The Optus Glean promise: predictability
Three pillars. Three commitments. No exceptions.
Predictable cost. One fixed monthly fee, set against a defined scope and an annual indexed review. No variable hours. No surprise invoices. No padded callout charges. Budgeted once, paid by Direct Debit, reviewed once a year.
Predictable presence. The site is cleaned every day it is meant to be cleaned. A named primary cleaner is rostered to your contract, supported by a named relief who is already vetted, inducted, and trained on the same colour-coded system and IPC standard. The schedule does not depend on whether one person is available on one day.
Predictable freedom. A single point of accountability. One contract. One named manager. One number to call. Cleaning is no longer a problem the Practice has to manage — it is a service that runs.
Why cleaning in Ireland is structurally hard to get right
Most cleaning provision in Ireland — including in healthcare-adjacent settings — is delivered by a workforce that is structurally part-time and casual. A significant proportion of operatives across the sector also work as healthcare assistants in nursing homes, residential care, and acute hospitals. Cleaning shifts are typically taken when healthcare shifts are not available, and released when they are. This pattern is consistent with CSO labour data on accommodation, food, and administrative-support employment, and it is the underlying reason that buyers across Ireland encounter inconsistency from agencies they have contracted in good faith.
The pattern is reinforced by two background pressures specific to Ireland. Housing affordability limits the catchment for any role paying at or near the minimum wage. The Contract Cleaning Employment Regulation Order rate of €14.80 per hour for 2026, set under the Labour Court's sectoral employment framework, sits close enough to flexible care-sector pay that operatives drift toward whichever shift pays slightly more on the day. Both pressures pull cleaning staff away from contracted shifts and toward casual healthcare work.
The result, from the buyer's perspective, is the experience most practice managers, facilities leads, and procurement officers in Ireland describe: a clean that is half-completed when the contracted cleaner is available, missed entirely when they are not, and accompanied by recurring conversations with the agency about cover that may or may not arrive.
This is the structural problem Optus Glean is built to solve. Our operatives are fully PAYE-employed with guaranteed weekly hours, paid leave, and pension contributions under Irish auto-enrolment. They are paid above the ERO floor deliberately — because the structural reliability of the service depends on the cleaner choosing to remain in the role rather than rotating through casual healthcare shifts. A named primary cleaner is assigned to your site, supported by a named relief, both Garda-vetted and trained to Optus Glean's documented HIQA-aligned IPC standard.
Why Pharmacy Cleaning Requires Specialist Knowledge
A pharmacy is not a shop. It is a regulated healthcare premises that dispenses medicines, provides clinical services, and handles controlled drugs. The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) sets premises standards that require pharmacies to maintain a clean, hygienic environment that prevents contamination of medicines and protects patient safety. PSI inspectors check cleaning standards as part of their regular inspection regime.
The challenge for pharmacy owners is that their premises combine two very different environments: a public-facing retail area with high footfall and a restricted dispensary area that must be maintained to near-clinical standards. Most general cleaning companies treat a pharmacy like any other retail unit. They mop the floor, wipe the counter, and empty the bins. They do not understand the distinction between the dispensary and the retail area, the need for documented cleaning records, or the specific handling requirements for clinical waste.
Optus Glean provides pharmacy-specific cleaning that addresses both zones appropriately. Our operatives are trained in pharmacy cleaning protocols, understand PSI requirements, and deliver documented cleaning records that support your compliance obligations.
Dispensary Cleaning
The dispensary is the most regulated area in any pharmacy. It must be maintained to a standard that prevents contamination of medicines and supports safe dispensing practice. Our dispensary cleaning protocol is designed specifically for this environment.
- Dispensing counter and preparation surfaces: wiped and sanitised with pharmacy-grade disinfectant
- Checking bench: cleaned and sanitised
- Medicine storage shelving: dust-free cleaning without displacement of stock
- Dispensary refrigerator: exterior and handle cleaned (internal cleaning by pharmacy staff)
- Computer screens and keyboards: anti-static wipe-down
- Dispensary floor: vacuumed and mopped with disinfectant
- Dispensary bins: emptied, liners replaced, clinical waste bins checked
- Hand wash basin: cleaned and sanitised, soap and paper towel replenished
Key principle: Our operatives never move, rearrange, or handle medicines, controlled drug cabinets, patient records, or prescription documentation. They clean around these items. All dispensary cleaning is documented with a date-stamped, signed record for each visit.
