Post Construction Cleaning
You may be wondering what exactly is post-construction cleaning? Well after a construction project has been completed on a home or business, there is usually a pretty massive mess left behind afterward. These messes are usually not undertaken by your contractors either. They may do a little tidy up after themselves, but dust that has settled will be disrupted and will wreak havoc everywhere (maybe not that extreme).
Construction is inevitable – just like change is. We live in a world where we constantly are changing and updating to keep up with the latest. Whether a building is falling apart, needs up to date on certain codes, or you are just wanting something new; construction will be needed and it will leave a huge mess.
I am going to drill into (get it?) 4 (plus a bonus) areas that are of concern to be cleaned and how to do so:
Ceiling fans, light fixtures, ceilings, vents
Walls, window sills, windows, inside/outside closets
Cabinets (in & out), tables, countertops
Floors (carpet, wood, vinyl), baseboards
BONUS! Rehabilitation
In general, cleaning tasks will be about the same for all rooms and building types.
First thing first, is to try and eliminate the number of airborne dust particles in the air. Inhaling too much construction dust (a term used to describe all different types of dust particles) can cause harmful health risks. These risks include asthma, silicosis, and lung cancer.
Wearing face masks while cleaning is highly suggested in order to reduce the amount of inhaled dust. Also, placing a large fan in a window of the room you are working in will help aid in the removal of dust.
Once those precautions are taken the cleaning can commence!
Post Construction Cleaning
Ceiling fans, light fixtures, vents, even the ceiling itself are best to get dusted first. Why? Dirt and dust will fall to the ground as you wipe down these different sections. Instead of wiping off countertops just to have the top section’s dirt fall right back on them, clean higher up first to skip that second cleaning. This is why it is important to clean from top to bottom; it saves you time and energy to do so.
A semi-damp rag works well to remove dust from these areas. If you have one of those tall dusters with the extended arm – even better.
Once the upper vents and levels are cleaned the window and window sills can be wiped down. It would be wise to dust any tall ledges at this point as well (remember going from top to bottom when cleaning). To clean glass windows use a dry (or semi-damp) cloth to get rid of dirt/dust. Using dry rags to wipe up dirt is beneficial because it will lower the chances of glass getting scratched.
The same method for wiping down glass will work wonderfully for walls, doors, and inside closets as well. Then using a more dampened cloth to get any stragglers on these areas for a crystal clear finish.
Similarly, dry cloth can be used to clean inside/outside cabinets, tables, and counters. When removing dirt from atop places a trash bag can be placed on the side to catch all dust, dirt, and whatever else found its way onto those beautiful areas.
It is best to use the trash bag because you save yourself time and effort on cleaning the floors – even more than they already need to be.
Then a wet rag with your favorite all-purpose cleaner is used to wipe all these surfaces to ensure all dirt is gone.
Now that the top and middle sections are done, you can do the bottom and then you are finally FINISHED – don’t cheer yet. I suggest cleaning baseboards with a magic eraser & soapy warm water (of course, after the initial dry cloth dusting that I have been preaching since the beginning).
If you have nonpainted baseboards (wood for example) then use a wood cleaner in place of soapy water. I find that baseboards are notorious for having grime built upon them, so magic erasers or even other brand types are extremely useful at removing stuck-on gunk.
Finally, the floors!! Make sure to not use your good vacuum, because it will, in fact, get ruined. It's best to buy, borrow, or rent a shop vac; one that especially has a HEPA filter in it. HEPA filters are these great filters that help trap dust, mold, and more up to 0.3 microns (=0.3 micrometers =very very tiny). Make sure to vacuum very slowly and in the same place multiple times. Likewise, for sweeping it should be at a minimum of 2 times, but more is better. Then mopping to finish it off.
Frankly, the list could go on and on. This listed cleaning is not a guarantee of being rid of all dust and dirt. Excess dust in the air can seem nearly impossible to clean up entirely (especially after a week has gone by & it has settled & then disrupted once more & you get the picture). Also, cleaning it alone can prove to be quite daunting. So, don’t have added stress in your life. Contact Ewas Today! They will gladly be your post-construction cleaning crew!
Post Construction Cleaning BONUS
Rehabilitation of a building has certain standards (namely for national historical landmarks) that need to be followed; that is understood. In rehab projects, historical or cultural features need to be preserved. It is good to have mindful people on projects with you for those. That being said, there is more than what is stated above that goes into the construction and post-construction cleaning of buildings with historical importance. At times like these, it is best to recruit cleaners for this job. You have a job and so does Ewas – to clean up any mess that comes in their path and does exceptionally well at it.
