What should be included in a childcare cleaning policy?

A childcare cleaning policy must include: the facility's commitment to NQS Quality Area 2 and NHMRC Staying Healthy guidelines; identification of the responsible person for cleaning compliance; specification of GECA-certified products and TGA-listed disinfectants used; cleaning frequencies for each facility area aligned with NHMRC minimums; the nappy area disinfection protocol (after every change, Section 77); biohazard and vomit cleanup procedures (two-stage NHMRC protocol); outbreak response procedures aligned with AHPPC guidance; documentation requirements (signed cleaning logs, product register); and the review schedule for the policy itself (minimum annually).

How often should a childcare cleaning policy be reviewed?

A childcare cleaning policy should be reviewed at minimum annually. Additional reviews are triggered by: changes to the NHMRC Staying Healthy guidelines; changes to NQS standards or ACECQA assessment guidance; changes in the products used (GECA certification changes); changes to the facility layout or new rooms; following any significant outbreak or biohazard event; or when a new cleaning contractor begins service. ACECQA assessors look for a review date on the policy document — a policy that has not been reviewed or updated in more than 12 months may be noted as a Quality Area 2 documentation gap.

Do childcare cleaning policies need to be available to parents?

Yes. Under the Education and Care Services National Regulations, cleaning policies and procedures must be available for inspection by parents, authorised nominees, and regulatory authorities on request. The policy does not need to be actively distributed to families, but it must be kept at the facility and provided when requested. Some facilities include a summary of their cleaning policy in their parent handbook or enrolment pack as a transparency measure that supports Quality Area 2 assessment evidence.

What is the difference between a cleaning policy and a cleaning procedure in childcare?

A cleaning policy states the facility's commitment to maintaining a clean and hygienic environment, the standards it will meet (NQS QA2, NHMRC Staying Healthy), the responsible persons, the principles guiding product selection (GECA-certified, TGA-listed), and the review schedule. A cleaning procedure provides the operational detail: the specific tasks for each area, the frequency, the products and dilution rates, the step-by-step process (Clean → Sanitise → Disinfect), and the documentation requirements. Both documents are required — the policy establishes the framework; the procedure makes it operational.

Can a cleaning contractor provide the cleaning policy for a childcare facility?

A cleaning contractor can provide the cleaning procedure documentation — the specific tasks, products, frequencies, and logs that document what the contractor performs. However, the cleaning policy is the approved provider's document — it reflects the facility's commitment and the accountable person's responsibility, which cannot be delegated to a contractor. Golden Star provides clients with a complete cleaning procedure document, signed logs, and product register that satisfies the operational documentation requirements of NQS QA2. The approved provider then uses this contractor documentation as supporting evidence within their own cleaning policy framework.

Childcare Cleaning Policy & Procedure Template

Key Points — Why the Policy Document Matters

NQS Quality Area 2 requires that childcare facilities have a documented cleaning and hygiene policy and procedure. This is not a bureaucratic formality — it is the foundational document that links the facility's cleaning practice to the NQS standard and to the NHMRC Staying Healthy guidelines. Without a written policy, a facility cannot demonstrate to an ACECQA assessor that its cleaning programme is systematic, planned, and consistently applied rather than ad hoc.

The policy document serves three practical functions: it establishes accountability (who is responsible for each cleaning task and overall compliance oversight); it specifies the standard to which cleaning is performed (NHMRC frequencies, GECA-certified products, TGA disinfectants); and it provides the reference framework against which the daily cleaning logs, product register, and incident records are assessed. A cleaning programme without a policy document is undocumented; a documented cleaning programme without a policy is incomplete. ACECQA assessors look for both.

Policy vs Procedure — Two Different Documents

The policy states what the facility commits to and why — the standard, the principles, the responsible person, the review schedule. The procedure specifies how — the specific tasks, frequencies, products, dilution rates, step sequence, and documentation requirements for each area. Both are required for NQS QA2. Some facilities combine them into a single document; others maintain them separately. Either approach is acceptable provided both elements are present.

What Each Document Must Contain

The Cleaning Policy

Statement of commitment to NQS QA2 and NHMRC Staying Healthy guidelines
Named responsible person (approved provider or nominated supervisor)
Scope — facility areas and facility types covered
Product standards principle — GECA-certified, TGA-listed for disinfectants
Product accessibility and storage commitment (inaccessible to children)
Reference to biohazard and outbreak response procedures
Documentation commitment — signed logs, product register, SDS availability
Review schedule — minimum annually, with trigger conditions
Date of last review and author/approver signature

The Cleaning Procedure

Area-by-area cleaning tasks with NHMRC-aligned frequencies
Specific products for each area and each step (Clean / Sanitise / Disinfect)
Dilution rates and contact times for each product
Nappy area disinfection protocol — after every change (Section 77)
Biohazard and vomit cleanup two-stage protocol
Toy sanitisation procedure by toy material type
Outbreak response enhanced cleaning protocol
Term break deep clean scope
Documentation process — how logs are completed, where stored, retention period
Responsible person for each task or area

Policy Template — Key Sections and What to Write

The following template structure covers every element ACECQA assessors look for in a Quality Area 2 cleaning policy. Each section is described with guidance on what content to include.

