The Complete Aged Care Facility Cleaning Checklist
A practical daily, weekly and monthly environmental cleaning guide for New Zealand aged care facilities
A clean aged care facility helps protect residents, visitors and staff from illness while creating a safe, comfortable and welcoming home-like environment. Consistent environmental cleaning plays an important role in infection prevention, resident wellbeing and maintaining high standards of care.
This checklist is suitable for rest homes, retirement villages, dementia care facilities, assisted living communities and aged residential care providers.
Daily Cleaning Checklist
Reception & Entrance Areas
☐ Vacuum or mop entrance floors
☐ Clean entrance doors and glass
☐ Wipe reception desks and counters
☐ Sanitise reception counters
☐ Clean EFTPOS terminals
☐ Clean visitor sign-in devices
☐ Empty rubbish and recycling bins
☐ Restock hand sanitiser stations
☐ Remove fingerprints from glass and doors
☐ Check entrance mats
Resident Bedrooms
☐ Vacuum carpets
☐ Mop hard floors
☐ Clean bedside tables
☐ Wipe wardrobes externally
☐ Dust furniture
☐ Clean windowsills
☐ Empty rubbish bins
☐ Clean telephones (where fitted)
☐ Wipe frequently touched surfaces
☐ Clean resident call buttons
☐ Restock tissues and paper products
☐ Report maintenance issues
Resident Bathrooms & Ensuites
☐ Clean toilets
☐ Sanitise toilet seats
☐ Clean hand basins
☐ Clean taps
☐ Polish mirrors
☐ Clean showers
☐ Remove soap residue
☐ Sanitise grab rails
☐ Clean shower seats
☐ Refill soap dispensers
☐ Restock toilet paper
☐ Refill paper towels (where applicable)
☐ Mop floors
☐ Check odours
Dining Rooms
☐ Wipe dining tables
☐ Clean chairs
☐ Sanitise high-touch surfaces
☐ Vacuum or mop floors
☐ Empty rubbish bins
☐ Clean beverage stations
☐ Clean serving areas
☐ Clean handrails
Lounges & Communal Areas
☐ Vacuum carpets
☐ Mop hard floors
☐ Dust furniture
☐ Wipe coffee tables
☐ Clean television remotes
☐ Sanitise armrests
☐ Clean handrails
☐ Empty rubbish bins
☐ Spot clean windows
Nurses' Stations
☐ Clean desks
☐ Sanitise work surfaces
☐ Wipe keyboards
☐ Clean computer mice
☐ Clean telephones
☐ Empty rubbish bins
☐ Mop floors
☐ Restock cleaning supplies
Treatment & Medication Rooms
☐ Clean benches
☐ Sanitise work surfaces
☐ Clean sinks
☐ Mop floors
☐ Empty rubbish bins
☐ Wipe cupboards externally
☐ Restock consumables
Staff Areas
☐ Clean kitchen benches
☐ Sanitise tables
☐ Clean sinks
☐ Empty rubbish bins
☐ Vacuum or mop floors
☐ Clean microwave
☐ Clean refrigerator handles
☐ Restock paper towels
Public Toilets
☐ Clean toilets
☐ Sanitise toilet seats
☐ Clean basins
☐ Polish mirrors
☐ Refill soap dispensers
☐ Restock toilet paper
☐ Refill paper towels
☐ Empty sanitary bins
☐ Mop floors
☐ Check odours
Corridors & Hallways
☐ Vacuum or sweep floors
☐ Mop hard floors
☐ Clean handrails
☐ Clean lift buttons
☐ Clean door handles
☐ Wipe light switches
☐ Remove marks from walls
☐ Spot clean internal glass
☐ Empty rubbish bins
Throughout the Day
☐ Clean high-touch surfaces frequently
☐ Respond immediately to spills
☐ Patrol resident and visitor toilets
☐ Empty bins before they overflow
☐ Restock soap and paper products
☐ Maintain hand sanitiser stations
☐ Remove trip hazards
☐ Record completed cleaning inspections
☐ Check communal areas remain tidy and inviting
Weekly Cleaning Tasks
☐ Machine scrub hard floors
☐ Deep clean resident rooms
☐ Wash dining chairs
☐ Dust high surfaces
☐ Clean skirting boards
☐ Wash internal glass
☐ Clean ventilation grilles
☐ Wash rubbish bins
☐ Remove marks from walls
☐ Deep clean staff kitchen
☐ Clean storage cupboards
☐ Deep clean communal lounges
☐ Clean doors and door frames
☐ Inspect dispensers
Monthly Cleaning Tasks
☐ Deep clean carpets
☐ Pressure wash external pathways where appropriate
☐ Machine scrub foyers
☐ Deep clean communal bathrooms
☐ Inspect flooring
☐ Review cleaning chemical stock
☐ Inspect cleaning equipment
☐ Service vacuum cleaners
☐ Service floor scrubbers
☐ Review environmental cleaning procedures
☐ Audit hygiene consumables
☐ Inspect emergency exits
☐ Clean ceilings and ventilation grilles
☐ Deep clean resident room curtains or blinds where required
High-Touch Surface Checklist
These surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected regularly throughout the day.
☐ Door handles
☐ Handrails
☐ Lift buttons
☐ Light switches
☐ Resident call buttons
☐ Bedside tables
☐ Chair armrests
☐ Television remotes
☐ Telephones
☐ Computer keyboards
☐ Computer mice
☐ Tap handles
☐ Flush buttons
☐ Reception counters
☐ Dining tables
☐ Medication trolley handles (following facility procedures)
Aged Care Cleaning & Infection Prevention Tips
✔ Follow your facility's infection prevention and control procedures at all times.
✔ Use approved healthcare-grade cleaning and disinfecting products appropriate for each area.
✔ Clean from cleaner areas towards dirtier areas to minimise cross-contamination.
✔ Follow the manufacturer's recommended disinfectant contact times.
✔ Change cloths and mop heads regularly throughout each shift.
✔ Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when required.
✔ Respond immediately to blood or body fluid spills using your facility's approved procedures.
✔ Keep resident rooms clean while respecting each resident's privacy, dignity and personal belongings.
✔ Maintain fully stocked hand hygiene stations throughout the facility.
✔ Record cleaning activities in accordance with your quality and accreditation systems.
Recommended Colour-Coding System
Red – Toilets, ensuites and sanitary areas
Yellow – Resident bathrooms, showers and clinical wet areas
Blue – Resident bedrooms, lounges, reception, offices and general public areas
Green – Kitchens, dining areas and food preparation spaces
Separate cloths, mops and buckets should always be used for each area to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
Recommended Cleaning Equipment
- Microfibre cleaning cloths
- Colour-coded cleaning cloths
- Colour-coded flat mops
- Commercial vacuum cleaners
- Wet & dry vacuum cleaners
- Walk-behind floor scrubbers
- Hospital-grade disinfectant
- Neutral floor cleaner
- Glass cleaner
- Washroom cleaner
- Food-safe sanitiser (for kitchen areas)
- Hand soap
- Alcohol hand sanitiser
- Paper towels
- Toilet paper
- Bin liners
- Medical Waste Bin Liners, Bio Hazard
- Disposable gloves
- PPE as required by facility procedures
- Wet floor signs