The Optus Glean promise: predictability
Three pillars. Three commitments. No exceptions.
Predictable cost. One fixed monthly fee, set against a defined scope and an annual indexed review. No variable hours. No surprise invoices. No padded callout charges. Budgeted once, paid by Direct Debit, reviewed once a year.
Predictable presence. The site is cleaned every day it is meant to be cleaned. A named primary cleaner is rostered to your contract, supported by a named relief who is already vetted, inducted, and trained on the same colour-coded system and IPC standard. The schedule does not depend on whether one person is available on one day.
Predictable freedom. A single point of accountability. One contract. One named manager. One number to call. Cleaning is no longer a problem the site has to manage — it is a service that runs.
Why cleaning in Ireland is structurally hard to get right
Most cleaning provision in Ireland — including in healthcare-adjacent settings — is delivered by a workforce that is structurally part-time and casual. A significant proportion of operatives across the sector also work as healthcare assistants in nursing homes, residential care, and acute hospitals. Cleaning shifts are typically taken when healthcare shifts are not available, and released when they are. This pattern is consistent with CSO labour data on accommodation, food, and administrative-support employment, and it is the underlying reason that buyers across Ireland encounter inconsistency from agencies they have contracted in good faith.
The pattern is reinforced by two background pressures specific to Ireland. Housing affordability limits the catchment for any role paying at or near the minimum wage. The Contract Cleaning Employment Regulation Order rate of €14.80 per hour for 2026, set under the Labour Court's sectoral employment framework, sits close enough to flexible care-sector pay that operatives drift toward whichever shift pays slightly more on the day. Both pressures pull cleaning staff away from contracted shifts and toward casual healthcare work.
The result, from the buyer's perspective, is the experience most practice managers, facilities leads, and procurement officers in Ireland describe: a clean that is half-completed when the contracted cleaner is available, missed entirely when they are not, and accompanied by recurring conversations with the agency about cover that may or may not arrive.
This is the structural problem Optus Glean is built to solve. Our operatives are fully PAYE-employed with guaranteed weekly hours, paid leave, and pension contributions under Irish auto-enrolment. They are paid above the ERO floor deliberately — because the structural reliability of the service depends on the cleaner choosing to remain in the role rather than rotating through casual healthcare shifts. A named primary cleaner is assigned to your site, supported by a named relief, both Garda-vetted and trained to Optus Glean's documented HIQA-aligned IPC standard.
Why Speed Matters with Graffiti
Graffiti is more than vandalism — it is a signal. Research consistently shows that graffiti left in place attracts more graffiti. The “broken windows” effect is real: a tagged building invites further tagging, and the problem escalates. Studies from urban crime prevention programmes demonstrate that removing graffiti within 24 to 48 hours reduces repeat incidents by up to 80%.
Beyond the visual impact, graffiti sends a message to customers, tenants, visitors, and the local community. A graffitied shopfront suggests neglect. A tagged office building undermines professional credibility. A vandalised school communicates a lack of care. For property owners, landlords, and facilities managers, rapid graffiti removal is not cosmetic — it is an investment in the perception and value of the property.
Optus Glean provides fast-response graffiti removal across Ireland. For properties in high-risk areas, we offer retainer agreements with guaranteed response times, so you never have to leave graffiti in place longer than necessary.
Our Graffiti Removal Methods
Chemical Removal
Chemical graffiti removal is the most common and versatile method. We use surface-specific solvents that dissolve spray paint, marker pen, crayon, and adhesive residue without damaging the underlying material. Different substrates require different chemical formulations:
- Painted surfaces — Low-strength solvents that remove graffiti paint without attacking the existing paint finish
- Bare masonry and concrete — Alkaline or solvent-based removers that penetrate into the pores of the material
- Natural stone — pH-neutral formulations that protect limestone, sandstone, granite, and marble from etching
- Metal and glass — Fast-acting solvents that dissolve paint without scratching or corroding
- Plastic and signage — Specialist formulations that remove graffiti without clouding or distorting plastic surfaces
Chemical removal is applied by hand using brushes and cloths, allowed to dwell for the appropriate time, and then rinsed with low-pressure water. This method gives maximum control and minimises surface damage.
Pressure Washing
For large areas of graffiti on robust surfaces (concrete, brick, block, metal cladding), pressure washing provides the fastest and most cost-effective removal. We use variable-pressure equipment from 1,500 to 4,000 PSI depending on the surface, combined with fan and rotary nozzles for even coverage. Hot water pressure washing is particularly effective for graffiti because the heat softens paint bonds before the water pressure removes them. For more detail on our pressure washing capabilities, see our pressure washing services page.
Abrasive and Mechanical Methods
In cases where chemical removal and pressure washing cannot fully clear the graffiti — typically on heavily textured surfaces, deeply porous stone, or surfaces with multiple layers of old paint — we use controlled abrasive methods. These include fine-grit sandblasting (wet or dry), soda blasting, and mechanical scrubbing. These techniques are used sparingly and only on surfaces that can tolerate them, as they do remove a small amount of the substrate material.
Anti-Graffiti Coatings: Prevention That Pays for Itself
If your property has been tagged once, it is likely to be tagged again. Anti-graffiti coatings provide a protective barrier that makes future graffiti removal quick, easy, and inexpensive. There are two main types:
Sacrificial Coatings
Sacrificial coatings are transparent layers applied to the surface. When graffiti is applied over the coating, the coating is removed along with the graffiti using hot water pressure washing — no chemicals needed. A fresh coat is then applied. Cost: €15–€20 per square metre. Lifespan: until the next graffiti incident. Best for: heritage buildings, natural stone, textured surfaces where a permanent coating would alter the appearance.
