Professional Industrial Cleaning in Ireland
Industrial cleaning is a fundamentally different discipline from commercial or office cleaning. The scale is larger, the soiling is heavier, the equipment is more specialised, and the compliance requirements are more demanding. An industrial cleaning provider must understand not just cleaning methods, but the operational realities of manufacturing, warehousing, food processing, and pharmaceutical production.
Optus Glean delivers industrial cleaning services to factories, warehouses, distribution centres, food processing plants, pharmaceutical facilities, and manufacturing operations across all 26 counties of Ireland. We deploy industrial-grade equipment including ride-on scrubber-dryers, walk-behind scrubbers, industrial sweepers, high-pressure washers, and specialist degreasing systems. Every operative holds Safe Pass certification, COSHH training, and the sector-specific qualifications required by your facility.
We operate 24/7 to minimise disruption to your operations. Whether you need routine floor scrubbing during night shifts, planned shutdown deep cleans, or emergency spill response, Optus Glean has the equipment, the trained personnel, and the capacity to deliver.
Industrial Cleaning Equipment and Capabilities
The difference between a cleaning company that can clean an office and one that can clean a 10,000m² warehouse floor lies in the equipment and the expertise to operate it. Optus Glean deploys the following industrial cleaning equipment:
Ride-On Scrubber-Dryers
For large open floor areas in warehouses, distribution centres, and factory production floors. Our ride-on machines clean 3,000 to 5,000 square metres per hour, scrubbing, degreasing, and drying the floor in a single pass. This means a 10,000m² warehouse floor can be cleaned in 2 to 3 hours with minimal disruption to operations. Ride-on scrubbers are essential for facilities where manual cleaning would take days and produce inconsistent results.
Walk-Behind Scrubber-Dryers
For smaller areas, narrow aisles between racking, and areas where ride-on machines cannot access. Walk-behind scrubbers deliver the same scrub-and-dry cleaning action as ride-on machines but in a more manoeuvrable format. Used in combination with ride-on machines, they ensure complete coverage of even the most complex floor layouts.
Industrial Sweepers
For removing loose debris, dust, and particulate matter from large floor areas before scrubbing. Pre-sweeping is essential in warehouses and manufacturing facilities where small debris can damage scrubber pads and compromise the quality of the floor scrub.
High-Pressure Washers
For loading bays, external yards, dock areas, and heavily soiled surfaces. Our industrial pressure washers operate at pressures up to 250 bar with hot water capability for effective degreasing. Hot water pressure washing is critical for removing oil, grease, and food residues that cold water simply moves around.
High-Level Cleaning Equipment
For cleaning overhead structures including roof trusses, I-beams, lighting arrays, cable trays, ductwork, and ventilation systems. We use MEWP (Mobile Elevated Work Platform) access, industrial vacuum systems, and specialist high-level cleaning tools to remove accumulated dust, cobwebs, and debris from overhead structures.
Sector-Specific Industrial Cleaning
Food Processing and Food Manufacturing
Food processing facilities operate under strict HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) requirements. Cleaning in these environments must prevent cross-contamination, eliminate biological hazards, and satisfy Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) inspection standards. Optus Glean provides food-grade cleaning using approved sanitisers and disinfectants, colour-coded cleaning systems to prevent cross-contamination between raw and cooked areas, cleaning of production lines, conveyor systems, and processing equipment (external surfaces), floor degreasing with food-safe products, drain cleaning and sanitisation, and documentation that satisfies HACCP audit requirements.
Our food processing cleaning teams are trained in HACCP awareness, allergen management, and the specific protocols of your facility. We work during planned shutdowns, overnight, and during shift changes to minimise production impact.
Pharmaceutical and Cleanroom Environments
Pharmaceutical manufacturing demands the highest standards of environmental cleanliness. While Optus Glean does not provide ISO-classified cleanroom maintenance (which requires specialist cleanroom operators), we provide comprehensive cleaning of the surrounding facility: warehousing areas, corridors, changing rooms, welfare facilities, offices, loading docks, and external areas. This frees your specialist cleanroom team to focus on the controlled environments.
For pharmaceutical clients, we offer enhanced documentation including cleaning validation records, batch traceability for cleaning products, and compliance with your site's quality management system requirements.
