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 Dublin 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 Dublin 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 Dublin?

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.

Post-Construction Cleaning Dublin | Builders Clean Dublin

€6.5M Public Liability

€13M Employer's Liability

Garda Vetted Staff

Rapid Mobilisation

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 Dublin 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 Dublin. 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 Dublin 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.

Post-Construction Cleaning Services in Dublin

Dublin is the centre of Ireland's construction boom. Billions of euro in residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects are underway across the city and county, from the massive Strategic Development Zones at Cherrywood and Poolbeg to infill apartment schemes in the city centre and office tower completions in the Docklands. Every one of these projects needs professional post-construction cleaning before units can be handed over to buyers, tenants, or occupiers.

Optus Glean provides the full range of post-construction cleaning services across Dublin — from Phase 1 rough cleans on active construction sites to final sparkle cleans that present properties to show-home standard. Our teams are Safe Pass certified, experienced in working on live construction sites, and capable of scaling from a single apartment clean to a 500-unit development programme.

The Three Phases of Post-Construction Cleaning

Phase 1 — Rough Clean (Builders Clean)

The rough clean happens after the major construction works are complete but before final fix and snagging. This is the heavy-duty stage that removes bulk construction debris, dust, mortar splashes, plaster residue, paint overspray, and general site waste. In a typical Dublin apartment development, Phase 1 cleaning includes:

Removal of all loose construction debris and rubble from floors
Sweeping and shovelling of bulk dust and plaster waste
Scraping of mortar, plaster, and adhesive from hard floors and window frames
Initial window clean to remove construction film, labels, and paint splashes
Dust extraction from all surfaces using industrial vacuums with HEPA filtration
Removal of protective coverings from sanitaryware, kitchen units, and appliances

Dublin Phase 1 pricing: €3 to €6 per sqm, or €200 to €500 per residential unit.

Phase 2 — Detail Clean

The detail clean follows after snagging, final fix, and any remedial works. This stage provides thorough cleaning of all surfaces, fixtures, and fittings to a near-final standard. Phase 2 cleaning in Dublin typically includes:

Detailed cleaning of all windows (internal and external where accessible)
Kitchen unit cleaning — internal and external surfaces of all cupboards, drawers, worktops, splashbacks, appliances
Bathroom deep clean — shower enclosures, baths, toilets, basins, mirrors, tiling, grouting
Hard floor wash and initial seal (where specified)
Skirting boards, architraves, door frames, and door cleaning
Light fitting and switch plate cleaning
Radiator and vent cleaning
Built-in wardrobe internal cleaning

Dublin Phase 2 pricing: €5 to €10 per sqm, or €350 to €700 per residential unit.

Sparkle Clean (Final Presentation Clean)

The sparkle clean is the final presentation clean that makes a property ready for the client walkthrough, purchaser handover, or marketing photographs. This is the standard that sells homes and impresses corporate tenants. The sparkle clean covers:

All surfaces polished and streak-free
Windows crystal-clear inside and out
Chrome and stainless steel polished
Floors machine-cleaned, sealed, or buffed to a shine
Kitchen appliances cleaned inside and out (oven, hob, extractor, fridge, dishwasher)
Bathroom fixtures gleaming with no water marks
All marks, smudges, and fingerprints removed from walls and paintwork
Balcony, terrace, or patio cleaned and swept

Dublin sparkle clean pricing: €8 to €15 per sqm, or €400 to €1,000 per residential unit depending on size and specification.

Dublin's Major Development Areas

Cherrywood SDZ

Cherrywood Strategic Development Zone in south Dublin is one of the largest development sites in the country, with planning for over 8,000 homes, 3 schools, a town centre, parks, and commercial space. Construction is phased over 15+ years, generating continuous demand for post-construction cleaning. Optus Glean provides Phase 1 through sparkle clean services for residential and commercial units at Cherrywood, working with multiple builders and contractors on the scheme.

Clonburris SDZ

Clonburris in west Dublin (between Clondalkin and Lucan) is planned for approximately 8,400 homes and associated commercial, retail, and community facilities. As phases complete and units approach handover, Optus Glean provides scalable post-construction cleaning teams to meet programme deadlines.

Poolbeg SDZ

The Poolbeg Strategic Development Zone at Ringsend in Dublin 4 will deliver up to 3,500 homes on the former Irish Glass Bottle site. This high-profile waterfront development demands premium sparkle clean standards for what will be some of Dublin's most desirable apartments.

