Clean and Dirty Areas (Sinks)

POLICY: The childcare facility will have rooms arranged to promote good health and avoid the spread of illness. Foot traffic will not pass through a contaminated/dirty area (i.e., diaper changing area) to a clean area (i.e., food prep area).

PURPOSE: To avoid spreading contamination to a vulnerable “clean” area.

To minimize the general cleaning that needs to be redone.

To protect the health of the children and staff in that room.

PROCEDURE:

1. Plan your room arrangement on paper.
2. Use different colored pens to map out the route of:
   1. Parents as they enter
   2. Children coming in from the yard
   3. Staff going to and coming from the food preparation area
   4. Staff taking children to be diapered
   5. Staff getting medicine out
   6. Staff bringing the first aid kit to the play space.
3. Do not allow dirty areas to cross over into clean areas.
   1. The bathroom and diapering area are dirty.
   2. The play area is semi-dirty.
   3. The napping room is semi-clean.
   4. The food preparation, eating, and medicine area are clean.
4. Sinks in the “dirty areas” and used for:
   1. Handwashing after toileting
   2. Emptying floor wash water
   3. Or any materials that are visibly dirty
5. Sinks in “clean areas” and used for:
   1. Washing hands before eating
   2. First Aid (and disinfected immediately after use)
   3. Rinsing food and eating utensils