Manufacturing and Engineering
Manufacturing facilities accumulate oil, grease, metal swarf, cutting fluid residue, and general industrial debris. Our manufacturing cleaning service addresses production floor degreasing, CNC machine and work station cleaning (external surfaces), swarf and waste metal removal, oil interceptor and drain cleaning, overhead structure cleaning, and warehouse and storage area maintenance.
We understand that manufacturing operates to tight production schedules. Our teams are trained to work safely around operational machinery and to coordinate with your production team to minimise downtime.
Warehousing and Distribution
Warehouses and distribution centres present unique cleaning challenges: vast floor areas (often 5,000m² to 50,000m²+), high-level racking systems, dock areas exposed to the elements, and constant forklift traffic that deposits tyre marks, dust, and spillages. Our warehouse cleaning service includes regular floor scrubbing programmes (weekly, fortnightly, or monthly), high-level racking and beam cleaning, loading bay and dock cleaning, external yard pressure washing, office and welfare facility cleaning, and periodic deep cleans during shutdown periods.
Confined Space Cleaning
Confined space entry is one of the most hazardous activities in industrial cleaning. Tanks, silos, vessels, pits, and ducts present risks including oxygen deficiency, toxic atmospheres, engulfment, and restricted access. Optus Glean provides confined space cleaning with full compliance to the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Confined Spaces) Regulations.
Our confined space cleaning service includes:
- Documented risk assessment and method statement for every entry
- Atmospheric monitoring (O2, CO, H2S, LEL) before and during entry
- Trained confined space entry team with rescue capability
- Permit-to-work system managed in coordination with your site safety team
- Specialist cleaning equipment designed for confined space use
- Post-clean atmospheric testing and sign-off
High-Level Cleaning
Dust, cobwebs, and debris accumulate on overhead structures in industrial buildings. This is not just an aesthetic issue — accumulated dust on lighting reduces light output by up to 30%, dust on fire detection systems can cause false alarms, and in food environments, overhead contamination can compromise product safety.
Our high-level cleaning service covers roof trusses and structural steelwork, lighting arrays and diffusers, cable trays and conduit, ventilation ductwork and grilles, overhead pipework, fire detection and sprinkler systems (external surfaces), and high-level glazing and rooflights.
We use MEWP access (cherry pickers, scissor lifts) for heights up to 20 metres and specialist industrial vacuum systems for effective dust capture without creating airborne contamination.
Degreasing and Specialist Floor Cleaning
Oil and grease contamination on industrial floors is a slip hazard, a fire risk, and a compliance issue. Standard mopping simply spreads the problem. Effective industrial degreasing requires the right combination of chemical, agitation, dwell time, and extraction.
Optus Glean uses alkaline degreasers for mineral oil and petroleum-based contamination, enzyme-based cleaners for food fats and organic oils, hot water pressure washing for loading bays and external areas, and mechanical scrubbing with diamond or abrasive pads for embedded contamination. After degreasing, floors are treated with anti-slip coatings where required to maintain safe walking and driving surfaces.
Industrial Cleaning Pricing in Ireland
Industrial cleaning is priced based on the facility size, the type and level of soiling, the equipment required, and the frequency of service. Below are indicative pricing ranges for 2026.
| Service | Typical Pricing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Warehouse floor scrubbing | €0.50 – €2.00/m² | Depends on soiling level and floor type |
| Factory deep clean | €2.00 – €5.00/m² | Full facility, all surfaces |
| High-level cleaning | €35 – €65/hour | MEWP access, trained operators |
| Confined space cleaning | €45 – €75/hour | Per operative, minimum 3-person team |
| Loading bay pressure wash | €150 – €400/bay | Hot water, degreasing included |
| Ongoing contract (weekly) | From €500/week | Floor scrub + welfare areas |
All pricing is exclusive of VAT. Volume and contract discounts apply to regular service agreements. Optus Glean provides fixed-price quotations after a free site assessment.
24/7 Availability and Shutdown Cleaning
Industrial facilities operate around the clock, and cleaning must fit into production schedules without causing downtime. Optus Glean operates 24/7, 365 days a year. We schedule routine cleaning during night shifts, weekends, or shift changeovers. Deep cleans are planned around annual shutdowns, bank holiday weekends, or maintenance windows.
