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 Cork 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 Cork. 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 Cork 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.
HIQA-Aligned Healthcare Cleaning Across Cork
Cork has one of the most extensive healthcare infrastructures in Ireland outside of Dublin. Cork University Hospital (CUH) is the largest hospital in the South/South West Hospital Group and serves as the primary referral centre for the entire Munster region. The Mercy University Hospital on Grenville Place has served Cork since 1857 and provides acute medical and surgical services. The South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital on Old Blackrock Road specialises in ophthalmology, ENT, dermatology, and orthopaedic services. Bon Secours Hospital Cork at College Road is one of the busiest private hospitals in Ireland. The Mater Private Cork provides specialist care including oncology and cardiology.
Beyond these major hospitals, Cork city and county have a dense network of GP surgeries, dental practices, primary care centres, physiotherapy clinics, nursing homes, and community healthcare facilities. Every one of these facilities is subject to HIQA standards for infection prevention and control, and every one requires cleaning that meets those standards.
Optus Glean provides specialist healthcare cleaning across Cork, with teams trained in infection control protocols, colour-coded cleaning systems, and the documentation required to demonstrate compliance during HIQA inspections.
Healthcare Facilities We Serve in Cork
Hospitals
We provide healthcare cleaning services across Cork. Hospital cleaning is fundamentally different from commercial cleaning — it demands strict adherence to infection prevention protocols, use of hospital-grade disinfectants, colour-coded equipment to prevent cross-contamination, and meticulous documentation. Our hospital cleaning covers:
- Wards and patient areas — Daily cleaning of patient rooms, bed spaces, bathrooms, and ward corridors. Terminal cleaning after patient discharge, including high-touch point disinfection
- Outpatient departments — Waiting areas, consultation rooms, and treatment areas cleaned between clinics and at the end of each day
- Operating theatre peripherals — Corridors, changing areas, recovery rooms, and non-sterile theatre zones
- Emergency department areas — High-traffic waiting areas, triage rooms, and corridors cleaned throughout the day
- Administrative areas — Hospital offices, meeting rooms, and staff common rooms
- Canteens and dining areas — Kitchen-adjacent cleaning, dining room maintenance, and food preparation area hygiene
Key Cork hospitals in our service area include Cork University Hospital (CUH) at Wilton, Mercy University Hospital at Grenville Place, South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital on Old Blackrock Road, Bon Secours Hospital Cork at College Road, and the Mater Private Cork at City Gate, Mahon. We provide healthcare cleaning for facilities across the Cork region.
GP Surgeries and Medical Centres
Cork has hundreds of GP surgeries and medical centres, from single-doctor practices in rural West Cork to large group practices in the city. Each practice needs cleaning that addresses clinical waste areas, treatment rooms, waiting rooms, and reception desks. We serve GP surgeries across Cork city centre, Douglas, Ballincollig, Carrigaline, Cobh, Midleton, Mallow, Fermoy, Bandon, Kinsale, and all other areas. Cleaning is typically scheduled outside of surgery hours — early morning or evening.
Dental Practices
Dental practices in Cork require specialist cleaning that goes beyond standard commercial cleaning. Treatment rooms need thorough disinfection between patients, and the waiting and reception areas must present a clean, clinical impression. We serve dental practices across Cork, understanding the specific requirements around decontamination rooms, treatment chairs, suction equipment housings, and the general clinical environment. Key areas include Cork city centre, Wilton, Douglas, Mahon, Ballincollig, and the county towns.
Nursing Homes and Residential Care
Cork has dozens of nursing homes and residential care facilities, both HSE-operated and private. These are subject to HIQA registration and inspection, and cleaning is a core component of their compliance framework. We provide daily cleaning of bedrooms, communal living areas, dining rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, corridors, and all common areas. Our teams are trained to work sensitively around elderly and vulnerable residents, minimising disruption while maintaining the highest hygiene standards.
Primary Care Centres
Ireland's primary care centre programme has delivered modern, multi-disciplinary healthcare facilities across Cork. These centres house GP surgeries, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, public health nursing, mental health services, and diagnostic facilities under one roof. We provide integrated cleaning services for the full centre, managing multiple clinical and non-clinical areas to a consistent HIQA-aligned standard.
Our Healthcare Cleaning Standards
Healthcare cleaning demands a fundamentally different approach to commercial cleaning. Here is how Optus Glean delivers HIQA-aligned cleaning in Cork:
Colour-Coded Cleaning Systems
We use a strict colour-coded system for all microfibre cloths, mop heads, and buckets to prevent cross-contamination between areas:
- Red — Washrooms, toilets, and bathroom areas only
- Blue — General areas, corridors, offices, and low-risk zones
- Green — Kitchens, canteens, and food preparation areas
- Yellow — Clinical areas, treatment rooms, and isolation rooms
Equipment is never shared between colour zones. This is fundamental to preventing the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs).
Hospital-Grade Disinfectants
We use disinfectants that are proven effective against MRSA, Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), norovirus, and other healthcare-associated pathogens. Products are selected based on the specific risk profile of each area and comply with HSE and HIQA recommendations.
Documentation and Audit Trails
Every cleaning activity is documented with date, time, area cleaned, operative name, and any issues noted. We provide digital cleaning logs that are available for inspection at any time. This documentation is essential for HIQA inspections and gives facility managers confidence that cleaning standards are being maintained consistently.
Staff Training
All healthcare cleaning operatives receive specialist training covering infection prevention and control principles, correct use of PPE, hand hygiene protocols, safe handling of clinical waste, chemical safety (COSHH), colour-coded system compliance, and patient dignity and confidentiality. Training is refreshed annually and documented for audit purposes.
Healthcare Cleaning Pricing in Cork
Healthcare cleaning in Cork commands premium rates due to the specialist training, compliance requirements, and documentation involved:
- GP surgery (100–200 sqm) — €400 to €700/month for daily cleaning
- Dental practice (100–250 sqm) — €500 to €900/month including treatment room disinfection
- Nursing home (20–60 beds) — €2,000 to €5,000/month depending on size and specification
- Primary care centre — €1,500 to €4,000/month depending on number of units and clinical areas
- Hospital departments — Custom pricing based on detailed site survey and specification
All prices are exclusive of VAT. Actual costs are confirmed after a site survey and depend on the number of clinical areas, washrooms, floor types, cleaning frequency, and any specialist requirements.
Why Cork Healthcare Facilities Choose Optus Glean
- HIQA expertise — We understand what HIQA inspectors look for in cleaning documentation, processes, and outcomes. Our systems are designed to pass inspection every time
- Infection control training — Every operative is trained in healthcare-specific infection prevention protocols before deployment to any Cork healthcare facility
- Full insurance — €6.5M public liability and €13M employer's liability. Non-negotiable for healthcare environments
- Garda vetted — Every team member working in healthcare settings is fully Garda vetted. Essential when working around patients and vulnerable people
- Continuity — Dedicated teams assigned to each facility. The same people clean your premises every day. They know the layout, the protocols, and the expectations
- Emergency response — Contamination events, outbreaks, or unexpected situations handled rapidly by our Cork-based emergency team
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.
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 Cork, this typically means a separate orange-bag and yellow-sharps collection from a HSE-approved contractor running on a fixed schedule.
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Last reviewed: 2026-05-06