Average hospital housekeeping expenses

Commercial cleaning services for healthcare providers have an important duty: keeping medical areas safe, clean, compliant, and comfortable for patients and employees alike.  

We recently explored the top 25 hospitals by housekeeping expenses, and now, we’ll take a look at the average housekeeping expenses in 2021 across regions and bed sizes. 

Average housekeeping expenses from 2017 to 2021

Fig. 1 Data is from the Definitive Healthcare HospitalView product. Data is sourced from the October 2022 Medicare Cost Report release. Accessed January 2023.  

How much does housekeeping cost? 

The average cost of housekeeping expenses steadily increased over five years from 2017 to 2021. In 2017, the average cost was nearly $2 million, while the average cost in 2021 was $2.29 million. Each year, expenses increased by an average of 3.8%. 

Average housekeeping expenses in 2021 across bed size 

Fig. 2 Data is from the Definitive Healthcare HospitalView product. Data is sourced from the October 2022 Medicare Cost Report release. Accessed January 2023.  

How do housekeeping expenses differ across bed sizes? 

Unsurprisingly, a hospital’s number of beds directly correlates with the housekeeping expenses they report. As seen in the chart above, hospitals with more than 250 beds generated the most housekeeping expenses in 2021. The greater number of beds that a hospital has, the more areas they must clean and disinfect.  

Average housekeeping expenses in 2021 across regions 

Fig. 3 Data is from the Definitive Healthcare HospitalView product. Data is sourced from the October 2022 Medicare Cost Report release. Accessed January 2023.  

How do housekeeping expenses differ across regions? 

The Northeast had the most housekeeping expenses, with about $3.84 million. In second was the West, with about $3 million. The Southeast and Midwest were next, with nearly $1.93 and $1.81 million, respectively. Last was the Southwest, with $1.67 million. The Northeast and West may generate more total housekeeping expenses compared to the other regions since many of the top 25 hospitals by housekeeping expenses are in these regions. That is, 17 of the 25 states on the list are in either a state in the Northeast or the West. 

Why is housekeeping essential in a hospital? 

Housekeeping in hospitals (sometimes referred to as “hospital environmental services” or “EVS”) is integral to providing safe and effective healthcare because it helps prevent infections. Cleaning and disinfecting clinical and non-clinical areas are necessary for proper infection prevention and control. It is particularly crucial that surgical areas are cleaned thoroughly and frequently. 

Proper infection prevention and control (IPC) helps improve the patient experience and could improve patient satisfaction and HCAHPS scores.  

What do hospitals use to clean? 

The EPA approves disinfectants in hospital environmental services in the U.S. These approved disinfectants help target and kill specific pathogens—like bacteria and viruses—that cause illness. As a result, disinfectants are greatly helpful in controlling and reducing the transmission of infections. 

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. 

Learn more 

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