For emergency situations — chemical spills, production accidents, flood damage, or contamination events — our on-call team mobilises within hours to decontaminate and clean affected areas.
Health, Safety, and Compliance
Industrial cleaning carries inherent risks that do not exist in commercial environments. Every Optus Glean industrial cleaning project is managed under a comprehensive safety system:
- Documented risk assessments and method statements (RAMS) for every site
- COSHH assessments for all chemicals used on each facility
- Safe Pass certification for all operatives
- Manual handling training and assessment
- Working at height training and MEWP operation certification
- Confined space entry training (where applicable)
- Site-specific induction before first access
- PPE compliance monitoring and enforcement
- Near-miss and incident reporting system
All safety documentation is available to your safety officer, insurance provider, or regulatory inspector on request. We operate as an extension of your own safety management system.
Related Services for Industrial Facilities
Industrial cleaning connects with several of our other services to provide a comprehensive facility management solution:
- Pressure Washing — External yard, car park, and building exterior cleaning
- Window Cleaning — Industrial window and rooflight cleaning at height
- Floor Cleaning — Specialist hard floor treatment, stripping, and sealing
- Washroom Services — Welfare facility consumable supply and hygiene services
- Office Cleaning — Administrative areas and staff offices within industrial facilities
Frequently Asked Questions About Industrial Cleaning
How much does industrial cleaning cost in Ireland?
Industrial cleaning in Ireland costs between €18 and €35 per hour for standard operatives, and €35 to €65 per hour for specialist work including confined space and high-level cleaning. Warehouse floor scrubbing typically costs €0.50 to €2.00 per square metre. Factory deep cleans are priced individually based on facility size, sector, and scope. Optus Glean provides fixed-price quotations after a free site assessment.
What is included in industrial cleaning services?
Industrial cleaning services include warehouse floor scrubbing and degreasing, high-level cleaning of racking, beams, and overhead structures, machinery and equipment cleaning, loading bay and dock cleaning, canteen and welfare facility cleaning, external yard and car park cleaning, and specialist services such as confined space cleaning and food-grade sanitisation. The exact scope depends on the type of facility and industry sector.
What is the difference between commercial and industrial cleaning?
Commercial cleaning covers offices, retail, and hospitality where the primary challenge is maintaining cleanliness for staff and visitors. Industrial cleaning covers factories, warehouses, and processing facilities where challenges include heavy soiling, oil and grease, hazardous materials, large floor areas, high-level structures, and sector-specific compliance requirements such as HACCP for food processing or cleanroom adjacency standards for pharmaceuticals. The equipment, training, and safety requirements are significantly different.
How often should a warehouse be deep cleaned?
Most warehouses should have floors scrubbed weekly or fortnightly depending on traffic levels. A full deep clean including high-level cleaning, racking, lighting, and overhead structures should be scheduled quarterly or bi-annually. Food storage warehouses may require more frequent deep cleaning to maintain HACCP compliance. Optus Glean will recommend an optimal cleaning schedule based on your facility's specific needs during the initial site assessment.
What cleaning equipment is used for warehouse floors?
Professional warehouse floor cleaning uses ride-on scrubber-dryers for large areas (3,000 to 5,000m²/hour), walk-behind scrubber-dryers for narrow aisles, industrial sweepers for loose debris, and high-pressure washers for loading bays. For oil-contaminated floors, specialist degreasing equipment with hot water capability is used. Optus Glean deploys the appropriate equipment for each facility based on floor type, area size, and contamination level.
What is a factory deep clean?
A factory deep clean is a comprehensive cleaning of the entire facility including production areas, machinery surfaces, overhead structures, storage areas, welfare facilities, and external areas. It involves degreasing production floors, cleaning equipment surfaces, high-level cleaning of ceiling structures, lighting, and ventilation, cleaning racking, and sanitising welfare areas. Factory deep cleans are scheduled during planned shutdowns or holiday periods to avoid production disruption.
What health and safety requirements apply to industrial cleaning in Ireland?
Industrial cleaning in Ireland is governed by the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and associated regulations. Requirements include documented risk assessments and method statements, COSHH assessments for chemicals, confined space entry procedures, working at height regulations, Safe Pass certification, and sector-specific standards such as HACCP for food environments. Optus Glean maintains full compliance documentation for every industrial site we clean.