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How to Maintain and Clean Commercial Baby Changing Stations for Public Washrooms

Restroom hygiene directly informs user perceptions, which means a facility cleanliness should be a top priority

For parents and caregivers, the state of your baby changing station is often the ultimate gauge of your establishment’s standards. Because these stations are used directly by infants and caregivers, users expect a high standard of cleanliness and hygiene. 

Failing to meet these expectations can impact:

  • Customer retention: Patrons will shorten a visit or avoid returning to a business entirely due to poor washroom hygiene.
  • Public trust: Dated, stained, or visibly worn changing tables signal a lack of regular maintenance.
  • Business reputation: Patrons will make assumptions about your business based on the cleanliness of the facilities.

Addressing the primary complaint parents have about public restrooms — cleanliness — requires both proactive daily care providing a contemporary baby changing station appropriate for your washroom.

How to Keep Your Koala Kare Changing Stations in Shape 

Keeping your Koala Kare baby changing station safe, clean, and ready for use requires routine maintenance, regular safety checks, and proper sanitation. 

Maintenance Checklist: Structural and Safety

To incorporate your baby changing station into your routine facility maintenance checks, be sure to: 

  1. Check the operation: Verify that the table opens and closes smoothly. If the unit’s bed opens too quickly or fails to close completely, replace the pneumatic shock mechanism.
  2. Inspect the safety strap: Look for fraying or other signs of damage. Replace immediately if compromised.
  3. Test the buckle: Ensure it clicks firmly into place and remains anchored at both ends.
  4. Check the dispensers: Make sure any built-in or wall-mounted liner and diaper bag dispensers are fully stocked.
  5. Inspect warning labels: Verify that all safety and operational labels are legible and undamaged.

Step-by-Step Cleaning and Sanitation Protocol

Follow these steps to clean the station’s cleaning bed during routine washroom cleaning:

  1. Remove surface dirt: Use a clean, soft-bristled nylon brush or a microfiber cloth to loosen and remove dirt and debris. Microfiber captures 25% to 35% more fine soil particles than standard terrycloth rags.
  2. Apply disinfectant: Spray a commercial-grade disinfectant evenly across all dry surfaces.
  3. Allow for dwell time: Leave the solution on the surface for 7 to 10 minutes to effectively neutralize surface pathogens. Do not wipe the surface dry; allow it to air dry naturally to complete the sanitation process.

Key Accessories for Maintaining a Hygienic Restroom 

  • Sanitary Bed Liners: Provide a clean barrier between the changing bed and the infant.
  • The Diaper PouchTM disposal bags: Help contain dirty diapers and odors before disposal.
  • Wall-mounted bag hook (sold separately): Keep personal belongings and diaper bags off the floor and within easy reach.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find replacement parts?

Replacement parts are available for many components, although some damage may require replacing the entire unit. For help finding the product you have installed and replacement parts for your baby changing station, visit our Replacements Parts page.

What cleaner is safest to use on my baby changing station?

Because Koala Kare changing surfaces are constructed from polypropylene infused with Microban® product protection, which inhibits the growth of stain and odor-causing bacteria on the surface. However, it is important to kill pathogens like E. coli or norovirus without leaving a toxic residue that a baby can absorb through their skin or ingest by putting their hands in their mouth. For that reason, avoid using bleach, even if it is diluted with water. Instead, the industry standard for commercial washrooms is to use a mild detergent that is allowed to dwell and air dry.

How do I clean the safety straps?

Use a soft-bristled nylon brush or microfiber cloth paired with a disinfectant spray to scrub the weave of the strap. If the strap is frayed or permanently stained, replace it completely.

What are the best liners to use on my baby changing station?

Koala Kare Sanitary Bed Liners are designed for use with all Koala Kare baby changing stations and fit both built-in and wall-mounted liner dispensers. Made from three-ply biodegradable paper in a moisture-resistant quilted design, the liners are 100% recyclable and made from 50% recycled material. Each case contains 500 liners.

How often should commercial changing tables be inspected?

We recommend regular checks while cleaning the baby changing stations. Ensure there are no odors or dirt on either the unit itself or the adjoining wall and floor. Regularly test that the table opens smoothly. Replace the shock kit if it drops heavily or falls quickly. If the baby changing station contains micro-cracks in the plastic, the unit should be replaced.

