Political parties reverse cleaning in 'unhygienic' daycare centers: 'This simply won’t work'

Politicians demand action after criticism of dirty daycare facilities in Aarhus: *"This simply isn’t acceptable"*

A wide range of politicians in Aarhus is now calling for improvements in the cleaning of daycare centers following criticism from parents and associations.

Many local politicians in Aarhus believe it is necessary to clarify the extent of the problems with cleaning in daycare institutions.

*(Photo: © Simon Boye Lassen, Mikkel Berg Pedersen/Ritzau Scanpix)*

The cleaning in several Aarhus daycare centers is now facing tough scrutiny from a broad spectrum of politicians.

This comes after parents and associations have criticized the cleaning in institutions where their children spend large parts of the day.

*(Read also: Filth, dirt, and mold: Parents and staff are deeply upset about 'unclean and filthy' institutions)*

- It is simply not a luxury to demand clean toilets and proper floors for children and young people. It is the most basic requirement a municipality must fulfill, so we need to do better, says Martin Christensen, a member of the Children and Youth Council in Aarhus for the Venstre party.

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Today, DR described how parents and staff often find daycare centers dirty upon arrival, with food remnants on the floors, filth, and layers of dirt on the toilets.

- It is not satisfactory for my child or the educators to arrive at something so unclean and unhygienic, says Christina Brandstrup, who has a two-year-old daughter in a nursery.

DR has received images from parents showing the state of daycare centers when they drop off their children in the morning.

Now, several city council members are raising the issue with other councilors at Aarhus City Hall.

* This shows a common room in December 2025 at 7:47 AM.

* The image is from a common room in a daycare center in December 2025 at 7:48 AM.

* A toilet in December at 7:50 AM.

* A toilet from February at 7:54 AM.

* Tiles in a bathroom on a February morning at 7:54 AM.

* A children’s sink photographed in February at 7:54 AM.

* According to a parent, the image shows the floor near a puzzle room and toilet. The time is 7:54 AM in February.

* The image was taken in a daycare center classroom in February at 8:25 AM.

* A windowsill in February at 8:26 AM.

* The image of the bathroom was taken on a February morning at 8:17 AM.

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Now something must happen

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In Aarhus Municipality, the councilor for Children and Youth is responsible for children and daycare services, while the councilor for Technical and Environmental Affairs oversees property management, including cleaning in municipal institutions.

Mahad Yussuf (RV), chair of the Children and Youth Committee, wants the issue addressed at City Hall so that problems can be examined closely.

- I will reach out to the administration, but also to both councilors, he says, adding that it should also be discussed at a committee meeting.

Radical Left’s Mahad Yussuf, chair of the Children and Youth Committee, wants cleaning standards improved.

Venstre’s Martin Christensen will also address both councilors.

- Something else must happen now. We’ve talked about this for years, but we still have damp toilets and unclean floors. That’s not acceptable, says Martin Christensen from Venstre.

However, even today, when the Children and Youth Committee meets, both Eva Borchorst Mejnertz (S) and Enhedslisten’s Jeppe Lomholt will raise the issue.

- I myself have had children crawling on dirty floors, and that’s not something you can tolerate. We want healthy children, so we’ll have to address this. This simply isn’t acceptable, she says.

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Increased oversight

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DR asked the Social Democratic mayor, Anders Winnerskjold, if he would be available for an interview, but he declined.

It was also not possible to arrange an interview with Nicolaj Bang, councilor for Technical and Environmental Affairs (K), but he writes in an email that he agrees cleaning standards must be improved.

- The images make an impression on me, and I agree that neither staff nor parents can be satisfied. Our contractors must deliver the quality they were hired for, and that hasn’t happened here. So we need to address this. I will take the initiative to discuss with my political colleagues what we can do, he writes.

The Conservative People’s Party’s Nicolaj Bang writes in an email to DR that neither parents nor staff can be satisfied with the described conditions.

*(Photo: © Bo Amstrup, Ritzau Scanpix)*

Thomas Medom, councilor for Children and Youth (SF), emphasizes that he is also dissatisfied with the cleaning.

- Initially, I have asked the responsible councilor to provide an account of the problem’s scope and a description of what is needed to fix it. Then we must collectively consider what needs to be done. For Aarhus Municipality, we pay for a task that doesn’t seem to be adequately resolved, he says.

As councilor for the children, don’t you also have a responsibility here?

- In principle, the responsibility lies with Technical and Environmental Affairs, but it is clear that I am in charge of all employees and bear responsibility for the children in institutions where cleaning is not done properly. So, like the rest of the city council, I have a responsibility for the tenders we conduct, he says.

Nicolai Kiilerich, area manager for the municipality’s property management under Technical and Environmental Affairs, has previously stated that the criticism will lead Aarhus Municipality to increase oversight of cleaning in municipal institutions.

His assessment, however, is that cleaning is generally done to the quality specified in the cleaning contracts in most institutions.

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