Retail Area Cleaning
The retail area of a pharmacy is a high-footfall environment that must look clean and professional at all times. Customers who see dusty shelves, dirty floors, or a grimy checkout counter will question the overall hygiene of the premises — including the dispensary they cannot see.
- Retail floor: vacuuming (carpet) or mopping (hard floor) throughout
- Checkout counter and point-of-sale area: wiped and sanitised
- Product shelving: shelf fronts dusted, product displays tidied
- Glass cabinets and display units: glass cleaned, shelves dusted
- Entrance doors and mats: glass cleaned, mats vacuumed or replaced
- Window displays: interior glass cleaned, display areas dusted
- Customer seating (waiting area): wiped and sanitised
- Leaflet holders and health information displays: tidied and dusted
Consultation and Vaccination Rooms
The expansion of pharmacy services in Ireland means most pharmacies now have at least one consultation room. Many also offer vaccination services (COVID-19, flu, shingles, travel vaccines), which require the consultation room to be maintained to a clinical standard.
Our consultation room cleaning covers all surfaces including the consultation desk, patient chair, examination couch or treatment chair, hand sanitiser station, work surfaces, and floor. After vaccination sessions, we apply hospital-grade disinfectant to all contact surfaces. Sharps containers are checked (not emptied — that is a clinical waste function) and the room is reset for the next session.
Pharmacy Cleaning Pricing
| Service | Price Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Daily cleaning (small pharmacy) | €300 – €450/month | Dispensary + retail, 6 days/week |
| Daily cleaning (medium pharmacy) | €450 – €600/month | + consultation rooms, expanded retail |
| Daily cleaning (large pharmacy / medical centre) | €600 – €750/month | Multiple consultation rooms, high footfall |
| Monthly deep clean | €200 – €400 | Behind shelving, high-level, floor treatment |
Note: Prices exclusive of VAT. Bundling pharmacy cleaning with washroom services saves 10–15%.
PSI Compliance Documentation
The PSI expects pharmacies to maintain documented evidence of their cleaning programme. Optus Glean provides a complete documentation package for every pharmacy client. This includes a detailed cleaning schedule specifying every area, every task, and every frequency. Each visit is recorded with a date-stamped, signed cleaning log. Chemical safety data sheets (SDS) for all products used are maintained on-site. Our operatives receive specific training on pharmacy cleaning protocols, and training records are available for PSI inspection.
This documentation becomes part of your pharmacy's quality management system and demonstrates to PSI inspectors that cleaning is professionally managed, systematic, and accountable.
Clinical Waste Management
Pharmacies generate several types of clinical waste: sharps from vaccination services, out-of-date medicines returned by patients, and packaging from controlled drug destruction. Optus Glean manages the internal handling of clinical waste within the pharmacy — replacing bin liners, ensuring bins are correctly labelled and segregated, and maintaining the waste storage area. External collection and disposal is handled by licensed clinical waste carriers. We coordinate with your waste carrier to ensure seamless waste management and can recommend licensed carriers if you do not already have one in place.
Serving Pharmacies Across Ireland
Ireland has approximately 1,900 community pharmacies. From independent pharmacies in rural towns to large chain pharmacies in shopping centres, Optus Glean provides PSI-compliant cleaning that meets the specific requirements of pharmacy premises. We serve independent pharmacy owners, pharmacy groups (including Allcare, Life Pharmacy, CarePlus, Lloyds, and Sam McCauley franchisees), pharmacies within medical centres, and hospital outpatient pharmacies across all 26 counties.
Frequently asked questions
How much does healthcare cleaning cost in Ireland in 2026?
A GP practice or primary care centre is priced as a fixed monthly fee per site, set against a defined scope (rooms, frequency, IPC standard) and held under a multi-year contract with an annual indexed review. The Contract Cleaning ERO 2026 sets a €14.80/hour floor for the labour component, but reputable providers price the contract, not the hour. Expect a single line on the invoice and a monthly Direct Debit.
What standards apply to healthcare cleaning in Ireland?
HIQA's National Standards for Infection Prevention and Control, the HSE National Cleaning Standards Manual, the HPSC's hand-hygiene guidelines, and S.I. 7 of 2009 on healthcare-associated infection. The Patient Safety Act 2023 has further raised expectations on documented evidence. A compliant cleaning programme produces an audit trail that maps directly to these standards — colour-coded equipment, two-stage cleaning, and validated disinfection contact times.
Why is healthcare cleaning consistency such a problem in Ireland?
