Day Care Cleaning Service in Montreal — Professional CPE & Garderie Cleaning
Short answer: A professional day care cleaning service handles disinfection, surface sanitization, bathroom and changing-area cleaning, toy sterilization, floor care, and waste management for daycares, CPEs, and garderies. Pricing in Montreal ranges from $0.12 to $0.30 per square foot, or $200 to $1,500 per visit depending on facility size and frequency. Most daycares book daily or 3× weekly evening service.
Cleaning a daycare is not the same as cleaning an office. Children put toys, doorknobs, and floors in their mouths. They share bathrooms. They sneeze on every shared surface. A standard office cleaning service doesn't have the protocols — or the right disinfectants — to keep a childcare environment safe. This guide explains what a proper day care cleaning service covers, what it costs in 2026, and what to look for when hiring.
Why Day Care Cleaning Is Different from Regular Cleaning
Three things make daycare cleaning a specialized service:
1. Disinfection, not just cleaning
"Clean" means visibly free of dirt. "Disinfected" means surfaces have been treated with EPA-registered or Health Canada-approved disinfectants that kill viruses, bacteria, and norovirus. Daycares need both — and the disinfectant has to be safe for children to touch within the contact-time window.
2. Child-safe products only
Standard bleach-based and ammonia-based cleaners can't be used in occupied daycare spaces. Daycare cleaners use hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectants, food-grade sanitizers, and quaternary ammonium compounds rated for childcare environments. Anything VOC-heavy, fragranced, or aerosol-based is off the table.
3. Regulatory accountability
In Quebec, CPEs and licensed garderies operate under the Ministère de la Famille's Règlement sur les services de garde éducatifs à l'enfance. Cleaning standards are part of licensing inspections, and missed protocols can affect your permit. A professional cleaner who understands these requirements protects your license, not just your floors.
What's Included in a Day Care Cleaning Service
✓ Daily / Per-Visit Daycare Cleaning Checklist
- Disinfect all high-touch surfaces — doorknobs, light switches, handrails, table tops, sink faucets
- Sanitize and disinfect all bathrooms — toilets, sinks, soap dispensers, child-height surfaces
- Clean and disinfect changing tables — separate cloths, hospital-grade disinfectant
- Empty and sanitize trash and diaper bins — including odor control
- Vacuum carpets and rugs — HEPA-filter vacuums for allergens
- Mop hard floors — child-safe disinfectant, no slip residue
- Wipe all reachable wall surfaces — food, art supplies, fingerprints
- Disinfect kitchen and food-prep areas — counters, sinks, exteriors of appliances
- Wipe and disinfect cribs, cots, and nap mats
- Restock supplies — paper towels, soap, toilet paper, hand sanitizer
- Spot-clean visible smudges on glass, mirrors, and partitions
- Take out all garbage to outdoor bins
✓ Weekly Deep Disinfection Checklist
- Sterilize all shared toys — wipe-down or soak in approved disinfectant
- Deep clean and disinfect all bathrooms — grout, behind toilets, ventilation grills
- Wash all soft furnishings — rugs, pillows, washable upholstery (when applicable)
- Strip and disinfect cribs, mats, and bedding storage
- Detail kitchen appliances — inside microwave, refrigerator exterior, deep oven/stovetop
- Wash interior windows and glass partitions
- Wipe baseboards, vents, and ceiling corners
- Floor strip / wax / polish — quarterly, depending on floor type
Day Care Cleaning Service Cost (Montreal 2026)
Daycare cleaning is priced as commercial cleaning, not residential. The three pricing models:
| Pricing Model | Typical Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Per square foot | $0.12 – $0.30 / sq ft | Standardized facilities |
| Per visit (flat rate) | $200 – $1,500 | Variable conditions |
| Monthly contract | $1,200 – $6,000+ / month | Daily or 3× weekly service |
What changes the price:
- Facility size — a 1,500 sq ft home garderie costs much less than a 6,000 sq ft CPE
- Frequency — daily service is cheaper per visit than once-weekly
- Number of bathrooms — high-touch areas take disproportionate time
- Kitchen presence — full meal-prep kitchens add 15–30 minutes per visit
- Outdoor area — if you want patio/playground hard-surface cleaning included
- Floor type — vinyl and tile clean faster than carpet
Real Montreal Pricing Examples (2026)
| Facility Type | Size | Service | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home garderie | 1,200 sq ft | 3× weekly evening | $1,200 – $1,800 |
| Small private daycare | 2,500 sq ft | Daily evening | $2,400 – $3,200 |
| Medium CPE | 4,000 sq ft | Daily evening + weekly deep | $3,200 – $5,000 |
| Large CPE / chain | 6,000+ sq ft | Daily + weekend deep | $5,000 – $8,000+ |
One-time deep cleans (post-construction, end-of-year reset, post-illness outbreak) are typically $0.30–$0.60 per square foot or $600–$3,000 flat.
When Should a Daycare Get Cleaned?
Most Montreal daycares schedule professional cleaning after closing — usually between 6 PM and 11 PM — so disinfectants have full contact time before children arrive the next morning. Three common schedules:
- Daily evening cleaning — recommended for facilities with 30+ children. Fresh disinfection every night.
- 3× weekly evening cleaning — common for smaller garderies. Mon/Wed/Fri or Tue/Thu/Sat.
- Weekly deep clean + daily light touchups by staff — works for very small home daycares.
