Soft Play Cleaning Schedule: Daily, Weekly and Monthly Tasks
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Quick answer: A soft play centre needs three layers of cleaning. Daily: sweep the ball pit, wipe high-touch surfaces and foam, vacuum floors and mats, and check for damage. Weekly: wash the balls in rotation, clean every piece of foam and netting, and clean under and behind equipment. Monthly: deep clean the whole structure, check fixings and covers in detail and review your cleaning log. Clean and disinfect straight away after any sickness or body fluid.
Venue owners who buy equipment from Soft Play Market often ask for a cleaning schedule they can hand to staff. This one is built for a commercial soft play centre, nursery play area or venue play zone. Adjust it to your own size and opening hours, and write it into your own cleaning plan and risk assessment. If you want a copyable list for staff to tick off at opening and closing, see our soft play cleaning checklist.
What should a soft play cleaning schedule include?
| Task | Daily | Weekly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ball pit sweep for debris and damaged balls | Several times a day | - | - |
| Wash ball pit balls | One batch in rotation | Every ball washed at least once | Top up and replace worn balls |
| High-touch surfaces (handrails, entrances, slides, gates) | Clean and disinfect | - | - |
| Foam pads, steps and toddler pieces | Wipe | Full clean of every piece | Detailed inspection of covers and seams |
| Floor mats and safety surfacing | Vacuum and mop | Lift and clean underneath where possible | Check joins and edges |
| Netting and enclosures | Visual check | Clean reachable areas | Full clean, including high levels |
| Under and behind equipment | - | Vacuum | Full clean |
| Café, toilets and baby change | Throughout the day | Deep clean | - |
| Cleaning log review | Sign off each day | Manager check | Review and update the schedule |
What should be cleaned every day?
- Before opening: walk the whole structure, remove anything left behind, check for damage, wipe high-touch surfaces.
- During the day: sweep the ball pit for debris and damaged balls, wipe slides and entrances, deal with spills straight away, keep toilets and the café clean.
- After closing: vacuum and mop floors and mats, wipe all foam pieces in the toddler area, clean and disinfect high-touch points, wash one batch of balls, empty bins.
What should be cleaned every week?
- Make sure every ball in the pit has been washed at least once. Splitting the balls into daily batches lets you do this without closing the pit
- Clean every foam piece, not just the toddler area
- Clean reachable netting, padding on posts and the inside of tubes and tunnels
- Vacuum under and behind equipment where balls, food and dust collect
- Deep clean toilets and baby change
Use warm water and mild washing-up liquid for the balls, in a tub or mesh bags, and air-dry them fully. Don't use a washing machine, bleach or very hot water on the balls. For disinfecting, use a product labelled as suitable for toys or children's surfaces and follow its dilution and contact time. Our guide to how to sanitise ball pit balls explains how to choose one.
What should be done every month?
- Deep clean the whole structure, including high levels and roof netting
- Inspect every cover, seam, zip and fixing in detail
- Replace balls that are cracked, faded or dented
- Check the floor surfacing for gaps and lifting edges
- Review the cleaning log and adjust the schedule if busy periods or illness outbreaks need more
Cleaning sits alongside your inspection routine. Enclosed play structures are covered by BS EN 1176-10, and your installer or inspector can advise on routine, operational and annual inspection. For inspection itself, see our soft play maintenance guide.
How many ball pit balls do you need to keep spare?
Enough to swap in a clean batch while the washed ones dry. Many venues keep one or more spare boxes. Balls come in boxes of 750, one colour per box, at £142.50, with the price per ball falling at 3, 7 and 14 boxes (from 19p down to 16.5p per ball). See bulk ball pit balls for details.
Why keep a cleaning log?
A signed log shows what was cleaned, when and by whom. It helps you spot gaps, train new staff and show parents, your insurer or an environmental health officer that you have a routine. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 you have a general duty to keep your premises safe for visitors, and a written cleaning and inspection routine is part of showing how you do that. Chemicals used by staff should be covered by your COSHH assessment. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
Does the type of equipment change the schedule?
Yes. Wipe-clean PVC covers are quick to clean daily. Fabric covers take longer and are better suited to supervised, lower-traffic areas. If you're planning a toddler zone or café corner, our soft play sets for venues use wipe-clean covers. For multi-site orders, see our trade programme.
Frequently asked questions
Can we hire a cleaning company for soft play?
Yes, many centres use a specialist for periodic deep cleans, with staff handling the daily and weekly tasks.
How do we clean playground equipment outdoors?
Outdoor equipment needs its own schedule. This guide is for indoor soft play.
Should we close after a sickness incident?
Close the affected area, clean and disinfect it according to your policy and reopen once it's dry. See our guide on when to close a soft play area for illness.