Most Irish cleaning provision is delivered by part-time, casual, or self-employed operatives who often also work as healthcare assistants and rotate between cleaning and care shifts. Housing affordability and wage compression in larger urban areas reinforce this pattern. The result is a different person in your practice most days, no continuity on the IPC standard, and a fragile audit trail at HIQA inspection.
What is HIQA-aligned IPC and why does it matter?
HIQA-aligned infection prevention and control means the daily cleaning programme is documented, executed, and evidenced against HIQA's IPC standards and the HSE National Cleaning Standards Manual. In practice that means colour-coded equipment, two-stage detergent-then-disinfectant cleaning of clinical surfaces, validated contact times per the Safety Data Sheet, signed daily checklists, and records that survive an unannounced inspection.
What's the difference between PAYE and casual cleaning contracts in healthcare?
A PAYE-employed cleaner is on payroll, paid above the Contract Cleaning ERO floor, holds a formal contract of employment, has Garda vetting on file, paid leave, and PRSI/pension contributions through the employer. A casual or self-employed operative is none of those things. PAYE staffing is the only model that supports a named primary cleaner and named relief — which is what continuity in a regulated environment actually requires.
How do I evaluate a cleaning provider for a healthcare setting?
Ask three questions. One: are the cleaners PAYE-employed by the company that signs the contract, or subcontracted? Two: who is the named primary cleaner for my site, and who is the named relief? Three: can the provider produce an IPC-aligned audit pack — colour-coded SOP, signed daily checklists, SDS file, Garda vetting register — that maps to HIQA standards on day one of the contract.
What should be in a cleaning contract for a GP practice?
A defined scope per room, frequencies tied to clinical risk, the IPC standard the contract is delivered against (HIQA / HSE National Cleaning Standards Manual), the named primary cleaner and relief, the auditing programme, the chemical regime (with SDS), Garda vetting confirmation, the fixed monthly fee, the annual indexed review mechanism, and a clean exit clause. No per-hour pricing. No ad-hoc top-up charges.
Who handles clinical waste at a GP practice?
Clinical waste, sharps, and pharmaceutical waste are handled by a licensed healthcare-waste contractor under the Waste Management Acts 1996-2023, not by the cleaning provider. The cleaning team's role is environmental cleaning of waste-holding areas, sharps awareness, and immediate reporting of any found sharps to clinical staff. In Ireland, this typically means a separate orange-bag and yellow-sharps collection from a HSE-approved contractor running on a fixed schedule.
How Optus Glean handles staff shortages
Every Optus Glean contract is staffed on a redundancy model rather than a single-person model. A named primary cleaner is assigned to the site at contract start. A named relief is assigned alongside them. Both are PAYE-employed by Optus Glean, both are Garda-vetted, both are inducted on the site's specific layout, access protocols, and colour-coded equipment system, and both are trained to the same documented HIQA-aligned IPC standard. Substitution is built into the contract from the first day, not arranged on the day cover is needed.
Sick day cover. When the primary cleaner is unable to work, the named relief is deployed. The Practice site contact is notified by 06:30 on the morning of the absence by SMS or email, with the name of the relief who is attending. The relief follows the same task list, uses the same equipment, and finishes within the same window. The standard of clean is unchanged because the relief was prepared for this scenario before the absence happened.
Annual leave cover. Annual leave is rostered weeks in advance and the relief is scheduled to cover the full leave period. The Practice is informed at the start of the leave period — not on the morning leave begins. This is the same model used in clinical rota management: known absences are pre-staffed, not improvised.
Long-term cover. If the primary cleaner is absent for more than two weeks (extended illness, parental leave, bereavement leave), cover is drawn from the wider trained bench rather than relying on the single named relief. The Practice is kept informed of the cover plan, the named individuals involved, and the expected duration. Continuity of standard is maintained because every operative on the bench is trained to the same documented standard.
Permanent reassignment. If the primary cleaner moves to a new permanent role within Optus Glean — promotion, relocation, retirement — the relief is promoted to primary on a planned timetable, a new relief is trained on the site, and both are introduced to the Practice before the handover takes effect. There is no day on which the Practice discovers, after the fact, that their cleaner has changed.
Substitution is Optus Glean's operational problem, not the Practice's risk to absorb. The buyer pays a fixed monthly fee for a defined scope to be delivered, every day it is meant to be delivered. The mechanism by which we deliver it — primary, relief, bench, retraining — is our cost to manage and our risk to carry.
Last reviewed: 2026-05-06
