Quick Answer
To hire reliable cleaning staff in Ireland in 2027, budget for the new minimum wage of €14.94 an hour from 1 January 2027, complete right to work, reference and manual handling checks before the first shift, and keep trained back-up cleaners for every site. Allow around 18 to 20 working days where Garda vetting is needed, and use a recruitment agency for short-notice cover.
Minimum pay: €14.94 an hour from 1 January 2027, above the €14.80 contract cleaning ERO rate
Full-time cost: €582.66 a week, or about €30,298 a year, in base pay
Before day one: right to work, references, manual handling, and Garda vetting where required
Reliable cover: trained back-up cleaners, a site pack and a clear absence rule
Cleaning is one of Ireland's largest workforces. The contract cleaning sector alone employs more than 30,000 cleaners, according to SIPTU. When a cleaner does not turn up, the problem is visible to everyone in the building within hours, which is why cover matters as much as the hire itself.
This guide is for facilities managers, contract cleaning companies, offices, schools, hotels and retailers. It is based on the cleaning roles we recruit for every week, which range from four-hour morning shifts at professional sites to full-day mobile roles covering several properties.
Cleaning pay rates in Ireland for 2027
Two sets of rules decide the minimum you can pay a cleaner: the national minimum wage and, for contract cleaning companies, the Contract Cleaning Employment Regulation Order (ERO).
Rate | Amount | Applies from |
National minimum wage | €14.15 an hour | 1 January 2026 |
National minimum wage | €14.94 an hour | 1 January 2027 |
Contract Cleaning ERO, adult rate | €14.80 an hour | 1 January 2026 |
ERO unsocial hours allowance | €1.00 extra an hour between midnight and 6am, with a minimum of three hours paid at that rate | 17 October 2025 |
Sources: Grant Thornton Budget 2027 summary, Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, SIPTU.
Does the Contract Cleaning ERO apply to you?
The ERO covers workers employed by businesses that provide cleaning and janitorial services to others, on sites such as offices, hospitals, shops, factories, apartment buildings, hotels and airports. If you employ your own cleaners directly to clean your own premises, the national minimum wage applies instead.
The ERO rate of €14.80 is above the 2026 minimum wage but below the new 2027 rate. So from 1 January 2027, unless a new ERO sets a higher figure, €14.94 an hour becomes the minimum for contract cleaners too. The ERO's other terms, such as the unsocial hours allowance, Sunday pay and sick pay rules, still apply, so check the full order on the Workplace Relations Commission website before setting rates for weekend or night work.
What a cleaner costs an employer in 2027
At the 2027 minimum wage, base pay works out as follows:
Hours | Base pay at €14.94 an hour |
One hour | €14.94 |
20 hours a week | €298.80 a week |
39 hours a week | €582.66 a week |
Full time for a year (39 hours, 52 weeks) | €30,298 |
Budget the following on top of base pay:
Employer PRSI: Budget 2027 raises the weekly threshold for the lower rate of employer PRSI from €552 to €600. A full-time cleaner on €582.66 a week stays on the lower rate.
Auto-enrolment pension: employees aged 23 to 60 who earn at least €5,000 in a 13-week period are enrolled in MyFutureFund, with a 1.5% employer contribution until the end of 2028. A full-time cleaner on the minimum wage earns about €7,575 over 13 weeks and qualifies. Someone working under about 26 hours a week at €14.94 earns below the threshold.
Leave: four weeks' annual leave and ten public holidays a year, plus cover while people are off.
Running costs: uniforms, PPE, equipment, cleaning products and supervision.
For a wider breakdown, see how much it costs to hire staff in Ireland.
Hire directly, use a contract cleaner, or use agency staff?
Option | Best for | Watch out for |
Hire directly | One site, steady hours, long-term staff | You handle recruitment, payroll, training and absence cover yourself |
Contract cleaning company | Handing over the whole cleaning service | Less say over who cleans your site; ERO rates are built into the price |
Recruitment agency | Absence cover, busy periods, new contracts, and trialling staff before a permanent hire | Agency workers get the same basic pay and working time conditions as direct staff from day one, so budget on the correct rate |
Many businesses mix the three. Contract cleaning companies also use agencies, to staff new contracts quickly or cover their own absences. We regularly supply cleaners to both. For how this works in practice, read how temporary recruitment works in Ireland.
Write a cleaning job advert that gets applications
Cleaning candidates decide quickly, usually on hours, location and pay. Put those first.
A good advert includes:
the exact days and hours, such as Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm
the location, and whether own transport is needed to travel between sites
the hourly rate and how often you pay
the start date
the main duties, in a short list
requirements, such as previous cleaning experience, a manual handling certificate, full right to work in Ireland and enough English to follow safety instructions
whether Garda vetting is needed
Example: Casual Cleaner, County Cork. Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm. €14.94 an hour, paid weekly. Previous cleaning experience and a valid Manual Handling certificate required. Immediate start.
Showing the pay rate also prepares you for new pay transparency rules, which are expected to require salary details in job adverts. See our guide on how to write a job advert that gets applications.
Checks to complete before the first shift
Right to work: confirm every candidate can legally work in Ireland before they start. Our immigration services for employers can help where permits are involved.