Permanent Coatings
Permanent coatings bond to the surface and create a non-porous barrier that graffiti paint cannot penetrate. When graffiti is applied, it sits on top of the coating and can be wiped off with a mild solvent or hot water, leaving the coating intact. No reapplication needed. Cost: €20–€30 per square metre. Lifespan: 5 to 10 years. Best for: smooth masonry, metal cladding, commercial buildings, and any property in a persistent graffiti hotspot.
For properties that are repeatedly targeted, anti-graffiti coatings pay for themselves after just one or two incidents. The cost of applying a permanent coating to a ground-floor facade is typically €500 to €2,000 — less than the cost of two professional graffiti removals.
Who We Work With
- Property management companies — retainer agreements for portfolio-wide graffiti response
- Local authorities and county councils — public buildings, community centres, car parks
- Retail chains — shopfronts, shutters, delivery areas
- Schools and colleges — boundary walls, sports facilities, buildings
- Transport operators — bus shelters, stations, depots
- Hotels and hospitality — external walls, car parks, signage
- Industrial estates — perimeter walls, warehouses, unit exteriors
- Homeowners and landlords — boundary walls, garages, garden walls
For clients with ongoing graffiti issues, we offer retainer packages that include guaranteed response times (same-day or next-day), preferential pricing, and optional anti-graffiti coating as part of the agreement.
Surface-Specific Expertise
The difference between professional graffiti removal and a DIY attempt is surface knowledge. Using the wrong product or technique on the wrong surface causes permanent damage that costs far more to repair than the graffiti itself. Common surface-specific considerations include:
- Heritage and listed buildings — Special care required to preserve original materials. We use pH-neutral products and low-pressure methods. No abrasives on heritage surfaces without conservation approval.
- Painted render — Removing graffiti without removing the underlying paint requires careful solvent selection and controlled application.
- Limestone and sandstone — Porous natural stones absorb paint deeply. Chemical poulticing may be needed to draw paint out of the pores over multiple applications.
- Roller shutters and metal — Solvent removal followed by anti-graffiti wax for ongoing protection.
- Glass and polycarbonate — Razor blade removal for paint, solvent for marker and adhesive. Care with coated or tinted glass.
Frequently Asked Questions About Graffiti Removal
How much does graffiti removal cost in Ireland?
Graffiti removal costs between €150 and €1,500 depending on surface type, area size, paint type, and accessibility. A single tag on smooth masonry: €150–€400. Larger areas or multiple tags: €400–€1,000. Full building facades: €1,000–€1,500+. Anti-graffiti coatings add €15–€30 per square metre but dramatically reduce future removal costs.
Can graffiti be removed without damaging the surface?
In most cases, yes. Professional removal uses surface-specific techniques: chemical solvents matched to the paint and substrate, low-pressure washing for delicate surfaces, and controlled abrasive methods only where appropriate. Optus Glean assesses every surface before treatment and conducts test patches on sensitive materials to ensure no damage.
What are anti-graffiti coatings and are they worth it?
Anti-graffiti coatings are protective treatments that make future graffiti removal quick and inexpensive. Sacrificial coatings (€15–€20/sqm) are removed with the graffiti and reapplied. Permanent coatings (€20–€30/sqm) last 5–10 years and allow graffiti to be wiped off with solvent. For repeatedly targeted properties, coatings pay for themselves after 1–2 incidents.
How quickly can you remove graffiti?
Optus Glean responds within 24 to 48 hours for standard requests. Retainer clients receive same-day or next-day response. The actual removal takes 1 to 4 hours depending on area and surface. Rapid removal is important: studies show cleaning graffiti within 48 hours reduces repeat incidents by up to 80%.
How Optus Glean handles staff shortages
Every Optus Glean contract is staffed on a redundancy model rather than a single-person model. A named primary cleaner is assigned to the site at contract start. A named relief is assigned alongside them. Both are PAYE-employed by Optus Glean, both are Garda-vetted, both are inducted on the site's specific layout, access protocols, and colour-coded equipment system, and both are trained to the same documented HIQA-aligned IPC standard. Substitution is built into the contract from the first day, not arranged on the day cover is needed.
Sick day cover. When the primary cleaner is unable to work, the named relief is deployed. The site site contact is notified by 06:30 on the morning of the absence by SMS or email, with the name of the relief who is attending. The relief follows the same task list, uses the same equipment, and finishes within the same window. The standard of clean is unchanged because the relief was prepared for this scenario before the absence happened.
Annual leave cover. Annual leave is rostered weeks in advance and the relief is scheduled to cover the full leave period. The site is informed at the start of the leave period — not on the morning leave begins. This is the same model used in clinical rota management: known absences are pre-staffed, not improvised.
Long-term cover. If the primary cleaner is absent for more than two weeks (extended illness, parental leave, bereavement leave), cover is drawn from the wider trained bench rather than relying on the single named relief. The site is kept informed of the cover plan, the named individuals involved, and the expected duration. Continuity of standard is maintained because every operative on the bench is trained to the same documented standard.
Permanent reassignment. If the primary cleaner moves to a new permanent role within Optus Glean — promotion, relocation, retirement — the relief is promoted to primary on a planned timetable, a new relief is trained on the site, and both are introduced to the site before the handover takes effect. There is no day on which the site discovers, after the fact, that their cleaner has changed.
Substitution is Optus Glean's operational problem, not the site's risk to absorb. The buyer pays a fixed monthly fee for a defined scope to be delivered, every day it is meant to be delivered. The mechanism by which we deliver it — primary, relief, bench, retraining — is our cost to manage and our risk to carry.
Last reviewed: 2026-05-06