Average hospital housekeeping expenses

Commercial cleaning services play a critical role in healthcare facilities. Their primary function goes beyond aesthetics – it’s about safeguarding patients and staff. These services keep medical areas hygienically clean, compliant with regulations, and comfortable for everyone.

We’ve explored the top 25 hospitals by housekeeping expenses and hospitals’ biggest expenses. Now, let’s delve deeper and explore average housekeeping costs across different regions and hospital types in 2023.

How much does housekeeping cost hospitals?

Housekeeping expenses can vary depending on hospital size, location, service inclusions, and more. In 2023, the average cost of housekeeping expenses was $2.6 million across all U.S. hospitals tracked in the Definitive Healthcare platform. This includes children’s hospitals, short- and long-term acute care hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, critical access hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, and religious non-medical healthcare institutions.

Average housekeeping expenses across regions

Fig. 1 Data is from the Definitive Healthcare HospitalView product. Data accessed June 2024.

How do hospital housekeeping expenses differ across regions?

Hospitals in the Northeast stands out with the highest average housekeeping cost at approximately $7.37 million. This could be attributed to several factors, including greater demand for healthcare services in densely populated urban areas characteristic of the Northeast.

Following closely behind is the West, with an average hospital housekeeping cost of around $6.30 million. Like the Northeast, the West encompasses major metropolitan areas with high costs of living and extensive healthcare infrastructure, contributing to elevated housekeeping expenses in hospitals.

Hospitals in the Midwest and Southeast regions both have average housekeeping costs in the mid-range, at approximately $4.13 million and $4.28 million respectively. These regions have a mix of urban and rural healthcare facilities, contributing to moderate housekeeping expenses.

In contrast, the Southwest region reports the lowest average hospital housekeeping cost among the regions, at approximately $3.40 million. U.S. territories, including areas such as Puerto Rico and Guam, feature an average housekeeping cost of $1.50 million, significantly lower than the mainland regions.

Average housekeeping expenses across hospital type

Fig. 2 Data is from the Definitive Healthcare HospitalView product. Data accessed June 2024.

How do housekeeping expenses differ across hospital type?

There are significant variations in housekeeping costs among different types of hospitals. Children’s hospitals reported an average housekeeping cost of around $9.35 million, while short term acute care hospitals, had an average housekeeping cost of $4.14 million. These facilities are larger than other types of hospitals and likely demand rigorous cleaning protocols to uphold patient safety standards and minimize the risk of infections.

Psychiatric hospitals, with an average housekeeping cost of roughly $699,019, stand out with significantly lower expenses. This could be attributed to their smaller size and specialized nature, featuring fewer medical equipment and procedures compared to general hospitals, resulting in reduced cleaning requirements.

Critical access hospitals and long-term acute care hospitals both reported similar average housekeeping costs, around $480,362 and $462,468 respectively. Meanwhile, rehabilitation hospitals had an average housekeeping cost of $384,224.

Lastly, religious non-medical healthcare institutions had the lowest average housekeeping cost at $110,046. These institutions may have simpler, smaller facilities and fewer specialized medical services compared to traditional hospitals, resulting in lower cleaning expenses.

Overall, this analysis underscores the diverse nature of hospital types and their corresponding housekeeping cost structures, shaped by factors such as scale, specialization, and service offerings.

Why is housekeeping essential in a hospital?

Hospital housekeeping (sometimes referred to as “hospital environmental services” or “EVS”) plays a critical role in preventing the spread of infections through cleaning and disinfection of both clinical and non-clinical areas. This focus on hygiene is especially crucial in surgical suites. Effective housekeeping not only safeguards patients and staff but may also contribute to a positive patient experience and potentially improved patient satisfaction and HCAHPS scores.

What do hospitals use to clean?

Hospitals rely on EPA-approved disinfectants for their environmental cleaning needs in the U.S. These specialized disinfectants are meticulously selected to effectively target and eliminate harmful pathogens such as bacteria and viruses, which are notorious for causing illness. By meticulously applying these approved disinfectants, hospitals play a crucial role in mitigating the spread of infections, thereby ensuring a safer and healthier environment for patients, staff, and visitors alike.

Hospital cleaning prices per square foot

To determine the price of a cleaning contract, organizations often look at the price per square foot. Cost is also sometimes calculated by multiplying the number of employees needed to clean a facility by their hourly rate for commercial cleaning.

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Healthcare Insights are developed with healthcare commercial intelligence from the Definitive Healthcare platform. Want even more insights? Start a free trial now and get access to the latest healthcare commercial intelligence on hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare providers.