Why Schools Need Professional Cleaning
Schools are among the most challenging environments to clean. Hundreds of children move through classrooms, corridors, canteens, and toilets every day, generating significant volumes of mess, spills, and waste. Children share desks, equipment, and spaces, creating ideal conditions for the transmission of infectious diseases — from seasonal flu and norovirus to hand, foot and mouth disease. The school environment must be cleaned to a standard that protects children's health while also providing a bright, welcoming space that supports learning.
School cleaning also carries unique regulatory obligations. Under the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012–2016, every person who works in a school must be Garda vetted. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, sets child safeguarding standards that apply to all adults who have access to children. The Board of Management is responsible for ensuring that cleaning contractors comply with these requirements. A cleaning company that sends unvetted or untrained staff into a school exposes the Board to serious regulatory risk.
Optus Glean provides dedicated school cleaning teams across Ireland. Every operative is Garda vetted, child-safeguarding trained, and experienced in school environments. We work with primary schools, secondary schools, community colleges, ETB schools, Gaelscoileanna, and special education settings, delivering consistent, reliable cleaning that keeps students and staff safe.
Classroom Cleaning
Classrooms are the core of any school, and they take a beating. Desks are scribbled on, floors accumulate art supplies, food crumbs, and mud, and surfaces become contaminated with the germs that children inevitably bring in. Our classroom cleaning is thorough and consistent.
- Desk and table surfaces: wiped and sanitised daily, with particular attention to shared workstations
- Chair cleaning: seats and backs wiped, legs cleaned
- Floor care: vacuum carpeted areas, mop hard floors, spot-treat stains
- High-touch surface sanitisation: door handles, light switches, window latches, coat hooks
- Whiteboard and interactive screen surround cleaning (screens not touched)
- Windowsill and radiator dusting
- Bin emptying and liner replacement
- Art and craft areas: sink cleaning, surface degreasing, paint splash removal
Assembly Hall and Sports Facilities
Assembly halls serve multiple functions — PE, assemblies, performances, exams, and community events. The floor surface (typically sprung timber or sports-grade vinyl) requires specialist care to maintain its condition and appearance. Our assembly hall cleaning covers daily floor sweeping and mopping, weekly floor machine scrubbing, periodic floor stripping, re-sealing, and line marking maintenance, stage and platform cleaning, equipment storage area tidying, and window cleaning. Sports changing rooms and shower facilities receive daily deep cleaning including floor and wall sanitisation, bench and locker cleaning, shower and washroom deep cleaning, and consumable replenishment.
Canteen and Kitchen Cleaning
School canteens and kitchens must comply with HACCP food safety standards under EC Regulation 852/2004. The Environmental Health Officer can inspect a school kitchen at any time. Our canteen cleaning follows the same HACCP-compliant protocols we use for restaurants and food service businesses: documented cleaning schedules, colour-coded equipment, food-safe chemicals, and trained operatives. We clean all food preparation surfaces, cooking equipment exteriors, serving counters, dining tables and chairs, floors, waste areas, and dishwashing stations. Documentation is maintained for EHO inspection.
Toilet and Washroom Cleaning
School toilets are the number one source of parental complaints and the area most likely to spread infectious disease. Children's toilets require more frequent and more thorough cleaning than adult washrooms — accidents are more common, hand hygiene is less reliable, and the facilities see intensive use during break times. Our school washroom cleaning includes daily deep cleaning of all toilets, urinals, sinks, and floors; sanitisation of all surfaces using anti-bacterial cleaning agents; cubicle wall and door cleaning; mirror and hand dryer cleaning; consumable replenishment (soap, paper towels, toilet paper); and weekly descaling of all fixtures. We also provide washroom management services including consumable supply, hygiene unit servicing, and air freshener maintenance.
School Cleaning Pricing
School cleaning pricing depends on the number of classrooms, the size of ancillary facilities, and the cleaning frequency. Below are indicative 2026 pricing ranges for Ireland.
| Service | Price Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small primary school (4-8 classrooms) | €800 – €1,200/month | 5 nights/week, after school hours |
| Mid-sized school (12-20 classrooms) | €1,200 – €1,800/month | Classrooms + hall + canteen + toilets |
| Large secondary school / campus | €1,800 – €2,500+/month | 20+ classrooms, labs, sports facilities |
| Holiday deep clean (summer) | €1,000 – €3,000 | Full school, floor care, deep clean |
| Infection outbreak response | €300 – €800 | Rapid deep clean within 24 hours |
Note: Prices exclusive of VAT. All pricing includes Garda-vetted staff, child-safeguarding-trained operatives, and cleaning chemicals. DEIS schools — contact us for flexible pricing options designed for your budget. Multi-school contracts receive volume discounts.
Infection Control and Outbreak Response
Schools are high-risk environments for infectious disease outbreaks. When norovirus, flu, COVID-19, or other infectious diseases hit a school, the Board of Management needs a rapid, effective cleaning response to limit transmission and keep the school open. Optus Glean provides an outbreak response service that delivers enhanced deep cleaning and disinfection within 24 hours of notification. We use hospital-grade disinfectants effective against the specific pathogen, focus on high-touch surfaces and high-traffic areas, and provide documentation for HSE notification if required. Between outbreaks, our daily cleaning programme focuses on infection prevention through high-touch surface sanitisation, hand sanitiser station management, and colour-coded cleaning equipment to prevent cross-contamination.
Serving Schools Across Ireland
Optus Glean provides school cleaning services in every county in Ireland. We work with primary schools, secondary schools, community colleges, ETB schools, Gaelscoileanna, special education settings, and childcare facilities. Whether you are a 4-teacher rural national school or a 1,000-pupil urban secondary school in Dublin, Cork, Galway, or Limerick, we have the vetted teams, the safeguarding systems, and the school-specific experience to keep your school clean, safe, and welcoming for every pupil.
Frequently Asked Questions About School Cleaning
How much does school cleaning cost in Ireland?
School cleaning costs between €800 and €2,500 per month in 2026. A small primary school (4–8 classrooms) is €800–€1,200/month. A mid-sized school is €1,200–€1,800/month. A large secondary school is €1,800–€2,500+/month. Holiday deep cleans are €1,000–€3,000 depending on school size.
Are all your school cleaning staff Garda vetted?
Yes. Every operative is Garda vetted under the National Vetting Bureau Acts 2012–2016. We verify references for 5+ years, conduct background checks, and provide child safeguarding training. Vetting is renewed every 3 years. We maintain a central register available for Board of Management inspection.
Do you offer different pricing for DEIS schools?
Yes. We offer flexible scheduling (3 or 4-night programmes), prioritisation of high-risk areas, and competitive pricing for DEIS schools. We also assist with Department of Education minor works grant applications where cleaning can be funded through the annual grant.
What is included in a school holiday deep clean?
Holiday deep cleans cover all classrooms, assembly hall floor care, canteen HACCP deep clean, all toilets and washrooms, sports hall, corridors, window cleaning, carpet extraction, high-level dusting, and staff areas. The school is ready for the first day of the new term.
How do you handle infection control in schools?
We sanitise high-touch surfaces daily, use colour-coded equipment to prevent cross-contamination, and provide outbreak response cleaning within 24 hours. We use hospital-grade disinfectants and comply with HSE and Department of Education infection control guidance. Enhanced cleaning is available at short notice during outbreaks.
Do you clean school canteens and kitchens?
Yes. School canteens are cleaned to HACCP food safety standards using documented schedules, colour-coded equipment, and food-safe chemicals. We clean all food preparation surfaces, cooking equipment, serving counters, dining areas, floors, and waste stations. Documentation is maintained for EHO inspection.
