Why Nursing Homes Need Specialist Cleaning
Nursing homes care for some of Ireland's most vulnerable people — elderly residents with compromised immune systems, chronic conditions, and limited mobility. In this environment, cleaning is not a housekeeping function; it is a critical infection prevention and control (IPC) measure that directly impacts resident health and safety. A Healthcare Associated Infection (HCAI) in a nursing home can spread rapidly through a resident population, causing serious illness and death.
HIQA (the Health Information and Quality Authority) inspects nursing homes against the National Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People in Ireland. Environmental cleanliness is a core element of every HIQA inspection. Inspectors assess cleaning schedules, colour-coded systems, cleaning audit results, IPC training records, and the physical cleanliness of resident rooms, communal areas, clinical areas, and kitchens. A poor HIQA finding on environmental cleanliness can result in regulatory action, compliance plans, and reputational damage.
Optus Glean provides dedicated nursing home cleaning teams trained in healthcare cleaning, infection prevention and control, and person-centred care. Our cleaning programmes are designed to meet HIQA standards, support the nursing home's IPC strategy, and treat every resident with dignity and respect.
Resident Room Cleaning
Resident rooms are personal living spaces that require daily cleaning while respecting the resident's dignity, privacy, and preferences. Our resident room cleaning protocol balances thorough infection control with person-centred care.
- Floor cleaning: mopping with hospital-grade disinfectant, paying attention to corners, under beds, and around furniture
- High-touch surface sanitisation: bed rails, call bells, light switches, door handles, remote controls, table surfaces
- En-suite bathroom: full clean and sanitisation of toilet, sink, shower, grab rails, and floor
- Bed making support: bed frame and headboard cleaning (bed linen managed by nursing staff or our laundry service)
- Furniture cleaning: wardrobe exteriors, bedside locker, chair, windowsill
- Personal belongings: cleaned around with care — never moved without resident permission
- Waste management: general and clinical waste separated and removed
- Terminal cleaning: full room decontamination after resident discharge, including curtain changing
Communal Area Cleaning
Communal areas — lounges, dining rooms, corridors, reception, and activity rooms — are high-traffic environments where residents, staff, and visitors interact. These areas must be clean, welcoming, and free from infection risk at all times.
Our communal area cleaning covers lounge and sitting room cleaning including soft furnishing care, dining room table and chair sanitisation before and after each meal, corridor and hallway floor care, reception and entrance cleaning, activity and therapy room cleaning, chapel or prayer room cleaning, and visitor areas and family rooms. Communal areas are cleaned daily, with a focus on high-touch surfaces during the day and comprehensive cleaning in the evening. Carpet and floor deep cleaning is scheduled quarterly.
Clinical Area Cleaning
Many nursing homes have clinical areas including treatment rooms, medication rooms, sluice rooms, and wound care areas. These require healthcare-grade cleaning with specific IPC protocols. Our clinical area cleaning covers treatment room surface decontamination, medication room cleaning (we do not touch medications or clinical equipment), sluice room cleaning and disinfection, clinical waste management, isolation room terminal cleaning, and hand hygiene station maintenance. Clinical areas are cleaned using dedicated colour-coded equipment (yellow) that is never used in any other area of the facility.
Infection Prevention and Control Programme
Optus Glean's IPC programme for nursing homes is designed to break the chain of infection through systematic, documented cleaning practices.