Policy Template — Section by Section

1. Policy Statement

[Facility name] is committed to maintaining a clean, hygienic environment that protects the health and wellbeing of all children in our care. This policy is aligned with NQS Quality Area 2 (Children's Health and Safety), NQS Quality Area 3 (Physical Environment), the NHMRC Staying Healthy: Preventing Infectious Diseases in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings (5th edition), and the Education and Care Services National Regulations including Section 77.

2. Responsible Person

The [nominated supervisor / approved provider] is responsible for ensuring that this cleaning policy and the associated procedures are implemented, documented, and reviewed. Day-to-day cleaning responsibilities are assigned to [in-house staff / contracted cleaning service name] as detailed in the cleaning procedure.

3. Standards and Guidelines

All cleaning activities are performed in accordance with: NHMRC Staying Healthy 5th edition frequency and product requirements; NQS Quality Area 2 and Quality Area 3; Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011 (Section 77); and Victorian Department of Health infection control guidance for early childhood settings.

4. Product Standards

All cleaning products used in this facility are GECA-certified, non-toxic, VOC-free at harmful concentrations, and biodegradable. Disinfectants used in nappy change areas, bathrooms, and for biohazard events are TGA-listed products with registration numbers specified in the facility's product register. A current product register is maintained on site. Safety Data Sheets for all products are accessible at [location].

5. Documentation

A signed cleaning log is completed after every professional cleaning visit, recording areas cleaned, products used, time, and responsible person. A toy sanitisation log is maintained in each room. An incident-specific log is completed after every biohazard event or outbreak-related cleaning response. All records are retained on site for a minimum of 12 months and are available to authorised persons on request.

6. Review Schedule

This policy is reviewed annually, and additionally following any significant outbreak event, change in NHMRC guidelines, change to the NQS, change in the products used, or change of cleaning contractor. Last reviewed: [date]. Next scheduled review: [date]. Reviewed by: [name and position].

Action Steps — Creating and Maintaining Your Policy

Step 1 — Write the Policy First, Then the Procedure

Start with the policy — a single page or two that commits the facility to specific standards and names the responsible person. Once the policy is written and approved by the approved provider, write the procedure as its operational companion. The procedure should reference the policy (e.g. "In accordance with [facility name]'s Cleaning Policy, the following procedures apply…") to establish the linkage between the framework and the operational detail. ACECQA assessors look for this connection between policy and practice.

Step 2 — Map the Procedure to NHMRC Frequencies

The procedure should specify cleaning frequencies that meet or exceed the NHMRC Staying Healthy minimums for every facility area. A procedure that specifies daily cleaning of all areas but does not distinguish the nappy area after-every-change requirement from the daily floor-mopping schedule is ambiguous — it leaves room for the nappy area requirement to be interpreted as "once per day". Be explicit: "Nappy change area: disinfection with TGA-listed product after every nappy change, not once per day." Specificity is the standard ACECQA assessors apply.

Step 3 — Attach the Product Register as a Supporting Document

The product register should be attached to or referenced in the cleaning procedure. It lists every cleaning product used in the facility, the area of use, the GECA certification reference number, the TGA registration number for disinfectants, and the dilution rate. The register can be formatted as a simple table. If your contracted cleaning service provides a product register — as Golden Star does for every client — attach that document. It is already formatted in the structure ACECQA expects. See our products page for product register format reference.

Step 4 — Keep the Review Date Visible and Current

The single most common Quality Area 2 policy documentation gap is a review date that is more than 12 months old. An ACECQA assessor who picks up a cleaning policy and sees a review date from three years ago has immediate grounds to note a Quality Area 2 documentation deficiency — even if every other element of the policy is correct. Set a recurring annual calendar reminder for the policy review. The review does not need to result in significant changes — confirming that the policy remains current and updating the review date is sufficient if nothing has changed. Record the reviewer's name and signature alongside the updated date.

The Most Common Policy Documentation Failure

A cleaning policy that has not been reviewed in more than 12 months is the most frequently identified Quality Area 2 documentation gap in ACECQA assessments. Set the annual review reminder now — before an assessment visit, not after. If your policy was written when the service opened and has not been touched since, review and update it this week.

