What does Optus Glean charge per hour?

We do not. Commercial and contract cleaning is delivered to a defined scope on a fixed monthly fee, paid by Direct Debit, with an annual indexed review. Per-hour pricing is for ad-hoc and domestic work, neither of which we do. The fixed monthly fee covers the named primary cleaner, the named relief, all consumables where contracted, all equipment, and the management overhead of running the contract.

What happens if Optus Glean's cleaner is sick?

The named relief is deployed and the site contact is notified by 06:30 on the morning of the absence. The relief is already vetted, inducted, and trained on the site's colour-coded system and IPC standard, so the standard of clean does not change. Substitution is Optus Glean's operational problem, not the buyer's risk to absorb.

How is the fixed monthly fee set?

The fee is set against a defined scope of work — frequency, areas, tasks, consumables, equipment — agreed at contract signature and documented in the service specification. The fee is reviewed once a year against the Consumer Price Index and the Contract Cleaning ERO rate movement, with any change communicated 60 days in advance of the review date. There are no in-year variations unless the scope itself changes.

Why are cleaning services in Cork so inconsistent?

It is a workforce-design problem rather than an effort problem. Most operatives in the sector are part-time or casual, and many also hold healthcare assistant shifts in nursing homes and acute care. When a care shift is offered, the cleaning shift is dropped. Optus Glean removes that dynamic by employing operatives PAYE on guaranteed hours, so the cleaning role is not the secondary income.

How does Optus Glean stop cleaners disappearing for healthcare shifts?

We make the cleaning role the better work. Pay is set above the Contract Cleaning ERO floor (€14.80 per hour, 2026). Hours are guaranteed and rostered weeks in advance. Annual leave is paid. Pension contributions are made. The cleaner has no incentive to substitute a less predictable casual healthcare shift.

Why are some commercial cleaning quotes for Cork so much cheaper than others?

Quotes for the same scope range from around €750-1,100 per month at the lower end to €1,500-1,700 per month at the upper end. The differential is almost entirely driven by employment model. Lower quotes assume a casual workforce where the provider carries no employment risk and passes service-continuity risk to the buyer. Higher quotes assume a PAYE workforce where the provider absorbs that risk.

Is the ERO rate a minimum or a market rate in Cork?

The Contract Cleaning ERO rate of €14.80 per hour is a statutory minimum set under the Labour Court's Sectoral Employment Order. It is a floor, not a ceiling. Providers who pay at the floor are competing for staff with adjacent care-sector roles paying €15-€17 per hour, which is why retention is poor across the lower end of the market.

What evidence is there that this workforce pattern is real?

It is visible in CSO Labour Force Survey data on multi-jobbing in accommodation, administrative support, and human health and social work activities, and in the Workplace Relations Commission's enforcement record under the Contract Cleaning ERO. Practice managers confirm it experientially: the same operative who cleans the practice on Monday is on a healthcare assistant rota at a nearby nursing home on Wednesday.

What happens if my cleaner is sick or on leave?

The named relief is deployed. The site contact is notified by 06:30 on the morning of an unplanned absence, or at the start of the leave period for a planned absence. The relief is already vetted, inducted on the site, and trained on the same colour-coded system and IPC standard as the primary cleaner. The task list, the equipment, and the time window do not change. The clean is delivered to the same standard.

Will I get a different cleaner every week?

No. The model is a named primary cleaner with a named relief, both fixed to the site for the duration of the contract. The relief only attends when the primary is genuinely unavailable — sick day, annual leave, training day — and it is the same named relief each time, not a rotating pool. Long-term continuity of the same two people on a site is what makes the standard of clean stable.

How does Optus Glean handle long-term cover?

For absences longer than two weeks, cover is drawn from the wider Optus Glean trained bench. Every operative on the bench is PAYE-employed, Garda-vetted, and trained to the same documented HIQA-aligned IPC standard, so continuity of standard is preserved. The buyer is informed of the cover plan, the named individuals involved, and the expected duration at the point the long-term absence is identified.

What happens if my primary cleaner leaves Optus Glean?

