what applies to you with your licensing officer, then ask the company what it actually does. A vague answer here is a reason to keep looking.
6. What training do crew get before their first shift at a daycare? Expect WHMIS and safe chemical handling, body fluid spill response, and an orientation to your centre’s access and “leave alone” rules. Ask to see training records, not just a description.
7. Will the same people come each night? A small, steady crew learns your rooms, your storage and your routine. Ask how often crews change and what happens when someone calls in sick.
8. Who supervises the crew, and how often do they visit? You want a named supervisor who inspects the work, not only a phone number for complaints.
Questions about how they clean
You don’t need to be a cleaning expert to choose a daycare cleaning company. Ask to see the plan, then check it against your public health guidance, such as the Public Health Ontario cleaning and disinfection schedule for child care centres or the Alberta Health Services guide for child care operators.
9. Can I see a written cleaning plan for my centre? It should list rooms, tasks, frequencies and who does what, and it should follow your province’s child care guidance. If it looks like an office checklist with “toys” added at the bottom, the company hasn’t done daycare work before.
10. Which products do you use, and can I see the safety data sheets? A good answer includes a product list, the Health Canada DIN on each disinfectant, and an SDS for everything the crew brings. The checklist post explains why the DIN and the label’s contact time matter.
11. Do you separate cloths and mops by area? Colour-coded sets for washrooms, classrooms and kitchen areas are standard practice in child care guidance, including Manitoba’s Routine Practices guide. Ask how the company keeps them apart.
12. What do you do after a body fluid spill or during an outbreak? The company should have a protocol (the BCCDC outbreak guideline for child care facilities is one example), follow your public health unit’s instructions, and be able to come outside the regular schedule. Ask how fast. Everest offers rapid-response disinfection services for these cases.
Questions about a daycare cleaning company’s quote
13. What exactly does the price include? Get it itemized. Compare these lines across every bid:
- Rooms, washrooms and change areas
- Visits per week and hours per visit
- Toys and the kitchenette (in or out)
- Restocking: which supplies, and who buys them
- Periodic work such as carpet deep cleans
- Anything billed separately
14. Will you walk the centre before quoting? A phone quote is a guess based on square footage. A walkthrough shows the floor types, washroom count and storage. Ask for it to be free.
15. Why is your price different from the others? A much lower quote usually means fewer labour hours, a narrower scope, or both. Ask how many crew hours per night the price covers. Our office cleaning cost guide breaks down the main cost drivers.
Questions about how a daycare cleaning service communicates
16. Who do I call, and how quickly do you respond? Ask for a named contact and a response time, in writing.
17. What happens when a clean is missed or done badly? A good company fixes it quickly and tells you why it happened. Ask for an example.
18. Will I get a record of each visit? An end-of-shift log tells your morning staff what was done and what needs attention. Our after-hours guide shows what a useful entry includes.
19. Do you inspect your own work and share the results? Supervisor walkthroughs and scheduled quality checks tell you problems get caught before you find them.
Contract terms to check before you hire a daycare cleaning company
- Length of the term, and the notice you need to give to cancel
- A trial period or a short initial term
- How and when prices can increase
- Who is responsible if a key, fob or alarm code is lost
- Whether the company can bring in a subcontractor without telling you
- Who covers damage, and how a claim is handled
Quick checklist to choose a daycare cleaning company
| Area | Ask | A good answer | Walk away if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance | Can I see the certificate? | Current certificate sent promptly | No document, or it has expired |
| Workers’ comp | Are you covered here? | Clearance letter from the provincial board | “We’re all covered” with no paperwork |
| Screening | How are crew checked? | Clear process, matches your licensing | Vague or defensive answer |
| Training | What do crew learn first? | WHMIS, spill response, site orientation, records | “They figure it out on the job” |
| Plan | Is there a written plan? | Rooms, tasks and frequencies tied to your guidance | Generic office checklist |
| Quote | What’s included? | Itemized, based on a walkthrough | One number by phone |
| Problems | What happens after a missed clean? | Named contact, fast fix, a record | No process |
| Contract | How do I leave? | Clear notice terms, trial or short initial term | Long lock-in before you’ve seen the work |
What to expect at a walkthrough
A supervisor or crew lead walks the centre with you. They count rooms and washrooms, note floor types, ask about your handover window and access, and find out where supplies can be locked away. You should leave knowing what the quote will cover. Get two or three walkthroughs and written quotes before you choose a daycare cleaning company, so you can compare them line by line.
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose a daycare cleaning company?
Check insurance and workers’ compensation coverage, how the crew is screened and trained, a written scope, how problems get reported, and the contract terms. Then compare two or three itemized quotes after on-site walkthroughs.
How much does daycare cleaning cost?
It depends on the size of the centre, the number of washrooms and rooms, how often the crew comes, and what’s in scope. Ask for an itemized quote after an on-site walkthrough rather than relying on a per-square-foot figure.
Should a daycare hire a cleaning company or clean in-house?
Many centres split the work. Educators handle the “after each use” jobs during the day, and a crew handles floors, washrooms and deeper work after pickup. The daycare cleaning checklist shows one way to divide it.
Do cleaning contractors need a background check to work in a daycare?
It depends on your province and licensing. Some centres require police information or vulnerable sector checks for anyone with access to the building. Ask your licensing officer what applies, then ask the cleaning company what it does.
What insurance should a daycare cleaning company carry?
At minimum, liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage. Ask your own insurer or landlord whether they set minimum limits, and request a current certificate before the first shift.
How long should a cleaning contract be?
There’s no single rule. Ask for a trial period or a short initial term, with clear written notice terms, until you’ve seen the work for yourself.
How many cleaning companies should I compare?
Two or three is enough, as long as each one walks the centre and gives you an itemized written quote.
Talk to Everest before you choose a daycare cleaning company
Everest is CIMS certified, licensed and insured, and provides daycare cleaning services after closing from its offices serving Toronto, Ottawa, Kitchener–Brantford, Calgary, Winnipeg and Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. A free walkthrough is the place to ask every question in this article.
