Post-Construction Cleanup: Where To Start

Construction and renovation take time, money, and plenty of effort. When it’s finally over, you want to enjoy your new home as soon as possible. But there is one thing standing between you and relaxation. The cleanup.

Post-construction cleanup can be long and complicated. In order to make the process a little easier, it’s important to come up with a plan. For example, cleaning the walls after you clean the floors is useless. Cleaning windows before you wash the walls is impractical.

Let’s go over a post-construction cleanup plan and checklist.

Start At The Top   

Dust and dirt settle on the floor. So when you begin cleaning, you have to start at the top. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove as much dust and other loose debris as possible. Start with the ceiling and work your way down to the walls and the floor.

Try to make long passes sideways in order to catch as much dust with one pass as possible. Go around the window frames and doorframes. Don’t forget to vacuum fixtures and ceiling fans. Make sure to remove the vent covers and vacuum them as well.

Then go down to take care of the floor.

Once you are done collecting dust with a vacuum cleaner (you may have to invest in a heavy-duty one), take water and detergent to proceed with damp cleaning. Start washing at the top and continue along the same path you took with the vac.

Take Special Care Of The Windows

Once you are done vacuuming and washing the ceiling and the walls, go on to take care of the windows.

You will need a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner to remove all the debris around the windows. Then you’ll need a scraper to get rid of the dirt stuck on the glass and a large squeegee to do the washing.

Window cleaning requires extra attention since the stuck-on dirt must be removed gently. Otherwise, you risk damaging the glass and incurring extra expenses.

Work With The Floors

Depending on what type of floors you have, you need to take a special approach. Floors usually take the biggest beating during the construction process. If you have carpeted floors, you may need professional assistance to clean them. Consider getting a steam cleaner to remove the hard-to-reach dust.

If you have a hard-surfaced floor, you can stop at vacuuming and washing. Take the opportunity to make sure the floor isn’t damaged. If you find damages right after the construction work is done, you may still fix them at the contractor’s expense.