Last updated: 4 May 2026 · By Shepherd Nyakudya, Founder, Optus Glean
Quick answer
School cleaning in Ireland is governed by Department of Education premises standards, DCEDIY childcare premises rules where applicable, HSA welfare and chemical safety law, and HPSC IPC guidance for outbreak response. A defensible specification covers term-time daily cleaning, summer deep clean, classroom/toilet/canteen/gym frequencies, viral outbreak response, and Garda vetting of every operative. Cost bands are typically expressed per pupil per year or per square metre per month, varying by frequency and county labour rates.
What standards apply to school cleaning in Ireland?
School cleaning sits inside several frameworks:
- Department of Education — premises maintenance and cleaning expectations form part of the recognised-school standards. Specific guidance is published through the Department's school premises guidance documents.
- Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) — Tusla Early Years Inspectorate inspects early-years settings (creches, pre-schools) under the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016. Cleaning, hygiene, and IPC are explicit inspection criteria.
- HSA — Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, Chemical Agents Regulations, and Manual Handling Code of Practice apply to cleaning chemistry and operative welfare.
- HPSC — IPC guidelines for outbreak response (norovirus, gastroenteritis, COVID-19, scarlet fever, hand-foot-and-mouth) which are common in school environments.
- National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 — mandatory Garda vetting for any cleaning operative with regular access to children.
What does a school cleaning specification cover?
A defensible specification covers six operational zones with distinct frequency tables.
1. Classrooms
| Activity | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Floor sweep / vacuum | Daily |
| Floor mop | Daily (primary); 3x/week (post-primary) |
| Desk surface wipe | Daily (primary); detail on Friday (post-primary) |
| Bin empty | Daily |
| Whiteboard / chalk surface clean | Daily |
| Door handle / light switch high-touch | Daily |
| Skirting and low-level surface detail | Weekly |
| Vent and high-level dust | Monthly |
| Window sill clean | Weekly |
| Carpet shampoo (where present) | Annually (summer) |
| Hard-floor strip and reseal | Annually (summer) |
2. Toilets and washrooms
Toilets are the highest-risk area in a school for environmental cleaning failure. Findings of insufficient toilet cleaning are the most common parental and inspection complaint. Recommended frequency:
- Twice daily during school hours minimum (morning break and after lunch).
- Full clean of toilet pan, seat, basin, mirror, floor, partition surfaces.
- Restock of toilet paper, soap, and hand-towel at every visit.
- Daily descale check; weekly descale where required.
- Quarterly deep clean.
3. Canteen and food-preparation areas
Where the school runs a canteen or hot-food service, FSAI HACCP rules apply. The cleaning contractor's typical scope is non-food zones (hall floor, table surfaces between sittings, hand-wash areas) with kitchen team handling food-contact surfaces and food-prep equipment. Boundaries should be defined explicitly in the contract.
- After each sitting: table wipe, floor sweep/mop, bin empty, hand-wash sink restock.
- Daily end-of-service: full hall floor mop, surface detail, bin liner change.
- Weekly: detail clean of vents, light fittings, door surfaces.
- Quarterly: deep clean of hard floor including sealing.
4. Gym, hall, and PE areas
- Daily: floor sweep, mop, equipment wipe, bin empty.
- Weekly: detail clean of mats, equipment storage, changing-room benches.
- Quarterly: hard-floor strip and reseal; mat deep clean.
- Changing rooms and showers: daily clean with chlorine-releasing agent; weekly detail; monthly descale.
5. Corridors, stairs, and circulation
- Daily: floor mop or vacuum; high-touch wipe of door handles, handrails, push-plates; bin empty.
- Weekly: detail clean of skirting, lower walls, light switches, fire-extinguisher cabinets.
- Quarterly: hard-floor strip and reseal; carpet shampoo where applicable.
6. Staff areas and offices
- Daily: floor mop, surface wipe, bin empty, kitchenette clean.
- Weekly: detail clean.
- Quarterly: deep clean.
Term-time vs summer deep clean
School cleaning operates on a two-cycle calendar:
- Term-time daily cleaning: typically late afternoon / early evening after pupils leave; 2-4 hour shifts depending on school size.
- Mid-term and half-term deep cleans: typically a 2-3 day cycle in October mid-term and February mid-term to refresh classrooms, toilets, and corridors.