Bathroom and changing-area cleaning should never be less than daily. High-touch surfaces (doorknobs, tables, faucets) should be disinfected at least twice daily — once by professional cleaners, once by staff between activities.
Health & Safety Standards in Quebec Daycares
Key cleaning-related standards Quebec daycares must follow:
- Hand-washing facilities must be functional, stocked, and disinfected daily
- Changing tables must be disinfected after every use (staff) and deep-disinfected daily
- Toys must be sanitized regularly — mouthed toys daily, shared toys weekly
- Bathrooms must be cleaned and disinfected after every group use
- Food prep areas must follow MAPAQ food-safety standards
- Outbreak protocols require immediate deep disinfection during gastro, COVID, or hand-foot-mouth outbreaks
A good daycare cleaning service understands these requirements and adapts protocols to meet them — including documentation of products used and contact times, which inspectors may ask to see.
What Products Should a Day Care Cleaning Service Use?
✓ Safe for Daycares
Hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectants, EcoLogo-certified products, quaternary ammonium compounds rated for childcare, plant-based degreasers, microfiber cloths.
✗ Avoid in Daycares
Chlorine bleach in occupied spaces, ammonia-based cleaners, aerosol sprays, fragranced disinfectants, pine-oil cleaners, anything with VOCs above ECOLOGO limits.
Children's developing lungs are more sensitive to chemical residues and airborne irritants than adults'. Daycares with cleaning protocols that rely on heavy chemicals often see more childhood respiratory complaints, even when the visible cleanliness is excellent. The right products clean as well — sometimes better — without the chemical load.
What to Look For When Hiring a Day Care Cleaning Service
- Liability insurance — minimum $2M, and ideally bonded staff (background-checked)
- Daycare-specific experience — ask for references from at least 2 other daycares or CPEs
- Trained staff, not subcontractors — the people in your facility should be employees who've been trained on childcare standards
- Written cleaning checklist — same checklist, every visit, documented
- Approved product list — they should be able to show you exactly what they're using
- Flexible scheduling — daycare schedules don't always match standard janitorial hours
- Outbreak response capacity — can they deploy same-day deep disinfection if you have a gastro or COVID outbreak?
- Bilingual communication — important in Montreal for inspector documentation and staff communication
Day Care Cleaning vs Hiring In-House Cleaning Staff
| Factor | Hire In-House | Cleaning Service |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly cost | $16 – $22 (wages + taxes) | $35 – $55 (insured rate) |
| Supplies & equipment | You buy and stock everything | Included |
| Replacement if sick | You're stuck | Backup crew dispatched |
| Training on daycare standards | You train and document | Included |
| Insurance & liability | You carry it | Carried by the company |
| Outbreak deep clean | Same person, no equipment surge | Extra crew on call |
| Best for | Very small home daycares | 10+ child facilities |
The all-in cost is usually comparable. The real difference is reliability: a cleaning service replaces the cleaner who calls in sick on Friday night, while an in-house employee leaves you scrambling.
Get a Free Day Care Cleaning Quote
Daily, 3× weekly, or weekly evening service · CPE, garderie, and home daycare experience · Insured · Eco-friendly products · Montreal, West Island, Laval.
📞 (514) 219-7799Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a day care cleaning service cost in Montreal?
Most Montreal daycares pay $1,200 to $5,000 per month for professional cleaning, depending on size and frequency. Per-visit rates are typically $200 to $1,500, and per-square-foot rates run $0.12 to $0.30.
How often should a daycare be cleaned by professionals?
Daily evening service is the standard for facilities with 30+ children. Smaller home garderies often book 3× weekly. Bathroom and changing-area cleaning should be daily at minimum, with high-touch surface disinfection 1–2× daily.
What disinfectants are safe for daycares in Quebec?
Hydrogen peroxide-based products, EcoLogo-certified disinfectants, and quaternary ammonium compounds rated for childcare environments. Avoid chlorine bleach and ammonia-based cleaners in occupied spaces. All products should have Health Canada DIN numbers.
Are daycare cleaning services covered by Quebec daycare subsidies?
Cleaning is a legitimate operating expense for CPEs and subsidized garderies and is typically included in your operating budget under "entretien." It's not separately reimbursed but is a deductible business expense.
Can a cleaning service handle a gastro or COVID outbreak deep clean?
A specialized commercial cleaning company can. Ask whether they have surge capacity (extra crew + electrostatic sprayers + outbreak-grade disinfectants) before signing a contract. Outbreak deep cleans are typically priced separately from your monthly service.
Do day care cleaning services come during the day or after hours?
Almost always after hours — typically 6 PM to 11 PM — so disinfectants have full contact time before children return. Some facilities schedule weekend deep cleans on Saturdays.
Will the cleaning service follow my daycare's specific protocols?
A good one will. Send them your inspection checklist, ministry requirements, and any specific protocols (e.g., allergen-free zones, religious dietary kitchen separation), and they should build those into the cleaning routine.
Bottom Line
A professional day care cleaning service costs $1,200 to $5,000+ per month for most Montreal facilities and pays for itself through staff time saved, inspection compliance protected, and outbreak risk reduced. The right service uses child-safe products, follows your specific protocols, and provides backup if a cleaner is sick. The wrong one uses bleach in occupied spaces and treats your daycare like an office. Choose carefully — your license and the children depend on it.
SNAM Cleaning Services provides professional commercial cleaning for daycares, CPEs, and garderies across Montreal, West Island, and Laval. For a free quote, call (514) 219-7799 or request a quote online.
