Sounds to me like she doesn't have a lot of daycare specific furniture or toys or that maybe they go out to playgroup everyday so the house is simply used as a gathering place in the morning and for lunch and nap meaning she has all afternoon to clean the kitchen then outside to pick up and the kids dont' even walk through most of the house.

It could also be a caregiver that has a totally programmed day so that the kids don't ever get time to make messes because they are herded from one activity to another and spend a lot of time sitting in circle or at the craft table etc.

A newer house will look neater just because it will look cleaner. Scrapes along the baseboards and walls will look like dirt no matter how scrubbed they are. Repainting all the baseboards and trim is on my way too long to do list for this very reason.

How old the caregivers own children are makes the most difference. If she only has a baby then they play on the floor a bit and then go to bed so dont' make messes. If her kids are older and out of the house then assume hubby doesn't make a lot of mess either.

I gave up long ago trying to keep it clean. Now if we want to make a pile of stuffed animals in the corner ready for tomorrow then fine. If we are in the middle of builidng something it can stay out. Had a blanket fort in the livingroom for almost week this past summer. Kids are here to have fun and we do. If you want it cleaned after hours then hire me a cleaning lady. I'm done for the day.