- Christmas and Easter break: shorter deep clean focused on toilets, canteen, and high-traffic corridor refresh.
- Summer deep clean: 4-6 weeks of intensive work covering all areas. Hard-floor strip and reseal, carpet shampoo, classroom detail, gym mat deep clean, kitchen deep clean (where contractor scope), exterior window clean, gutter clear, and refresh of any worn surfaces.
Pricing typically reflects this rhythm: a fixed term-time monthly with an additional summer deep-clean lump sum, plus optional mid-term and half-term refresh prices.
How is viral outbreak response handled?
Schools experience seasonal outbreaks of norovirus, gastroenteritis, scarlet fever, hand-foot-and-mouth, influenza, COVID-19, and (in some years) measles or chickenpox. The cleaning contractor's role under HPSC outbreak guidance:
- Mobilise enhanced cleaning team within the SLA response time (typically 4 hours).
- Increase cleaning frequency on high-touch surfaces (door handles, light switches, desks, toilet flush handles, hand-wash taps).
- Use chlorine-releasing agent at 1,000 ppm routine, 10,000 ppm for vomit/diarrhoea spills.
- Single-use cloths in affected classrooms/areas.
- PPE per HPSC contact precautions: gown, gloves, surgical mask, eye protection.
- On declaration of outbreak end (typically 48 hours after last new case), conduct terminal clean.
- Document every clean during the outbreak for school records.
Outbreak response should be specified in the contract with hours allowance, response-time SLA, and pricing (typically included up to a defined hours threshold, hourly rate beyond).
What contractor selection requirements apply for school cleaning?
Mandatory
- Garda vetting for every operative under the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012. Must be confirmed before deployment and refreshed every 3 years.
- Public liability insurance — minimum €6.5 million; some Department-funded contracts require €10 million.
- Employer's liability insurance — minimum €13 million.
- ERO compliance — staff paid at or above 2026 Contract Cleaning Joint Labour Committee rates per Workplace Relations Commission.
- Safe Pass — required if any work is on-site during construction or maintenance projects.
- HSA chemical compliance — COSHH data sheets retained on site.
- Tax clearance from Revenue.
Strongly recommended
- ISO 9001 quality management system.
- Sectoral references — previous primary, post-primary, or DCEDIY-registered childcare contracts.
- Outbreak response capability with documented method statement.
- Summer-deep-clean delivery experience.
How is school cleaning costed in Ireland?
School cleaning is typically priced as a fixed annual contract with a term-time monthly element plus a summer deep-clean lump sum. Pricing inputs:
- Operative-hours per day × school days × fully loaded hourly rate.
- Operative floor: ERO €13.30/hr (2026); fully loaded (PRSI 11.05%, holiday pay 8%, sick pay, supervision, materials) typically €17.50-€18.50/hr.
- Plus: summer deep clean (4-6 weeks @ peak hours).
- Plus: mid-term and half-term refresh.
- Plus: outbreak response provision.
Per-pupil and per-square-metre bands are useful for benchmarking but vary materially by school size, county labour rates, and frequency profile. The Department of Education's published premises-cleaning ranges are the closest defensible reference; we encourage benchmarking against those for primary and post-primary contracts. We do not publish specific euro figures here. For a fixed-price quote based on your school's pupil count, area, and frequency, request a free site survey.
What does a school cleaning RFP need to include?
A defensible RFP covers:
- School profile: type (primary / post-primary / ETB / DCEDIY childcare), pupil count, classroom count, total square metres, special-area inventory (gym, hall, canteen, science lab, etc.).
- Term-time schedule and any term-extension activities.
- Frequency table by area type with explicit task-time estimates.
- Summer deep-clean scope (specify the calendar window and the deliverables).
- Outbreak SLA and response-time commitment.
- Compliance requirements: vetting, insurance, ERO, COSHH, Safe Pass where applicable.
- Reporting: monthly performance report, audit cadence, complaint log.
- Pricing structure: term-time monthly, summer lump sum, mid-term refresh, hourly ad-hoc.
- Working hours and access protocol; key-handling.
- Insurance and indemnity terms.
For tenders run via eTenders, see our eTenders & OGP framework guide. For a comprehensive RFP framework, see our cleaning RFP template guide.
