5 Childcare Hygiene Tips: Developing Health and Safety for Kids

Encouraging good hygiene at an early age helps children to develop lifelong hygiene habits. This can significantly reduce the risk of bacterial infections and cross contamination throughout their development.

Since children are often unaware of the importance of hygiene, it is important to educate them on proper hygiene practices and safety procedures. Parents, educators and supervisors should also learn how to implement different strategies to reinforce these crucial hygiene habits. 

Here are the 5 hygiene tips for the childcare sector below: 

Encourage Proper Hand-Washing Practices

Hand hygiene is one of the most powerful ways of eliminating the spread of nasty germs and bacteria. 

Children are often engaged in different activities, whether this be cooking, playing in the sandpit, touching toys and equipment or doing arts and crafts. They also tend to cough and sneeze a lot without covering their mouths/noses, while leaving saliva on different objects and surfaces. 

These activities often involve a lot of contact with bacteria, dirt and grime which can be easily transferred from one child to another. This high degree of physical contact with other children creates a risky environment that can further worsen the spread of infectious diseases and illnesses such as the flu. 

Hand hygiene is useful for combating this risk. Fresh & Clean provides a flexible range of hand hygiene products designed for any washroom facility. This includes instant hand sanitisers and soap dispensers, along with paper towel dispensers and an electronic hand dryer – these all can be placed in any school washroom facility so it becomes available for childrens’ use.  

Through proper discussion and hygiene education programs, children can be taught to properly wash their hands with soap (or protective hand cream) and water before or after meals, after going to the toilet, after wiping their nose, after engaging in messy activities and playing outside. This can be reinforced through the use of Hand Washing posters in school washrooms. 

Regularly Clean Equipment & Toys 

Equipment and toys are high-risk of nasty germs and bacteria. Children tend to touch all kinds of grimy surfaces and equipment, especially after touching toys or playing sport outside. Sweaty palms and clammy hands during sport can be a huge risk for further bacterial spread, especially when children are sharing the same equipment (bats, balls, rackets, monkey bars, hula hoops, etc.). 

Besides sports and outdoor games activities, other interactive children activities such as playing with musical instruments, arts and crafts, classroom games or role-playing can involve person-to-person contact, which could cause infections and illnesses to be spread easily among children. 

Many children are also unaware of the proper hygiene procedures when preparing food or sharing eating utensils, such as not re-using food utensils which have been dropped on the floor, tying back their hair, or not sneezing and coughing into food. 

To prevent the spread of infection and bacteria, childcare supervisors and daycare managers must regularly clean equipment and toys. Fresh & Clean’s Managed Washroom Service provides a comprehensive range of washroom products and services which are designed to suit the requirements of any childcare environment. This includes washroom sanitisers, clinical services and hand soap dispensers which are regularly maintained and replenished. 

Keep Facilities & Play Areas Clean 

Keeping children’s facilities and play areas clean is essential. Children are constantly exposed to nasty germs and bacteria whether this be muddy sports fields, playgrounds, the sandpit, greasy kitchen surfaces, the washrooms and school classrooms. These environments are often grimy and smeared with frequent contact by other children. 

To provide a clean and hygienic environment for children, supervisors should implement an Intensive Biological Treatment which is a revolutionary professional deep-cleansing service that can eliminate every bit of dirt and grime from toilet and urinal systems, along with any toxic chemicals. By installing a powerful biological cleaning system, childcare facilities can use a combination of bio-friendly soaps and natural ‘bugs’ that eradicate nasty germs, bacteria and odours within 24 hours.

Children’s washroom facilities and play areas can also be managed by using a toilet Seat Sanitiser which uses a fast-drying liquid to remove invisible microbes and bacteria, leaving the school toilets constantly spotless and sparkling clean. This device even has antimicrobial buttons to keep the washrooms 100% hygienic. 

Using Sharp Waste Bins is another important way to keep children’s facilities and play areas both hygienic and safe. Whether children are involved in art and crafts activities or food preparation, sharp waste bins are crucial for the disposal of dangerous sharp objects (such as needles, syringes, razors, scalpel blades or broken pipettes). They also prevent further contamination with body fluids, blood, toxins or hazardous chemicals. 

Childcare supervisors can even create a fresh-smelling pleasant environment using Odour Control technology. There’s nothing worse than smelling the lingering odour of faeces and urine. Luckily, Fresh & Clean’s automatic wall-mounted air fresheners can ensure that all washrooms are always smelling aromatic and can completely eliminate malodours. Not only are they programmed to dispense a measured dose of fragrance at selected intervals, they are also environmentally-friendly.

Use Appropriate Nappy Changing & Disposal Methods 

Parents and daycare supervisors should ensure that they themselves are involved in the appropriate nappy changing and disposal procedures for children. When nappies are not regularly changed or properly discarded, they can present enormous hygiene issues which can threaten the child’s health. 

Childcare institutions should invest in Baby Change Tables which have protective straps and antibacterial polyester material, ensuring that children remain safe, comfortable and hygienic. The durable aesthetic design also features steel hinges for extra support and stability, enabling parents or carers to change nappies efficiently. With Fresh & Clean, these changing tables are regularly serviced, fixed and cleaned with antibacterial solution. 

These are accompanied by Nappy Disposal Units which have easy disposal mechanisms. The entire bin is replaced to minimise germ transfer and contamination. Every childcare facility needs to have a high-quality nappy waste disposal system so Fresh & Clean’s Managed Service can help you with providing these essential amenities to save you time and money. 

Display School Children Washroom Posters & Signs

Fighting germs and infection should always be a top priority for any childcare facility. However, hygiene and sanitation procedures are not at the top of every child’s mind. That’s why school and childcare institutions should educate them about the importance of good hygiene and implement different strategies for children to look after their health personally. 

This involves displaying School Children Washroom Posters & Signs around the schoolyards, playgrounds, washrooms and classrooms. By displaying these posters across various childcare facilities and environments, proper hygiene standards can be effectively reinforced. Kids should be taught the proper hand washing habits, how to maintain cleanliness, regularly flushing toilets, rubbish disposal and frequently drinking water. 

Childcare hygiene is extremely important and should be enforced as early as possible. Every parent, carer and supervisor should be taking the steps to enforce proper hygiene and sanitation methods for children. Fresh & Clean’s Managed Washroom Service can ensure that every childcare facility and school environment is meeting strict cleanliness and hygiene standards.  

Our versatile range of washroom products and services are constantly maintained and replaced for your convenience according to an agreed timetable. That way, your childrens’ health and safety is constantly prioritised.