Docklands & Grand Canal

Ongoing commercial and residential development in the Docklands, including new office towers on Sir John Rogerson's Quay, North Wall Quay, and Capital Dock, requires post-construction cleaning for both residential units and Grade A office space. Office sparkle cleans here demand attention to polished concrete floors, floor-to-ceiling glazing, and high-specification finishes.

Adamstown

Adamstown SDZ in west Dublin continues to deliver residential phases, with over 10,000 homes planned in total. Optus Glean provides post-construction cleaning for house builders and apartment developers across the Adamstown scheme.

Premium Renovation Market — After Builders Cleaning in South Dublin

Dublin's affluent south-side suburbs generate year-round demand for after builders cleaning. Period home renovations, extensions, and high-end refurbishments in Howth, Dalkey, Ballsbridge, Foxrock, and Killiney require meticulous sparkle cleans that protect original features while removing every trace of construction dust. These are not volume new-build cleans — they are detail-intensive projects where a single paint splash on a restored sash window or dust in a hand-finished kitchen can derail a handover.

Howth — Cliff-top and harbour-side renovations, period property extensions, and luxury new builds along the summit and harbour road. After builders cleaning for Howth projects requires care with natural stone, exposed timber, and heritage window frames
Dalkey — One of Dublin's most prestigious addresses with Victorian and Edwardian renovations, basement conversions, and architect-designed extensions. Post-construction cleaning in Dalkey demands show-home presentation for high-specification interiors
Ballsbridge — Embassy belt townhouse renovations, period apartment conversions, and new-build luxury apartments along Pembroke Road, Shrewsbury Road, and Ailesbury Road. Builders cleans here require attention to restored period plasterwork, marble fireplaces, and parquet floors
Foxrock — Large detached home extensions, complete renovations, and new builds on generous sites. Post-construction cleaning for Foxrock properties often includes external areas — patios, driveways, and landscaped gardens affected by construction traffic
Greystones — Rapidly expanding south of Dublin, Greystones has significant new-build residential activity alongside period renovations in the town centre and along the cliff walk. Post-construction cleaning in Greystones serves both volume developers and individual home renovations

Silicon Docks & Dublin Docklands Tech Campus Cleans

The Dublin Docklands — known internationally as Silicon Docks — is home to the European headquarters of Google, Meta, Salesforce, HubSpot, and dozens of other technology companies. These buildings undergo continuous fit-out, refurbishment, and expansion projects that generate demand for specialist post-construction cleaning. Optus Glean provides builders cleans and sparkle cleans for tech campus environments, including:

Raised access floor cleaning and dust extraction beneath floor tiles
Floor-to-ceiling glass partition cleaning without streaking or residue
Server room and comms room dust-free cleaning protocols
Canteen and wellness facility fit-out cleans to food-safety standard
Acoustic panel and suspended ceiling tile cleaning

Major Infrastructure & Public Sector Projects

Dublin's major infrastructure projects create significant post-construction cleaning requirements:

National Children's Hospital — One of Ireland's largest capital projects, the new children's hospital at St James's campus requires clinical-grade post-construction cleaning. Healthcare facility cleans demand HEPA filtration, antimicrobial treatments, and strict infection control protocols throughout
Dublin Airport expansion — Ongoing terminal and airside facility expansion, new hotel builds, and commercial fit-outs around Dublin Airport generate continuous post-construction cleaning demand. Airport projects require security clearance and airside safety training in addition to Safe Pass
Grangecastle Business Park — Data centre construction in west Dublin's Grangecastle area, serving hyperscale operators, requires post-construction cleaning to cleanroom or near-cleanroom standards. Dust-free environments are essential before server installation
Sandyford Business District — Ongoing office refurbishments, new builds, and mixed-use development around the Sandyford Luas corridor. Post-construction cleaning for Grade A office space in Sandyford to tech-campus specification

Commercial Post-Construction Cleaning in Dublin

Beyond residential, Dublin's commercial construction sector generates significant demand for specialist post-construction cleaning:

Office fit-outs — Cat A and Cat B office fit-outs in the Docklands, IFSC, and Sandyford require detailed cleaning of raised access floors, suspended ceilings, glass partitions, kitchen units, and washroom fitments.
Retail fit-outs — New retail units in Dundrum Town Centre, Blanchardstown Centre, and Liffey Valley need sparkle cleans before trading commences.
Restaurant and hospitality builds — New restaurants and hotels across Dublin require HACCP-grade cleaning of kitchen, dining, and public areas before opening.
Healthcare fit-outs — New GP surgeries, dental practices, and clinical facilities need HIQA-aligned post-construction cleaning before commissioning.