Time for a new baby changing station?

Even with regular maintenance, baby changing stations eventually reach the end of their life cycle. When routine cleaning is no longer enough to keep an aging station in good condition or if your current station looks really dated , it may be time for a replacement. The KB300 and KB301 feature built-in Microban product protection to help inhibit stain- and odor-causing bacteria between cleanings.

Whether you are looking to upgrade or need to keep your current equipment in top shape, we are here to help. Visit the Maintenance Matters page for comprehensive cleaning resources, care guides, and our replacement parts finder.

Go Beyond the High Chair to Provide Restaurant Seating for All of Childhood’s Stages

On a Friday night at a busy restaurant during dinner rush, a family with a baby in a car seat and a toddler walks in to eat. But there aren’t enough high chairs available, and the table is too tall for the toddler. The family rethinks coming back to this establishment due to this inconvenience.

Restaurants not offering the correct mix of child seating options can be a common scenario. Most mainstream restaurants understand the value of family dining and offer some child seating. However, a common oversight is treating child seating as a one-size-fits-all requirement. A toddler has vastly different needs than a newborn in an infant car carrier.

Providing a welcoming environment for families means catering to every stage of childhood development. Offering incompatible seating or expecting parents to improvise creates safety hazards, slows down service, and harms your business’s reputation.

Here are the three critical stages of child seating, the operational factors to consider for each, and how to select the right seating solutions for your dining room.

A baby in an infant car seat sits safely in an Infant Seat Kradle.

Stage 1: Infant Seating Solutions

The infant stage is one of the most frequently overlooked phases in commercial restaurant design. Parents arriving with newborns almost always carry them in heavy, bulky infant car seat carriers.

Unaware that it is a safety hazard, parents may want to flip traditional restaurant high chairs upside down and then balance the infant carrier between the legs. However, high chairs are not designed to support the weight or shape of an infant carrier in an inverted position. Doing so creates an unstable, top-heavy arrangement that can easily be knocked over by a passing server, a sudden bump, or the movement of the baby.

What to Look for in Infant Seating

Low maintenance materials: Look for removable, machine-washable, or easy-to-sanitize fabrics and materials that handle accidental spills with ease.

Infant-specific engineering: Choose seating specifically engineered to hold infant carriers securely off the floor.

Compact, foldable footprint: Select cradles that fold flat when not in use for easy storage so they don’t obstruct high-traffic server aisles.

A toddler grins while sitting in a red Designer High Chair.

Stage 2: Restaurant High Chairs for Toddlers

Once children can sit upright independently (around 6 months to 3 years old), they move into Stage 2 seating, which is in high chairs. Restaurant high chairs are heavily used, so durability and hygiene are critical.

What to Look for in Commercial High Chairs

  • Anti-inversion design: Modern high chairs should be intentionally designed with curved frames or specific geometry so they cannot be turned upside down, eliminating the possibility of improper use and liability.
  • Easy-to-clean surface: Wood high chairs often warp, splinter, or absorb liquids over time, with crevices that trap food particles. Modern plastic models that feature seamless, nonporous surfaces can be easily wiped down instantly between table turns.
  • Safety compliance: Ensure the high chair meets current ASTM standards and features secure three-point restraint systems to prevent slips and falls.
  • Table-height ergonomics: Opt for table-height seating that allows children to eat directly off the restaurant table alongside their family, eliminating the need for bulky, hard-to-clean trays.
A toddler with his hands raised high in the air sits securely in a KB328 Designer Booster Seat strapped to a chair.

Stage 3: Commercial Booster Seats for Young Children

The third stage serves children who have outgrown restaurant high chairs but are still too short to reach the table comfortably from standard dining chairs or booths (typically ages 3 to 5).

Without a proper booster, children end up kneeling on chairs or slouching, leading to uncomfortable meals and fidgety behavior that affects nearby guests.

