How Linen Hire Works
Linen hire is a simple concept that delivers significant operational and financial advantages. Instead of buying linen, storing it, replacing worn items, and managing inventory, you rent it from Optus Glean. We own the linen. We supply it, deliver it to your premises on a scheduled basis, collect the soiled items, launder them to commercial standards, and return them fresh, pressed, and folded. Worn or damaged items are replaced automatically at no additional cost to you.
The entire linen lifecycle — purchasing, quality control, inventory management, laundering, replacement — is handled by us. You receive a single monthly invoice that covers everything. There is no capital outlay, no storage headache, and no scramble to replace threadbare sheets before a busy weekend. The linen arrives clean, and it leaves dirty. Everything in between is your guest's experience. Everything before and after is our responsibility.
For businesses that already use Optus Glean for commercial laundry or contract cleaning, adding linen hire creates a fully integrated service. Our cleaning teams can distribute fresh linen directly to rooms, treatment rooms, or table settings as part of their regular shift. This eliminates the separate linen delivery window that disrupts operations in hotels and restaurants, and it means one provider, one invoice, and one point of accountability.
Linen Types We Supply
Optus Glean provides a comprehensive range of commercial-grade textiles designed for heavy use and repeated industrial laundering. Every item in our hire stock is selected for durability, appearance after multiple wash cycles, and comfort. We work with textile suppliers who manufacture specifically for the Irish and UK hospitality market, ensuring that our linen meets the expectations of discerning guests.
Bed Linen
Fitted sheets, flat sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers, and pillow protectors in single, double, king, and super-king sizes. Our standard bed linen is 200 thread count polycotton — the industry workhorse that balances comfort, durability, and ease of laundering. We also offer a premium 300 thread count cotton range for boutique hotels and luxury B&Bs that want a softer hand feel and a higher perceived quality for guests. All bed linen is finished bright white as standard, with coloured options available for properties that prefer a branded look.
Table Linen
Tablecloths in standard restaurant sizes (54×54, 72×72, 90×90 inches and custom sizes), napkins (20×20 inches standard), table runners, and buffet skirting. Restaurant table linen takes a beating — wine, sauces, candle wax, lipstick — and our stock is selected for stain-release properties. We pre-treat every tablecloth with a stain-release finish that allows most food and drink stains to be removed in the first wash cycle, reducing the need for aggressive re-treatment that shortens fabric life.
Towels and Bathrobes
Bath towels, hand towels, face cloths, bath mats, and bathrobes in 400gsm to 600gsm weights. Towels are the single highest-volume linen item for hotels and spas. A 40-room hotel at 80% occupancy processes approximately 1,200 towels per week. Our towel hire programme ensures you always have sufficient stock on site, with a par level calculated to cover your peak occupancy plus a safety margin for unexpected demand. Bathrobes are available in waffle weave and terry towelling, with optional embroidery for branded properties.
Who Uses Linen Hire?
Linen hire is used across hospitality, healthcare, food service, and personal care. The common thread is that these businesses need a constant supply of fresh, clean textiles and cannot afford the operational distraction of managing linen in-house.
- Hotels and B&Bs — The largest segment. Bed linen, towels, bathrobes, restaurant linen, and spa textiles. Linen hire is particularly valuable for seasonal properties that need to scale up in summer and scale down in winter without holding excess stock.
- Restaurants and cafes — Tablecloths, napkins, chef aprons, and glass cloths. Fast turnaround is essential — most restaurants need next-day return on table linen.
- Care homes and nursing homes — Bed linen, towels, incontinence pads, and patient gowns. Healthcare linen hire requires EN 14065 certified processing with thermal disinfection and full traceability for HIQA compliance.
- Salons and spas — Towels, gowns, capes, and wraps. High volume relative to business size. Twice-weekly or thrice-weekly collection is standard.
- Corporate offices — Washroom towels, kitchen textiles, and branded items for client-facing areas.
Linen Hire Pricing
Linen hire is priced per item per use or per kilogram, depending on the client's preference and volume. Per-item pricing gives complete cost predictability. Per-kilogram pricing is often more economical for high-volume clients. Below are indicative 2026 pricing ranges. Every contract is quoted individually based on your specific requirements.
| Item | Per-Item Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Duvet cover (double/king) | €1.80 – €2.50 | Includes supply, wash, press, delivery, replacement |
| Flat/fitted sheet (double/king) | €1.20 – €1.80 | 200TC polycotton standard |
| Pillowcase | €0.50 – €0.80 | Oxford or housewife style |
| Bath towel | €0.80 – €1.20 | 500gsm standard weight |
| Hand towel | €0.40 – €0.60 | Matching bath towel range |
| Tablecloth (72×72) | €1.50 – €2.00 | Stain-release treated |
| Napkin | €0.40 – €0.60 | 20×20 inch, pressed |
| Bathrobe | €2.50 – €3.50 | Terry or waffle weave |
| Per-kilogram option | €3.50 – €5.00/kg | Mixed linen, hire + wash combined |
Minimum order: 30 items or 20kg per collection. Prices exclusive of VAT. Volume discounts available for clients processing over 500 items per week. Clients bundling linen hire with cleaning contracts receive an additional 10–15% discount.