Internal links
- eTenders & OGP framework guide
- Cleaning RFP / tender template
- Garda vetting for cleaning staff
- COSHH cleaning guide
- Education cleaning sector
- Student accommodation cleaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What standards apply to school cleaning in Ireland?
Department of Education premises standards govern recognised schools. DCEDIY (Tusla Early Years Inspectorate) regulations apply to creches and pre-schools under S.I. 221/2016. HSA chemical and welfare law applies to cleaning operatives. HPSC IPC guidelines apply to outbreak response. Garda vetting is mandatory under the National Vetting Bureau Act 2012.
Do school cleaners need Garda vetting?
Yes. Garda vetting is mandatory for every operative attending a school under the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012. Vetting must be confirmed before deployment and refreshed every 3 years. The school's principal or designated liaison person should retain vetting evidence for inspection.
How often should classrooms be cleaned?
Daily during term: floor sweep / vacuum, floor mop (primary), desk surface wipe (primary), bin empty, whiteboard clean, high-touch wipe of door handles and light switches. Weekly skirting and low-level detail. Monthly vent and high-level dust. Annual summer carpet shampoo or hard-floor strip-and-reseal.
How often should school toilets be cleaned?
Twice daily minimum during school hours: morning break and after lunch. Full clean of pan, seat, basin, mirror, floor, partition surfaces; restock of toilet paper, soap, and hand-towel at every visit. Insufficient toilet cleaning is the most common parental and inspection complaint, so this area should be over-resourced rather than under.
What is the difference between term-time cleaning and summer deep clean?
Term-time cleaning is daily routine cleaning during the school term, typically a 2-4 hour shift after pupils leave. Summer deep clean is 4-6 weeks of intensive work covering all areas: hard-floor strip-and-reseal, carpet shampoo, classroom detail, gym mat deep clean, exterior window clean, gutter clear, and refresh of any worn surfaces. Pricing typically separates the two.
How is viral outbreak handled in a school?
Per HPSC outbreak guidance: enhanced cleaning team mobilised within SLA (typically 4 hours), high-touch surfaces cleaned at minimum twice daily, chlorine-releasing agent at 1,000 ppm routine and 10,000 ppm for vomit/diarrhoea spills, single-use cloths, PPE per HPSC contact precautions, and terminal clean on outbreak-end declaration. Schools should have an outbreak response specification in their contract.
How is school cleaning priced in Ireland?
Typically a fixed annual contract with a term-time monthly element plus a summer deep-clean lump sum, plus optional mid-term and half-term refresh prices, plus outbreak response provision. Pricing inputs: operative-hours per day × school days × ERO-compliant fully-loaded hourly rate. Per-pupil bands and per-square-metre bands are useful for benchmarking but vary by county and frequency.
What insurance does a school cleaning contractor need?
Minimum €6.5 million public liability and €13 million employer's liability. Some Department-funded contracts require €10 million public liability. Certificates should be requested before contract execution and renewed annually. The contractor's insurance certificates should explicitly cover school environments and the children-and-vulnerable-persons context.
Can the same cleaner work in a primary school and a post-primary school?
Yes, provided they hold valid Garda vetting that covers the children-and-vulnerable-persons context. Many cleaning companies allocate operatives across multiple school sites in a region, with travel time accounted for in the schedule. The vetting status applies to the operative, not to the specific site.
Who is the cleaning contractor's contract signed with — the principal or the board of management?
In a recognised school, the board of management is typically the contracting authority. The principal manages the day-to-day relationship and is the operational point of contact. For ETB schools, the ETB head office is the contracting authority. For DCEDIY-registered childcare providers, the registered provider is the contracting authority.
Are cleaning contractors regulated by the Department of Education?
Not directly. The Department sets premises standards that schools must meet; the school then procures cleaning to deliver those standards. Cleaning contractors are not registered or licensed by the Department, but their performance is observed through Department-funded inspection regimes (e.g. Whole School Evaluations) that comment on premises condition.
Does Optus Glean clean schools?
Yes. Optus Glean Limited (CRO 813541) provides school cleaning across all 26 counties of Ireland. Garda-vetted operatives only, ERO-compliant pricing, €6.5M public liability, audit-ready documentation. Term-time daily, mid-term refresh, and summer deep-clean cycles. Free site survey and fixed-price quote within 48 hours.