Garda vetting: usually needed where the work involves access to children or vulnerable people, for example in schools, crèches, healthcare and care settings. Vetting goes through a registered organisation, and standard applications currently take around 18 to 20 working days. Allow longer for candidates who have lived abroad.
References: ideally from a previous cleaning or facilities role.
Manual handling: most cleaning roles involve lifting equipment and moving furniture, and many clients ask for a valid certificate before day one. See which safety certificates you need.
Chemical safety: training on the products used on site, where the safety data sheets are kept, and which PPE to wear.
Site security: keys, alarm codes, ID badges and sign-in procedures, agreed in writing.
How to build reliable cleaning cover
Most cleaning problems are cover problems, not hiring problems. These steps keep shifts filled when someone is sick, on holiday or leaves.
Keep trained back-up cleaners. Aim for at least one relief cleaner who already knows each site, so absence never means sending someone in blind.
Create a site pack. A one-page cleaning schedule, a floor plan, key and alarm instructions, the product list and a site contact let a new cleaner start without a handover.
Set a clear absence rule. Ask staff to report absence by a fixed time, such as two hours before the shift, so there is time to arrange cover.
Match people to locations. Early starts and late finishes are hard without transport. For mobile roles that cover several properties, ask for a full driving licence and own transport, and say so in the advert.
Plan the peaks. Office deep cleans over Christmas, school deep cleans in summer and busy hotel seasons all need extra hands. Book them early. See planning for seasonal hiring.
Use ongoing temporary staff. An ongoing temporary cleaner can move between sites as demand changes, which suits contracts with variable hours.
Keeping good cleaners
Every resignation creates a new cover gap, so keeping reliable cleaners is the cheapest way to keep sites clean.
Keep rosters consistent: the same hours and sites week to week, with plenty of notice of changes.
Pay on time: many cleaners value weekly pay.
Make them part of the site: introduce cleaners to the people they work around. Agency workers are also entitled to the same access to shared facilities, such as a canteen, as directly employed staff.
Offer more hours to your best people before advertising for new ones.
Plan routes sensibly for mobile cleaners, so travel time between properties is realistic.
More ideas are in our guide to staff retention strategies for Irish employers.
Looking for cleaning work?
If you are a cleaner looking for your next role, browse our current hospitality roles and read what to expect working as temporary staff. Having a manual handling certificate and references from previous cleaning work ready will help you start sooner.
How Total Solutions can help
We recruit cleaning staff across Ireland for businesses and contract cleaning companies, from one-off cover to ongoing temporary and permanent roles. For temporary roles we can often fill positions within 24 to 48 hours, and we handle screening, payroll and compliance. Find out more about our temporary recruitment service or contact our team in Dublin 11.
Key Takeaways
The national minimum wage rises to €14.94 an hour on 1 January 2027, above the current contract cleaning ERO rate of €14.80.
A full-time cleaner at €14.94 costs €582.66 a week, or €30,298 a year, in base pay before PRSI, pension and leave cover.
Full-time cleaners on the minimum wage qualify for auto-enrolment, with a 1.5% employer contribution.
Check right to work, references and manual handling before day one, and allow around 18 to 20 working days where Garda vetting is needed.
Reliable cover depends on trained back-up cleaners, a simple site pack and a clear absence rule.
Hiring a cleaner is the easy part. Keeping every shift covered is what separates a site that always looks right from one that generates complaints. Budget on the 2027 rates now, complete your checks before anyone starts, and build a small pool of trained back-up staff for each site.
If you need cleaning cover quickly, or want to plan for a new contract, talk to our team.
FAQs
What is the minimum wage for cleaners in Ireland in 2027?
The national minimum wage is €14.94 an hour from 1 January 2027. Contract cleaners have been covered by an Employment Regulation Order rate of €14.80 an hour since 1 January 2026, so unless a new order sets a higher rate, €14.94 is the minimum for cleaning roles from January 2027.
Does the Contract Cleaning ERO apply to my business?
The Contract Cleaning ERO covers workers employed by businesses that provide cleaning and janitorial services to others, such as contract cleaning companies. Cleaners employed directly by the business whose premises they clean are covered by the national minimum wage instead.
How much does it cost to employ a full-time cleaner in Ireland in 2027?
At €14.94 an hour, a cleaner working 39 hours a week earns €582.66 a week, or about €30,298 a year, in base pay. Employers also pay employer PRSI, a 1.5% auto-enrolment pension contribution where the employee qualifies, and the cost of annual leave, public holidays, uniforms and equipment.
Do cleaners need Garda vetting?
Garda vetting is usually needed where cleaning work involves access to children or vulnerable people, such as in schools, crèches, healthcare and care settings. Vetting is processed through a registered organisation, and standard applications currently take around 18 to 20 working days.
What training do cleaning staff need?
Most cleaning roles need manual handling training, training on the cleaning chemicals used on site and their safety data sheets, and a site induction covering keys, alarms and emergency procedures. Many clients ask for a valid manual handling certificate before the first shift.
How quickly can a recruitment agency provide cleaning cover?
For temporary roles, Total Solutions can often fill positions within 24 to 48 hours. Cover is fastest when the site has a written cleaning schedule and access instructions ready, so a new cleaner can start without a handover.
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