- Colour-coded cleaning system: red (washrooms), blue (general areas), green (kitchen), yellow (clinical/isolation)
- Defined cleaning frequencies for every area: daily, twice-daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly
- High-touch surface sanitisation protocol: minimum twice daily for door handles, handrails, lift buttons, and shared equipment
- Outbreak response protocol: enhanced cleaning activated within hours of outbreak declaration
- Terminal cleaning protocol: full room decontamination after resident discharge or infection episode
- Cleaning audit programme: monthly audits using ATP bioluminescence and visual inspection
- IPC training for all operatives: annual refresher covering standard precautions, hand hygiene, PPE, and outbreak management
- Documentation: all cleaning activities logged in HIQA-ready format
Nursing Home Cleaning Pricing
Nursing home cleaning pricing depends on the number of beds, the size and layout of the facility, clinical areas, and IPC requirements. Below are indicative 2026 pricing ranges for Ireland.
| Service | Price Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small nursing home (20-30 beds) | €1,200 – €1,800/month | 7 days/week, full service |
| Mid-sized facility (40-60 beds) | €1,800 – €2,800/month | Resident rooms + communal + clinical |
| Large nursing home (80+ beds) | €2,800 – €4,000+/month | Full service, multiple wings/floors |
| Terminal room clean | €100 – €250 | Per room, full decontamination |
| Outbreak enhanced cleaning | €500 – €1,500 | Enhanced programme, duration-dependent |
| Quarterly deep clean | €800 – €2,000 | Full facility deep clean |
Note: Prices exclusive of VAT. Per-bed pricing typically €30–€50/bed/month. Bundling with laundry services saves 10–15%. All pricing includes HIQA-compliant documentation, IPC-trained staff, and colour-coded equipment.
Laundry Services for Nursing Homes
Optus Glean provides commercial laundry services for nursing homes including resident bedding and linen, towels, staff uniforms, table linen, and curtain laundering. All laundry is processed at infection-control-compliant temperatures with strict sluice-to-clean workflow to prevent cross-contamination. Bundling laundry with cleaning delivers genuine cost savings and the convenience of a single provider for both services.
Serving Nursing Homes Across Ireland
Optus Glean provides nursing home cleaning services in every county in Ireland. We work with private nursing homes, HSE-funded facilities, voluntary sector care homes, and nursing home groups. Whether you operate a 25-bed family-run nursing home or an 80-bed facility in Dublin, Cork, Galway, or Limerick, we have the healthcare-trained teams, the IPC systems, and the HIQA compliance expertise to keep your facility clean, safe, and inspection-ready.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nursing Home Cleaning
How much does nursing home cleaning cost in Ireland?
Nursing home cleaning costs between €1,200 and €4,000+ per month in 2026. A small 20–30 bed home is €1,200–€1,800/month. A mid-sized 40–60 bed facility is €1,800–€2,800/month. A large 80+ bed home is €2,800–€4,000+/month. Per-bed pricing is typically €30–€50/bed/month.
How do you comply with HIQA standards?
We provide documented cleaning schedules, colour-coded systems, IPC-trained operatives, environmental cleaning records, outbreak protocols, and regular cleaning audits. Our programme aligns with HIQA National Standards (particularly Standard 7) and is designed to withstand both announced and unannounced inspections.
What is a colour-coded cleaning system?
Colour-coded equipment prevents cross-contamination: red for washrooms, blue for general areas, green for kitchens, yellow for clinical and isolation areas. This ensures equipment used in high-risk areas never enters low-risk zones. It is a fundamental IPC requirement checked during HIQA inspections.
How do you handle infection outbreaks?
Our outbreak protocol includes increased cleaning frequency (twice-daily or more), sporicidal agents for C. difficile and norovirus, terminal cleaning of isolation rooms, dedicated outbreak cleaning teams, and detailed documentation for HSE and HIQA notification. We work alongside the Director of Nursing throughout the outbreak.
Do you provide laundry services for nursing homes?
Yes. We launder resident bedding, towels, staff uniforms, table linen, and curtains at infection-control-compliant temperatures. Sluice-to-clean workflow prevents cross-contamination. Bundling laundry with cleaning saves 10–15% on the combined contract.
How do you clean resident rooms with dignity and respect?
We knock and announce before entering. Personal belongings are cleaned around, never moved without permission. We accommodate resident preferences and maintain confidentiality. Our operatives are trained in person-centred care, are gentle and patient, and report any welfare concerns to the nurse in charge immediately.
