Ontario School Cleaning Standards: Requirements and Best Practices

Schools are among the most demanding environments to keep clean. Hundreds of children share classrooms, washrooms, gymnasiums, and cafeterias every day. Illnesses spread quickly in these settings, absenteeism affects both students and teachers, and parents and school boards expect facilities to meet a consistent, documented standard of hygiene. In Ontario, that standard is not left to individual schools to interpret — it is defined in provincial guidelines that janitorial staff and contracted cleaning services are expected to follow.

This article breaks down what Ontario schools are required to do, what best practices go beyond the minimum, and what administrators and facility managers should look for when evaluating their current cleaning programs.

Ontario Ministry of Education Cleaning Requirements

The Ministry of Education's Guideline for Healthy Schools establishes the baseline framework for cleanliness in Ontario's publicly funded schools. The document addresses ventilation, pest management, and chemical safety alongside cleaning — reflecting the ministry's view that school health is a whole-facility issue, not just a sanitation checklist.

Under these guidelines, school boards are responsible for ensuring that:

• ✓Cleaning schedules are documented and followed consistently
• ✓Custodial staff receive training appropriate to the products and methods used
• ✓Cleaning products are appropriate for the surface type and safe for use around children
• ✓High-touch surfaces receive more frequent cleaning than general surfaces
• ✓Washrooms meet higher standards of disinfection than classrooms
• ✓Specialized areas such as gymnasiums, cafeterias, and science labs have tailored protocols

Individual school boards, including the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the York Region District School Board (YRDSB), publish their own custodial standards aligned with the provincial guideline. These board-level documents typically specify task frequencies and product approvals in greater detail.

Daily Cleaning Requirements: What Must Happen Every School Day

Daily cleaning in Ontario schools is not discretionary. The following tasks are expected to be completed every school day under standard custodial contracts and ministry guidelines:

Classrooms and Common Areas

• Sweep or vacuum all floor surfaces
• Damp mop hard floors where soiling has occurred
• Empty waste receptacles and replace liners
• Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces including door handles, light switches, and shared equipment
• Spot-clean desks and tables where visible soiling is present
• Clean chalkboards or whiteboards if requested by teaching staff

Washrooms

Student washrooms require the most rigorous daily attention. Under Ontario standards, every washroom must be cleaned and disinfected at least once daily, with high-traffic washrooms receiving mid-day cleaning as well. Required daily tasks include:

• Scrub and disinfect all toilet bowls, seats, and exterior surfaces
• Clean and disinfect all sinks, faucets, and countertops
• Clean mirrors and dispensers
• Restock soap, paper towels, and toilet paper
• Mop and disinfect all floor surfaces including around toilet bases
• Empty waste bins
• Check and clean floor drains

High-Touch Surface Protocols

Following increased public health awareness, Ontario school boards formalized protocols for high-touch surfaces that had previously been handled inconsistently. These protocols remain in effect as permanent best practices. High-touch surfaces in schools include:

• Door handles and push plates — all entry and interior doors
• Handrails on staircases
• Light switches and electrical panel covers
• Faucet handles and soap dispenser buttons
• Elevator buttons (where applicable)
• Shared computer keyboards and mice in labs
• Cafeteria table surfaces and bench seats
• Gymnasium equipment handles and benches

Best practice requires that these surfaces be cleaned and disinfected at least once daily, and that an approved disinfectant — one with a Health Canada Drug Identification Number (DIN) — is used rather than a general-purpose cleaner. There is an important distinction: cleaning removes dirt and organic matter, while disinfecting kills pathogens. Both steps are required for high-touch surfaces in schools.

Gymnasium and Cafeteria Standards

Gymnasium Cleaning

Gymnasium floors — typically hardwood or rubberized surfaces — require dust mopping daily and wet mopping on a regular schedule. Sports equipment such as mats, climbing ropes, and shared gym apparatus must be wiped down with a disinfectant on a regular cycle. Change rooms adjacent to gymnasiums are treated with washroom-level protocols and must be cleaned and disinfected daily.

Cafeteria Cleaning

Cafeterias present a unique challenge because food is prepared or served and consumed by large groups in a short window. Tables and bench surfaces must be sanitized before and after each meal period. Floors require sweeping and mopping after each use. Kitchen service areas — whether operated by the school board or a food service contractor — are subject to public health food premises regulations in addition to school board custodial standards.

Periodic Cleaning: Monthly and Seasonal Requirements

Beyond daily tasks, school custodial standards include periodic deep cleaning that occurs on a monthly, quarterly, or annual cycle. These tasks are typically completed during school breaks when classrooms are unoccupied:

• —Full strip, clean, and refinish of hard floor surfaces (typically once or twice per year)
• —Deep scrubbing of washroom tile, grout, and fixtures
• —Cleaning of HVAC vents, grilles, and ceiling fixtures
• —Window cleaning — interior and where accessible exterior
• —Full cleaning behind and under gymnasium bleachers or seating
• —Cleaning of lockers, both interior and exterior surfaces
• —Carpet extraction cleaning in staff areas or carpeted classrooms

Outbreak Response Procedures

When public health authorities declare a gastrointestinal or respiratory outbreak at a school — which Ontario public health units track and report — cleaning protocols escalate significantly. During an outbreak, the following additional measures apply:

• Increase disinfection frequency of all high-touch surfaces to multiple times daily
• Use Health Canada-approved disinfectants effective against the identified pathogen
• Disinfect any area where a symptomatic person has been present
• Increase washroom cleaning frequency
• Document all cleaning activities with timestamps and product details
• Report compliance to the school board and public health unit as required

Professional janitorial companies with school experience understand these escalation protocols and can respond quickly when outbreak conditions are declared. This is a significant advantage over relying solely on internal custodial staff during high-pressure periods.

What to Look for in a School Janitorial Contract

Schools and school boards evaluating janitorial contracts should look beyond the hourly rate. Key elements to assess include:

• ✓Written cleaning specifications aligned with the Ontario Guideline for Healthy Schools and your board's custodial standards
• ✓Use of Health Canada DIN-registered disinfectants for high-touch surfaces and washrooms
• ✓WHMIS training and Safety Data Sheets for all products used on site
• ✓A documented daily and periodic cleaning schedule with supervisory sign-off
• ✓Police record checks for all staff working on school property
• ✓Experience with outbreak response and the ability to mobilize additional resources on short notice
• ✓Environmentally responsible products — many school boards now require low-VOC, fragrance-free, or EcoLogo-certified products

LowFare Maintenance provides school cleaning services throughout the GTA with documented protocols aligned to Ontario standards. Learn more about our school cleaning services or our dedicated school cleaning in Toronto. We also serve licensed childcare centres — visit our daycare cleaning service page for more on CCEYA-compliant protocols.