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.

This page references the following Irish statutory and regulatory sources:

Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 291/2013) — the operational backbone of construction H&S in Ireland, applicable to post-build cleaning on site.
Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 — parent statute defining duties on clients, project supervisors and contractors.
HSA — Construction — the regulator's hub for duty-holder responsibilities, Safe Pass / CSCS and contractor management.
Voluntary Construction Register Ireland — the working public-facing register of competent builders, contractors and specialist sub-contractors in Ireland.
Workplace Relations Commission — Contract Cleaning Employment Regulation Order — sets the statutory pay floor for operatives on contract cleaning agreements, including post-build crews.

Health and Safety on Dublin Construction Sites

Post-construction cleaning on active or recently completed construction sites is governed by the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013. Optus Glean maintains full compliance:

Safe Pass — All operatives hold current SOLAS Safe Pass cards
Manual Handling — All operatives are manual handling certified
PPE — Full personal protective equipment provided including hard hats, safety boots, hi-vis vests, gloves, and eye protection
Site induction — All operatives complete site-specific inductions as required by the Project Supervisor Construction Stage (PSCS)
Method statements — Documented method statements and risk assessments for all cleaning activities
COSHH — Full COSHH assessments for all chemicals used on site

Frequently asked questions

How much does post-build cleaning cost in Ireland in 2026?

Construction post-build cleaning is the one cleaning vertical priced on a fixed-price-per-project basis, not a recurring monthly fee. Pricing is set against the scope (square metres, number of units, level of finish), the trade-out condition, and the handover deadline. The Contract Cleaning ERO 2026 sets a €14.80/hour labour floor that is reflected in the project rate, but the buyer signs a fixed-price-per-project quote, not an hourly call-off.

What's the difference between a builders' clean and a sparkle clean?

A builders' clean is the first-stage post-construction clean — debris removal, dust extraction, gross protection film stripped, surfaces cleaned, sanitaryware washed. A sparkle clean (handover clean) is the second-stage finish — every surface to handover standard, glass and mirrors, fittings and ironmongery polished, snag-list items cleaned, ready for client walkaround. Many projects need both, scheduled in sequence around the snag list.

What standards apply to post-build cleaning in Ireland?

The HSA enforces the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 across the live site. Operatives must hold a current Safe Pass card before entering. The cleaning provider's method statement, risk assessment, chemical SDS, and PPE schedule must be approved by the principal contractor's safety file. CIRI registration on the contractor side is increasingly a tender pre-qualifier.

Who needs Safe Pass on a construction site?

Every operative on a live Irish construction site needs a current HSA Safe Pass card, including cleaners delivering builders' cleans and sparkle cleans. The card is issued via an HSA-approved one-day course and must be in date — expired cards mean the operative is turned around at the gate. A reputable cleaning provider holds a Safe Pass register and will not deploy a cleaner without one.

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

A PAYE-employed cleaner is on the cleaning company's payroll, paid above the Contract Cleaning ERO €14.80/hour floor, Safe Pass-carded, with PRSI and paid leave through the employer. A casual or self-employed operative is none of those things — and casual labour on a construction site exposes the principal contractor to direct liability under the 2013 Regulations. PAYE staffing is the structural baseline that keeps the principal contractor's safety file clean.

How do I evaluate a cleaning provider for a post-build job?

Three checks. One: are the operatives PAYE-employed and Safe Pass-current, with the register available before the job starts? Two: can the provider produce a method statement, risk assessment, and chemical SDS that the principal contractor's safety officer will accept into the project safety file without rework? Three: does the fixed project price align to the handover programme, or is the provider quoting hourly with surprise top-ups?

What should be in a fixed-price post-build cleaning quote?

The defined scope (areas, units, square metres), the cleaning standard (builders' clean, sparkle clean, or both), the chemical and equipment list with SDS, the staffing plan with Safe Pass-current operatives, the programme tied to the principal contractor's handover dates, the snag re-clean policy, the agreed fixed price per project, and payment terms. No per-hour pricing on the cover sheet.

How does the snag list affect handover cleaning?

A sparkle clean is delivered against a defined handover date, but trades inevitably return to address snag-list items, generating fresh dust and finish damage. A reputable provider quotes a snag re-clean within the project price (one or two re-attendances), with any further re-cleans priced as a known unit rate, agreed in writing. In Dublin, larger schemes typically build two snag re-attendances into the original fixed-price quote.

Post-Construction Cleaning Dublin — Builders Clean & Sparkle Clean