The relief is promoted to primary on a planned timetable. A new relief is recruited, vetted, inducted on the site, trained on the colour-coded system and IPC standard, and introduced to the buyer before the handover takes effect. There is no scenario in which the buyer discovers, after the fact, that their cleaner has changed. Continuity is engineered, not improvised.

Industrial Cleaning Cork | Factory Cleaning Cork

€6.5M Public Liability

€13M Employer's Liability

Garda Vetted Staff

24/7 Emergency Response

Safe Pass Certified

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 site 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.

Industrial Cleaning Across Cork's Manufacturing Hub

Cork is the undisputed centre of Ireland's pharmaceutical and life sciences manufacturing. The corridor from Ringaskiddy through Little Island to Carrigtwohill contains one of the highest concentrations of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in Europe. Pfizer's global biotechnology campus at Ringaskiddy produces some of the world's most important medicines. Novartis operates a major facility in the same area. Hovione manufactures pharmaceutical-grade ingredients nearby. At Little Island, Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) operates a large-scale manufacturing campus. Eli Lilly has a significant presence in Kinsale, and MSD (Merck) operates at Brinny near Innishannon.

Beyond pharmaceuticals, Cork has a substantial food processing sector centred on Midleton, Mallow, and Fermoy. The county also hosts manufacturing operations in electronics, plastics, chemicals, and engineering. Warehouse and logistics facilities cluster around Cork Airport, Little Island, and the port at Ringaskiddy.

Optus Glean provides specialist industrial cleaning across all of these sectors and locations. Our teams are Safe Pass certified, trained in GMP and HACCP protocols where required, and backed by the insurance levels that pharmaceutical and food processing facilities demand.

Cork Industrial Areas We Serve

Ringaskiddy — Pharma Corridor

Ringaskiddy is the heart of Cork's pharmaceutical manufacturing. Pfizer's biotechnology facility here is one of the largest in the company's global network. Hovione manufactures pharmaceutical-grade ingredients. Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) has significant operations here. The area is also home to the National Maritime College and growing biopharma startups. Industrial cleaning in Ringaskiddy demands an understanding of pharmaceutical manufacturing environments: GMP compliance, gowning protocols, access control systems, and the documentation standards that regulatory auditors expect. We provide cleanroom-adjacent cleaning, production area general cleaning, warehouse cleaning, canteen and welfare area maintenance, and external cleaning including car parks and pathways.

Little Island Industrial Estate

Little Island is one of Ireland's largest and most important industrial zones. Johnson & Johnson's Janssen campus, Pfizer, PepsiCo, Stryker, and Gilead Sciences all operate major facilities here. The area also houses logistics companies, engineering firms, chemical manufacturers, and technology businesses. The mix of industries means our cleaning teams at Little Island work across different environments — from pharmaceutical-grade production areas to standard warehouses and offices. We tailor our approach to each facility's specific requirements and regulatory framework.

Carrigtwohill

Carrigtwohill's industrial estate hosts major operations including Amazon's fulfilment centre, pharmaceutical companies, and a mix of manufacturing, distribution, and technology companies. The area benefits from its position on the N25 Cork-to-Waterford road and proximity to the rail network. We provide factory floor cleaning, warehouse maintenance, and office cleaning for Carrigtwohill industrial premises.

Midleton, Mallow & Food Processing

Cork's food processing industry is concentrated in the market towns north and east of the city. Midleton is home to Irish Distillers (Jameson), and the wider area has dairy processing, meat processing, and speciality food manufacturing facilities. Mallow and Fermoy have significant food production operations. These facilities require HACCP-compliant cleaning with strict protocols around allergen management, pest prevention, and food safety documentation. Our teams understand the specific demands of food-grade environments.

Cork Airport Business Park & Logistics Corridor

Cork Airport Business Park and the N27/N28 corridors house warehouses, distribution centres, and logistics operations serving both the pharmaceutical export sector and general commerce. These facilities need regular floor cleaning (including ride-on scrubber-dryer operations), loading bay maintenance, racking cleaning, and office area servicing. The proximity to Cork Airport makes this corridor a hub for time-sensitive pharmaceutical and medical device logistics.