How to Write the Cleaning Procedure — Area by Area

The cleaning procedure is most readable and ACECQA-useful when it is organised by facility area rather than by task type. For each area, specify: the tasks to be completed; the frequency for each task; the product and dilution rate; the cleaning step (Clean only / Clean + Sanitise / Clean + Sanitise + Disinfect); and the responsible person. A procedure structured this way makes it straightforward for an ACECQA assessor to verify compliance for any specific area without needing to cross-reference multiple sections of the document.

The nappy change area entry is the most critical single section of the procedure. It should state explicitly: "Nappy change area: disinfection with TGA-listed disinfectant [product name, TGA registration number] applied at [dilution] for [contact time] after every nappy change. This is in addition to the general daily cleaning programme." The words "after every change" must appear explicitly — ambiguous language like "cleaned regularly" or "disinfected daily" does not satisfy the Section 77 requirement when read by an assessor aware of the legal standard.

Procedure for Biohazard and Outbreak Events

The cleaning procedure must include a separate section for biohazard incidents and infectious disease outbreaks. This section should describe the NHMRC two-stage protocol for vomit and faecal incidents (bulk removal before any liquid application), the PPE required, the TGA-listed disinfectant to be used, and the documentation process. It should also describe the enhanced cleaning protocol for outbreak periods — which areas receive disinfection, at what frequency, and how the completion is documented.

This section of the procedure is particularly valuable for staff training purposes. Educators who read a clear, step-by-step biohazard response procedure are better equipped to respond correctly before a cleaning contractor arrives — which is when the first-response decisions (bulk removal first, PPE before any contact) are most critical. A procedure that describes the correct process helps prevent the most common biohazard response error: adding liquid cleaner to vomit before removal. For full guidance on the NHMRC protocol, see our NHMRC guidelines article.

Using Contractor Documentation to Support Your Policy

If your facility uses a professional childcare cleaning contractor, the contractor's documentation can and should be incorporated into your compliance evidence. Signed cleaning logs from each visit, a contractor-provided product register with GECA and TGA references, and term break deep clean records are all documentation that a professional contractor should provide. This documentation does not replace the facility's own cleaning policy — the approved provider remains the accountable party under the NQS — but it provides the operational evidence that the policy's commitments are being fulfilled.

When selecting a cleaning contractor for your Melbourne childcare facility, verify that they provide: a written cleaning procedure that can be attached to or referenced in your facility's policy; signed logs after every visit; a current product register with certification references; and term break deep clean documentation. A contractor that cannot provide these elements is not providing a compliant childcare cleaning service regardless of the quality of the cleaning work itself. Golden Star provides all of these documentation elements to every client as part of the standard service. See our compliance page and services page for the full documentation package detail.

Frequently Asked Questions

A childcare cleaning policy must include: commitment to NQS QA2 and NHMRC Staying Healthy guidelines; named responsible person; specification of GECA-certified and TGA-listed products; cleaning frequencies aligned with NHMRC minimums; the nappy area after-every-change disinfection protocol (Section 77); biohazard two-stage cleanup procedures; outbreak response procedures; documentation requirements (signed logs, product register, SDS); and a review schedule with review date recorded.

Minimum annually. Additional reviews are triggered by: changes to NHMRC Staying Healthy guidelines; changes to NQS or ACECQA assessment guidance; product changes; facility layout changes; significant outbreak or biohazard events; or change of cleaning contractor. ACECQA assessors check the review date — a policy more than 12 months old without an updated review date may be noted as a Quality Area 2 documentation gap.

Yes. Under the Education and Care Services National Regulations, cleaning policies must be available for inspection by parents, authorised nominees, and regulatory authorities on request. The policy does not need to be actively distributed, but must be kept at the facility and provided when requested. Some facilities include a cleaning policy summary in their parent handbook as a transparency measure that also supports Quality Area 2 evidence.

The cleaning policy states the facility's commitment to specific standards, names the responsible person, and sets the review schedule — it establishes the framework. The cleaning procedure provides the operational detail: specific tasks for each area, frequencies, products with certification references, step sequence (Clean → Sanitise → Disinfect), and documentation requirements. Both are required for NQS QA2. The policy establishes the why and who; the procedure establishes the what and how.

A cleaning contractor can provide the cleaning procedure documentation — tasks, products, frequencies, and signed logs that document what the contractor performs. However, the policy is the approved provider's document — it names the responsible person and reflects the facility's accountability framework, which cannot be delegated to a contractor. Golden Star provides every client with a complete procedure document, product register, and signed logs that satisfy the operational QA2 requirements. The approved provider uses this contractor documentation as supporting evidence within their own policy framework.