Why You Need A Commercial Cleaning Company for Your Final Construction Cleanup

Remodel, renovation, or expansion-all require some degree of construction and a whole lot of cleanup.  After the final punch list is complete and you conduct the final walk through, you don’t want to open the blinds only to have drywall dust rain down from above.  What if there’s paint drips or dollops of drywall mud on the hardwood floor? Didn’t the contractor say they were going to cleanup?(!)  Perhaps they tried. But cleaning isn’t their specialty. Here are 3 reasons why you need a commercial cleaning company for your final construction cleanup.

A good general contractor will take precautions to contain their mess.  An excellent contractor will try to clean up after themselves.  But depending upon the size and scope of the project, some things can be difficult to control.  Electrical work, drywall guys, painters, carpenters….dirty boots and shortcuts.  There’s just too many moving parts and variables.  In order to safely occupy such a space it will need a deep clean.  And final construction cleanups are where commercial cleaning companies really shine. 

Dust Removal as Part of a Final Construction Cleanup

Every final cleanup of a new commercial space should pass the old ‘white glove test.’ Yes, a quick swipe of the index finger also works!  Dry wall dust is so fine that at times it can be nearly imperceptible….and it tends to blanket everything.  The removal of dust is one of the most important cleaning tasks.  It also happens to be the most time consuming.  

Surprisingly, the removal of dust generally requires little to no chemical.  Some cleaning solutions can actually damage or discolor wall paint, wall-paper, or other surfaces vulnerable to staining. To do the job right you need the appropriate tools.

Microfiber cloth: wet wiping with a microfiber cloth is a good place to start.  Using only water, a slightly damp microfiber cloth is great for gathering dust.

Dusting cloths: nonwoven, treated dust cloths. These cloths attract and remove dust and other small particles from just about any surface.  They can be tied around wool dusters, and/or dusting wands with extensions.

HEPA filter Vacuums: HEPA filter backpacks or uprights are the most efficient way to extract even the smallest of particles, down to .03 microns (that’s small!) These tools are invaluable.

Deep Cleaning the Floors after Construction.

Nothing has more impact upon how clean a room looks and feels quite like the floors.  Sometimes sweeping and wet mopping alone will not suffice, specifically in situations where the floor has really been soiled.  Depending on the type of flooring and the type of mess, commercial cleaning pros can deploy a variety of cleaning methods.

Dry Wall Mud and Paint Drips: in most cases these can be scraped off with a razor or putty knife. 

Glues and adhesive residues: small amounts can be removed with solvents and/or paint thinners.  After letting the product dwell on the stubborn adhesive, often a putty knife or scraper is used. Caution in the form of proper PPE is recommended. These products can be aggressive and odorous.

Dirty tile and grout: if dirt has been pushed deep into the grout, it can be removed with a light acid wash.  A combination of grout brushes and a floor machine fitted with various scrubbing pads is utilized to emulsify and break down any soils and oils that have discolored the floor. In some cases just a simple machine scrub and rinse will get the job done.

New floors: many new floors must be sealed in order to properly protect them.  The installing contractor may or may not do this. Most types of flooring will generally have manufacturer’s recommendations.  This is important to get right in order to avoid voiding any potential warranties. A commercial cleaning company can take care of this for you.  Newly installed hard flooring that generally require sealing or coating include VCT, sheet vinyl, LVT, marmoluem, and others. 

The Fine (and Difficult) Art of Window Cleaning

New windows can have a variety of cleaning challenges.  From exterior dirt and dust, to removing suction cup marks from the installation.  Here are reasons why window cleaning can have sizable hurdles.

High Windows: your commercial cleaning company will have the proper permitting to utilize boom lifts, scissor lifts, and/or ladders to reach the tops of skylights or higher up windows.

Cleaning Out Window Sills and Tracks: this cannot be properly performed unless you are elevated to the window height. Tracks must be wiped cleaned and vacuumed out.  Sometimes debris is scraped, scrubbed or dug out.

Suction Cup Marks: larger heavier windows on exterior buildings are installed using powerful suction cups.  These can leave rings behind on the glass.  Cleaning these often requires you to be at window height.

Paint Drips and Drywall Mud Splashes: these can be removed via razor blade and window cleaning solution.  Proper precaution must be utilized to avoid scratching the window pane itself.  

Water Control: cleaning windows is much more difficult than meets the eye.  Controlling water, specifically to avoid drips onto interior surfaces like carpet is vital.  Ensuring that the window pane is free of streaks requires deft use of a squeegee.  Lastly, we’re noticing a pattern here: this is best performed at window height.

As you can imagine, construction cleans aren’t exactly easy peazy.  This sums up the primary reasons why you need a commercial cleaning company for your final construction cleanup. If you’d like a quote for a final construction cleanup, window cleaning, or floor work, contact one of our service consultants today for a free estimate.