Linen Hire vs Buy: 3-Year Cost Analysis
The hire-versus-buy decision is one of the most common questions we receive. The answer depends on your business size, cash flow position, storage capacity, and appetite for managing linen inventory. Here is a realistic 3-year comparison for a typical 40-room Irish hotel operating at 75% average occupancy.
| Cost Factor | Buy + Outsource Laundry | Linen Hire |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 linen purchase | €14,000 – €20,000 | €0 (included in hire) |
| Annual laundry cost | €16,000 – €22,000 | Included in hire fee |
| Annual hire fee | N/A | €24,000 – €32,000 |
| Annual replacement (25% attrition) | €3,500 – €5,000 | €0 (automatic replacement) |
| Storage requirement | Par stock of 3× rooms | 1× delivery quantity only |
| Inventory management time | 4–6 hours per week | Zero — our responsibility |
| Total 3-year cost | €72,500 – €101,000 | €72,000 – €96,000 |
Over three years, the total costs are remarkably similar. The hire model wins on cash flow (no €14,000–€20,000 upfront investment), simplicity (zero inventory management), consistent quality (automatic replacement of worn items), and reduced storage requirements. The buy-and-launder model can be marginally cheaper if you manage inventory tightly, have ample storage space, and negotiate aggressively on laundry rates. Optus Glean offers both models and will advise honestly on which suits your business best.
Quality Standards: EN 14065 Certified Processing
All Optus Glean linen hire is processed in compliance with EN 14065 — the European standard for textiles processed in laundries with a biocontamination control system (RABC). This is not a marketing badge. It means every wash cycle is temperature-monitored and logged, every batch is traceable, and regular microbiological testing confirms that laundered textiles meet defined hygiene standards.
For healthcare clients — nursing homes, GP surgeries, dental practices — EN 14065 compliance is essential. HIQA inspectors look for evidence that linen is processed to a documented, auditable standard. Our processing documentation is available on request and formatted for direct inclusion in your HIQA compliance file.
For hospitality clients, EN 14065 compliance means consistent quality. Every sheet, towel, and tablecloth is processed to the same standard, every time. There are no off-days, no shortcuts, and no variation in finish quality.
Collection and Delivery Schedules
We operate flexible collection and delivery schedules tailored to your business rhythm.
- Daily — For high-volume hotels (50+ rooms) and busy restaurants. Clean linen delivered each morning, soiled linen collected.
- 3–5 times per week — Standard for hotels with 20–50 rooms. Scheduled around housekeeping shifts.
- Twice weekly — Suitable for B&Bs, smaller restaurants, salons, and care homes with moderate volumes.
- Weekly — For low-volume clients or corporate offices. Sufficient where daily freshness is not critical.
Delivery windows are agreed in advance and typically fall between 6:00am and 10:00am to ensure fresh linen is available before your operational day begins. We provide emergency top-up deliveries for unexpected demand surges — a late booking rush, an event, a spillage that wipes out your tablecloth stock. Emergency deliveries are subject to availability and a small surcharge.
Stain Management and Replacement Policy
Stains are an inevitable part of commercial linen use. Wine, food, blood, cosmetics, and cleaning chemicals all leave their mark. Our approach to stain management is systematic rather than reactive.
Every soiled item is inspected on arrival at our processing facility. Visible stains are flagged, categorised (protein, tannin, grease, dye, chemical), and pre-treated with the appropriate spotting agent before the main wash cycle. Items that are not fully clean after the first cycle are re-treated and re-washed. If a stain persists after two treatment cycles, the item is retired from circulation and replaced at no charge to you.
Our replacement policy is straightforward. Items that reach the end of their useful life through normal wear and tear — thinning fabric, fraying edges, loss of absorbency in towels, persistent greying — are replaced automatically. You do not need to flag these items. Our quality inspectors remove them during routine processing. This means the linen arriving at your premises is always within its optimal service life.
The Single Invoice Advantage
One of the most underappreciated benefits of linen hire with Optus Glean is the integration with our cleaning services. If you already use us for hotel cleaning, healthcare cleaning, or office cleaning, adding linen hire means everything comes under one contract. One provider, one relationship manager, one monthly invoice. No reconciling separate laundry bills, linen purchase orders, and replacement costs against multiple suppliers.
For finance teams, this simplification is significant. Instead of tracking linen depreciation, amortising purchase costs, and managing petty cash for emergency replacements, you have a single, predictable monthly line item that covers all textile requirements. Budgeting becomes straightforward. Cash flow becomes predictable. And your procurement team can focus on higher-value activities.
Frequently Asked Questions About Linen Hire
How much does linen hire cost in Ireland?
Linen hire costs between €1.50 and €3.50 per item per use in 2026. A hotel duvet cover is €1.80–€2.50 per use. A pillowcase is €0.50–€0.80. A restaurant tablecloth is €1.50–€2.00. All prices include supply, collection, laundering, pressing, delivery, and replacement of worn items. Per-kilogram pricing is also available from €3.50–€5.00/kg.
What is the minimum order for linen hire?
The minimum is 30 items per delivery or 20kg per collection. A hotel with 10 rooms typically meets this with bed linen and towels alone. Smaller businesses can consolidate volumes with weekly collection rather than more frequent schedules.
How often is linen collected and delivered?
Frequency depends on your volume. Hotels with 50+ rooms receive daily service. Hotels with 20–50 rooms typically receive 3–5 deliveries per week. B&Bs and restaurants are usually twice weekly. Schedules are adjusted seasonally to match occupancy. Emergency top-up deliveries are available.
What happens if linen is stained or damaged?
Stained items are pre-treated and re-washed. If a stain persists after two treatments, the item is replaced at no charge. Worn items (thinning, fraying, greying) are automatically retired and replaced as part of the hire service. You are never charged for fair wear and tear.
How do I start a linen hire contract?
Contact us for a free site assessment. We count your linen points, assess storage, and recommend par stock levels. We then deliver your initial stock and begin the collection schedule. Most clients are operational within 5–10 working days. There is no upfront linen purchase cost.
What is the contract length for linen hire?
Standard contracts are 12 months with a 3-month notice period, reflecting our investment in your initial linen stock. After the first year, contracts roll month-to-month. Clients bundling cleaning services with Optus Glean are offered flexible 6-month initial terms.
