The National Regulations require adequate health and hygiene practices (r 77) and premises, furniture and equipment that are safe, clean and in good repair (r 103). NHMRC’s Staying healthy (6th edition) sets the benchmark frequencies: frequently touched surfaces, toilets, kitchens and nappy change areas at least daily and when dirty; nappy change surfaces after every change; toys, sheets and towels daily; carpets vacuumed daily and steam cleaned every 6 months; sandpits raked daily. Clean with detergent and warm water first; disinfect after body fluid spills, once the area is clean.
A cleaning schedule and checklist based on Staying healthy, with the methods that make cleaning effective and the regulations it supports.
| Item or area | How often (Staying healthy) | Done |
|---|---|---|
| Door handles, light switches, taps and other frequently touched surfaces | At least daily, and when visibly dirty | ☐ |
| Tables, benches and other horizontal surfaces | At least daily, and when visibly dirty | ☐ |
| Toilets, bathrooms and hand basins | At least daily, more often if visibly dirty | ☐ |
| Kitchen and food preparation areas | At least daily, and when dirty | ☐ |
| Nappy change surfaces | After each nappy change and at the end of each day | ☐ |
| Toys | Washed at the end of each day; mouthed or sneezed-on toys set aside to wash | ☐ |
| Sheets, towels and tea towels | Washed every day | ☐ |
| Crockery and cutlery | Washed after every use | ☐ |
| Carpets and mats | Vacuumed daily; steam cleaned at least every 6 months | ☐ |
| Curtains | Washed every 6 months and when visibly dirty | ☐ |
| Sandpits | Raked daily; dug deeply at least monthly; topped up when sand is 10 cm below the edge | ☐ |
| Play dough | New batch each week | ☐ |
Frequencies are taken from the Staying healthy healthy environment chapter. They are minimums: clean more often when something is visibly dirty, and follow public health advice during outbreaks.
Detergent and water is enough for routine cleaning. Surfaces must be clean before any disinfectant is used, because disinfectant does not work well on dirty or dried material.
Staying healthy says toys should be washed at the end of every day in warm water and detergent, and mouthed or sneezed-on toys set aside to be washed.
No. Routine cleaning with detergent and warm water is enough. Disinfect after body fluid spills, once the surface has been cleaned.
After each nappy change and at the end of each day, with detergent and warm water, then rinsed and dried. Disinfect after cleaning if body fluids contaminated the surface.
On a hot setting of 60 degrees Celsius or more, then dried completely in the sun or a hot dryer.
Regulation 103 requires premises, furniture and equipment to be safe, clean and in good repair, and regulation 77 requires adequate health and hygiene practices.
WIDEN Law answers National Quality Framework questions with inline citations to the National Law, the Regulations and the NQS, so you can check the source provision yourself.
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