By Key takeaways
- Regulation 18 of the General Application Regulations 2007 requires every place of work to be kept clean and its floors cleaned as frequently as necessary for safety and health.
- The HSA's guide says cleaning intervals depend on the type and level of work activity and the frequency of use.
- Regulation 20 requires employers to provide sanitary and washing facilities and keep them in a clean state.
- The HSA says dry sweeping is not appropriate for hazardous dusts, so the method matters as well as the frequency.
- Dublin Cleaners charges €30 an hour for office cleaning with a 2-hour minimum, so a twice-weekly 2-hour plan costs €520 a month.
How often should an office be cleaned? Irish law does not give a number. It says a workplace must be cleaned as often as needed to keep it safe and healthy. In practice that means washrooms and kitchens at every visit, desks and floors several times a week, and deeper jobs on a monthly or yearly cycle.
What does the law say about how often an office should be cleaned?
The law requires cleaning “as frequently as necessary” rather than on a fixed timetable. Regulation 18 of the General Application Regulations 2007 says every place of work must be kept clean, with waste and floor dirt removed as often as needed for safety and health.
The HSA’s guide to those regulations adds the practical test. Cleaning intervals “will depend on the type and level of work activity and the frequency of use”. A busy office used from 08:00 to 20:00 needs more than a quiet one open three days a week. Our office cleaning service in Dublin plans visits on that same test of use rather than floor area alone.
Regulation 20 sets a separate duty for washrooms. Employers must provide sanitary and washing facilities and keep them in a clean state. That makes toilets the one area where skipping a visit is hardest to defend.
How often should an office be cleaned, area by area?
Clean the areas people touch and eat in most often, and space out the rest. The schedule below is a practical starting point for a typical Dublin office, not a legal standard. Adjust it to headcount and use.
| Area or task | Suggested frequency |
|---|---|
| Toilets, sinks, soap and paper refills | every visit, daily in busy offices |
| Kitchen worktops, sink and tables | every visit |
| Bins emptied and liners changed | every visit |
| Door handles, light switches and lift buttons | every visit |
| Desks (cleared surfaces) | every visit |
| Hard floors mopped, carpets vacuumed in walkways | every visit |
| Meeting rooms | 2-3 times a week, or after heavy use |
| Microwave and fridge inside | weekly |
| Internal glass and partitions | weekly to fortnightly |
| High dusting, skirting boards, vents | monthly |
| Carpet deep clean by hot water extraction | every 6-12 months |
| External windows | quarterly, as a separate service |
How often should an office be cleaned each week?
Most offices need two to five visits a week. Small teams can manage with fewer if staff keep the kitchen and bins under control between visits. The table shows typical patterns by headcount.
| Office | Typical visit pattern | Monthly cost at €30 an hour |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 5 people, 1 washroom | 1 visit a week, 2 hours | €260 |
| 6-15 people | 2 visits a week, 2 hours each | €520 |
| 16-30 people | 3 visits a week, 2 hours each | €780 |
| 30+ people or shared kitchen | 5 visits a week | from €1,300 |
These patterns are our recommendation, and every office is different. We confirm the plan after seeing the space or photos. Monthly figures use 4.33 weeks a month at our published rate, VAT included.
Does how you clean matter as much as how often?
Yes. The HSA’s guide says the cleaning method should be chosen for its effectiveness and its suitability for the materials involved. The wrong method can damage a floor, including its anti-slip finish.
The same guide says “dry sweeping is not appropriate for hazardous dusts”. That matters after a fit-out or office move, when fine construction dust settles on every surface. Our after builders cleaning uses HEPA vacuums and damp wiping for that reason.
When should an office be cleaned more often?
Increase the frequency when more people use the space or when hygiene risk goes up. Common triggers are a growing team, hot-desking, a new shared kitchen, winter bugs or client visits.
Hot-desking is the big one. When different people use the same desk each day, wiping desks at every visit becomes more important than in an office with fixed seats. Shared kitchens also fill up faster when teams return to the office on the same days.
You can also drop visits when the office is quiet, such as over Christmas or in August. A good contract lets you pause or reduce visits with notice rather than paying for empty rooms.
How do you turn a schedule into a quote?
Write the schedule down, count the hours, then compare prices on the same basis. A clear schedule is the core of any office cleaning contract, and it stops two companies quoting for different jobs.
Once you know the hours, the price follows. Our guide to office cleaning cost in Dublin shows published monthly ranges by office size, so you can check whether a quote is in line.
Want a fixed price instead?
Call 01 230 8646. Give us the bedrooms, bathrooms and area, and we will give you a price on the phone.
Frequently asked questions
How often should office toilets be cleaned?
At every visit, and more often in busy offices. Regulation 20 requires employers to keep sanitary and washing facilities in a clean state. For an office of 20 or more people used all day, a daily clean plus a midday check of soap, paper and bins is a sensible baseline.
Is a weekly office clean enough?
For a small office of up to about five people with one washroom, a weekly visit can work if staff empty bins and wipe the kitchen in between. Larger teams usually need two to five visits a week, because washrooms and kitchens get dirty faster than floors.
How often should office carpets be deep cleaned?
Vacuum carpets at every visit in walkways and at least weekly elsewhere. Deep cleaning by hot water extraction once or twice a year suits most offices, with entrance mats and busy corridors more often. Spills are best treated the same day, before they set.
How often should desks and keyboards be cleaned?
Desks should be wiped at every visit if they are cleared. Keyboards, phones and mice are best cleaned by the user daily or weekly, since cleaners usually avoid moving or unplugging equipment. A clear-desk policy makes surface cleaning faster, cheaper and more thorough.
Does the law say how often an office must be cleaned?
No fixed frequency is set in law. Regulation 18 requires cleaning 'as frequently as necessary' to maintain an appropriate level of safety and health. The HSA's guide links the interval to how busy the workplace is and how often each area is used.
How we checked these figures
The legal duties in this guide come from the HSA's official guide to Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, which quotes Regulations 18 and 20 in full. The law sets no fixed cleaning frequency, so the schedule table is our practical recommendation for a typical Dublin office, not a legal requirement. Visit plan prices use our published €30 hourly rate.
Figures checked on 14 November 2026.
Sources
About the author: Lana
Founder of dublincleaners.ie, Lana's company brings expertise in both residential and commercial cleaning services fostering a clean, healthy environment. Outside of work, you'll often find her hitting the gym or immersing herself in invigorating body balance classes.