Model Farm Road Business Park

Model Farm Road on Cork's western approach hosts a mix of light industrial, technology, and office-based businesses. Industrial units here require regular cleaning of production areas, workshops, and warehousing space. Optus Glean provides contract cleaning for Model Farm Road businesses on schedules that work around operational hours.

Kilbarry Industrial Estate

Kilbarry Industrial Estate on the north side of Cork city houses manufacturing, engineering, and distribution companies. Our industrial cleaning teams provide floor scrubbing, machine area degreasing, warehouse cleaning, and welfare facility maintenance for Kilbarry businesses.

Blarney Business Park

Blarney Business Park north of the city is a growing industrial and commercial hub with manufacturing, distribution, and technology companies. We provide scheduled industrial cleaning including production floor maintenance, warehouse cleaning, and external pressure washing for Blarney Business Park tenants.

Port of Cork — Ringaskiddy & Cobh

The Port of Cork at Ringaskiddy and Cobh handles bulk cargo, container freight, and cruise operations. Port-adjacent warehousing, bonded stores, and logistics facilities require regular industrial cleaning. Our teams are experienced in port and harbour environments where marine contamination, heavy vehicle traffic, and 24-hour operations create demanding cleaning requirements.

Mahon Industrial Estate

Mahon on Cork's south side combines industrial and commercial space. The area houses engineering workshops, light manufacturing, storage facilities, and office buildings. We provide industrial cleaning across Mahon including factory floor maintenance, warehouse cleaning, and office cleaning for industrial premises.

IDA Cork Business & Technology Park

IDA Ireland operates several business and technology parks across Cork attracting multinational investment in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, technology, and advanced manufacturing. Companies at these parks — including operations by Stryker, Gilead Sciences, and other global manufacturers — require industrial cleaning that meets multinational quality and compliance standards. Optus Glean provides the documentation, training certifications, and insurance levels that IDA park tenants require from their cleaning contractors.

Industrial Cleaning Services We Provide

Pharmaceutical plant cleaning — GMP-compliant cleaning of production areas, cleanroom-adjacent zones, corridors, gowning areas, warehouses, and welfare facilities
Food processing cleaning — HACCP-compliant cleaning of production lines, cold rooms, packing halls, ingredient storage, and dispatch areas
Factory floor cleaning — Machine-assisted floor cleaning using ride-on scrubber-dryers, degreasing, and specialist floor treatments
Warehouse cleaning — High-level racking cleaning, floor scrubbing, loading bay maintenance, and yard cleaning
Shutdown cleaning — Intensive deep cleaning during planned maintenance shutdowns, covering all production, storage, and support areas
External cleaning — Car park pressure washing, path cleaning, building exterior cleaning, and yard maintenance
Specialist decontamination — Chemical spill response, biological decontamination, and emergency industrial cleaning

Compliance and Safety

Industrial cleaning in Cork's pharmaceutical and food sectors is heavily regulated. Optus Glean meets and exceeds the compliance requirements:

GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) — Our pharmaceutical cleaning teams understand GMP documentation, batch record systems, and the audit trail requirements of HPRA (Health Products Regulatory Authority) inspections
HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) — Food processing facility cleaning follows HACCP principles, with documented procedures for each cleaning task
Safe Pass — All industrial operatives hold valid Safe Pass certification, mandatory for work on industrial and construction sites in Ireland
Manual Handling — All operatives trained in safe manual handling techniques
COSHH — Full chemical safety training and MSDS documentation for all cleaning products used
Insurance — €6.5M public liability and €13M employer's liability. Many pharma facilities require minimum €5M PL as a contract condition — we exceed this

Industrial Cleaning Pricing in Cork

Standard warehouse/factory (500–2,000 sqm) — €1,500 to €4,000/month
Large warehouse/distribution centre (2,000–10,000 sqm) — €4,000 to €10,000/month
Pharmaceutical facility (GMP areas) — €5,000 to €20,000+/month depending on size and specification
Food processing facility (HACCP areas) — €3,000 to €12,000/month
Shutdown deep clean — Quoted per project based on scope and timeline

All prices are exclusive of VAT and based on standard specifications. Your actual cost is confirmed after a site survey.