What to Look for in Restaurant Booster Seats

  • Secure attachment: High-quality boosters feature integrated security straps to anchor the booster firmly to the adult chair, preventing shifts or slides while the child moves.
  • Surface protection: Boosters should feature nonskid, nonscratching feet that grip both hardwood and upholstered chairs without damaging the restaurant’s furniture.
Three Koala Stowe High Chairs folded for compact storage.

Elevate Your Family Dining Experience with Koala Kare

Providing a family-friendly environment requires having the right seating options for every age. In addition to safety and functionality, consider the visual harmony of your floor space. Mixing mismatched wooden high chairs, plastic boosters, and metal frames can make your dining room feel cluttered. Selecting seating lines designed to complement one another across all three stages creates a polished, professional look that aligns with your business’s interior design.

At Koala Kare Products, we offer a comprehensive lineup of commercial-grade child seating built for every developmental stage and aesthetic:

By coordinating your seating choices across all three stages, you ensure safety compliance, streamline table turns for your staff, and present a cohesive, professional look throughout your dining space.

Explore all of Koala Kare’s seating options to find what works best for your business.

How Koala Kare Products Show Your Commitment to Hygiene

Restroom hygiene is more significant than ever, and Koala Kare Products and accessories make it simple to promote restroom hygiene at your business.

When the COVID–19 pandemic began in 2020, hygiene practices in public spaces became one of the most important things for business owner/operators and facility managers to understand, prioritize and enhance, with restrooms drawing some of the most attention. As consumers begin to return to normalcy, we will undoubtedly learn that they now prioritize hygiene more than ever when it comes to decisions about where to spend their time and money.

Since child accommodation products like baby changing stations are often overlooked when it comes to hygiene, it’s important to take the time now to ensure that your facilities have accommodations for patrons with children and that they are in good working order. Doing so promotes hygiene and helps maintain a sanitary environment for patrons with children.

Koala Kare’s range of innovative, durable baby changing stations offers solutions that address today’s increased hygiene expectations and help maintain a clean restroom environment. In particular, the KB300 platform – our newest and most advanced baby changing stations – comes with an enhanced bed liner dispenser, external stainless steel bag hook for keeping diaper bags off the floor, and built-in Microban® product protection to reinforce your facility’s enhanced commitment to hygiene.

Of course, making sure your establishment’s products are clean and hygienic isn’t just essential for satisfying your customers – it’s also important for keeping your Koala Kare products functioning properly. We even offer convenient maintenance guides and easy-to-order replacement parts to extend the life of your Koala products.

Antimicrobial Protection

Did you know: 75% of consumers believe that antimicrobial products are effective at preventing the growth of bacteria, and 97% of consumers cited Microban® product protection as very important in public restrooms.

At a time when patrons are especially concerned about germs and bacteria in public restrooms, Koala Kare’s baby changing stations, which are designed with Microban® Product Protection, make it simple to provide a hygienic experience. For years, we have exclusively partnered with Microban® to integrate powerful antimicrobial product protection into our baby changing stations to inhibit the growth of stain- and odor-causing bacteria on product surfaces.

In fact, Koala Kare was the first maker of baby changing stations to introduce Microban® antimicrobial product protection to the market, helping to address the important cleanliness concerns of caregivers.

Sanitary Accessories

To take your restroom’s hygiene to the next level, consider using Koala Kare’s convenient accessory products to help keep your baby changing stations clean and your restrooms odor-free.

The Diaper Pouch™ is one of Koala Kare’s newest baby changing station accessories, which easily helps improve the appearance and hygiene of any public restroom. Making The Diaper Pouch available in your restrooms gives patrons a way to properly dispose of unsightly used diapers and reduces or eliminates troublesome odors in the restroom. Each Diaper Pouch cartridge dispenses 175 easy-to-open diaper disposal sacks and fits in the liner dispenser of Koala Kare baby changing stations.

Like The Diaper Pouch, Koala’s sanitary bed liners dispense from the baby changing station for easy access. The bed liners have a moisture-resistant quilted design that provides a disposable barrier between the changing surface and child. By offering Koala’s sanitary bed liners and diaper disposal bags, you can provide patrons greater peace of mind by signaling your facility’s commitment to hygiene. The Diaper Pouch and sanitary bed liners, as well as other Koala accessories, can be easily ordered from our accessories page on Koalabear.com.

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