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 site 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 site 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 site 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 site before the handover takes effect. There is no day on which the site discovers, after the fact, that their cleaner has changed.

Substitution is Optus Glean's operational problem, not the site'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 transport and logistics cleaning cost in Ireland in 2026?

An airport, station, or depot is priced as a fixed monthly fee tied to scope: 24/7 high-throughput cleaning, regulated-zone cover where applicable (airside, security-cleared areas), washrooms, public concourse, staff areas, and out-of-hours deep cleans. The Contract Cleaning ERO 2026 sets a €14.80/hour labour floor across the sector, but reputable providers quote the contract — multi-year term, annual indexed review, single monthly Direct Debit — not the hour.

What standards apply to transport-sector cleaning in Ireland?

The HSA's Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 sets the workplace baseline. The IAA regulates Irish airports, with EASA airport facility standards applying inside regulated zones. The Department of Transport sets broader policy. The cleaning programme must produce a documented audit trail — SDS, signed task logs, training register, security clearance records — that supports the operator's regulatory file.

Who can clean an airside zone in Ireland?

Only operatives with current airside security clearance — vetted and ID-pass-holding — can work airside. Clearance is granted by the airport operator under IAA-regulated procedures, with background checks that take weeks to complete. A reputable cleaning provider holds a stable, PAYE-employed pool of cleared operatives so airside cover does not collapse when one person leaves. Casual or agency staffing breaks under this model the first time a clearance lapses.

How is 24/7 cleaning actually delivered at a transport hub?

A 24/7 transport contract typically runs three shifts of named PAYE-employed cleaners with documented handovers, a named site lead per shift, and a reserve relief crew on call. Public concourse, washrooms, and high-throughput areas are cleaned continuously; deep-clean cycles run during the lowest-throughput window. The handover log and shift records are part of the audit trail, not optional.

What's the difference between PAYE and casual cleaning contracts in transport?

A PAYE-employed cleaner is on payroll with the company that signs the contract, paid above the Contract Cleaning ERO €14.80/hour floor, with guaranteed hours, paid leave, and PRSI/pension. A casual or self-employed operative is none of those things. In a regulated environment with security clearance and 24/7 cover, PAYE staffing is the only model that holds the clearance pool, the shift rota, and the named-cleaner continuity together.

How do I evaluate a cleaning provider for a transport site?

Three checks. One: are the operatives PAYE-employed by the company that signs the contract, with security clearance held in their own name? Two: how does the provider hold the clearance pool — what is the redundancy depth across the 24/7 shift pattern? Three: can the provider produce method statements, SDS, and shift handover logs that satisfy IAA and HSA audit standards on day one?

What should be in a cleaning contract for a transport hub?

24/7 shift coverage with named site lead per shift, regulated-zone clearance commitments, public concourse and washroom programme, deep-clean rotation, the chemical regime with SDS, PAYE-employed staff confirmation, fixed monthly fee, annual indexed review, transparent KPI reporting tied to throughput, and a clean exit clause. No per-hour pricing.

How often should a transport hub be deep-cleaned?

A transport hub runs continuous high-throughput visible cleaning, daily out-of-hours resets in the lowest-throughput window, weekly periodic tasks (high-level dusting, glass, signage), and quarterly or six-monthly deep cleans of floors, soft furnishings, and ducting. In Cork, larger hubs typically schedule deep-clean rotations across phased zones so service continues without disruption.

Industrial Cleaning Across Ireland

Optus Glean provides industrial cleaning in every major industrial region in Ireland. View our county-specific industrial cleaning pages or our national industrial cleaning service page for full details on our capabilities, equipment, and compliance standards.

Related Services in Cork

Last reviewed: 2026-05-06

Industrial Cleaning Cork — Factory & Pharmaceutical Plant Cleaning