The Importance of Hiring a Professional Construction Cleaning Contractor  

A professional construction cleaning contractor understands the provided requirements, finishes, and field conditions to meet your expectations. They have the proper training, supplies, and equipment to complete the work quickly and efficiently. They know their way around a construction site and will assign the right staffing levels and management oversight. Post-construction cleanup requires attention to every surface. From drywall dust to sawdust and paint-splatter, there’s a wide range of surfaces that need to be cleaned. 

The initial steps of the cleaning process involve removing debris before getting down to the actual surface cleaning. Due to the nature of drywall dust, every surface must be considered, including floors, baseboards, trims, walls, light fixtures, and window frames and sills. When working in large spaces with high ceilings or racking, cleaning takes on a new dimension and may require working on lifts, and tying off areas for safety tethers. Post-construction cleanup can be a massive job and laborious work. Cleaning contractors typically have to clean, and then clean again after construction is complete.  

Punch list

A punch list is a follow-up list for the cleaning contractor after the cleanup is complete. These items can vary from a missed area to a new cleanup task as a result of another contractor. For example, an electrician adds a wall outlet, a hole will be cut, leaving a small amount of debris behind. The cleaning crew probably won’t miss it during the initial cleanup process, but if it was added afterward, it will show up on the punch list as a to-do item.

Timing and efficiency

Time is of the essence when it comes to construction jobs as a delay in a project will inevitably cost someone money. There might even be a penalty clause in the contract for a delay which makes it highly motivating for the contractor to have a fast and efficient post-construction cleanup. Since most construction crews are not cleaning experts, outsourcing the construction cleanup to a reputable cleaning contractor will ensure that cleaning productivity follows your strict construction turnover timelines.  

Rough clean 

The rough cleaning process prepares the building for its finishing. This first stage of cleaning comes after the framing, plumbing, and electrical have been inspected and completed. A rough clean involves getting rid of construction debris, dust, and trash as well as the removal of adhesives and masking materials. Services provided during the rough stage include floor care and baseboards, dusting window sills, and removing construction rubble and scraps from the construction site. A rough cleanup helps prevent the damage of installation components such as carpets, appliances, and modular furniture.

Final clean

The second stage or final clean-up is a more detailed cleaning process that occurs when all the construction and furniture fixtures and equipment (FF&E) installations are completed. Final cleanup involves stripping, waxing, and buffing of floors, tile sealing, cleaning window frames, vacuuming carpets, polishing smudges on light fixtures, ceilings, vents, and detail-dusting of air filters, ceiling fans, doorknobs.

It requires a detailed cleaning of the kitchen and bathrooms including sinks, tubs, showers, cabinets, backsplash, and counters. The final clean stage also involves detailed cleaning of baseboards, light fixtures, door frames, window ledges, interior windows, mirrors, and the vacuuming and mopping of the floors.

Exterior construction cleanup

During the last stage of cleanup, all cleaning requirements are reviewed from the second phase to ensure the facility/building is ready for occupation. Smudges, fingerprints, and other imperfections from the areas that were previously cleaned in the earlier stages might need touching up. Depending on the construction project, the last phase might also involve general site cleaning.

Construction sites are notorious for leaving behind nails, leftover wood, siding, bricks, and other leftover debris. More often than not, the waste materials are scattered across the site and will need to be collected. This final stage may involve getting rid of the trash and power washing the walkways, sidewalks, driveways, parking lot, and dumpster areas.   

Cleanup Safety & PPE

Post-construction cleaning pros understand the hazards that come with cleaning up after contractors have been in a property. From stray nails and glass shards that have been overlooked, to the amount of dust that accumulates that can cause breathing difficulties, construction cleaning pros are aware of risk factors, know what to look for, and what PPE to wear to avoid injury. 

Construction dust is a general term used to describe different dusts that you may find on a construction site. There are three main type of dust:

• Silica dust – created when working on silica containing materials like concrete, mortar and sandstone (also known as respirable crystalline silica or RCS);
• Wood dust – created when working on softwood, hardwood and wood-based products like MDF and plywood;
• Lower toxicity dusts – created when working on materials containing very little or no silica. The most common include gypsum (eg in plasterboard), limestone, marble and dolomite.

Anyone who breathes in these dusts should know the damage they can do to the lungs and airways. The main dust-related diseases affecting construction workers include lung cancer, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma. Some lung disease, like advanced silicosis or asthma, can come on quite quickly.

With the existence of silica from concrete and other airborne debris, respirators should be worn. Post-construction cleaners should also wear safety glasses, dust masks, and nitrate gloves (resistant to chemicals). And if work is being performed after dark, bright reflective vests are highly recommended.  

Cleanstart: Industry professionals hired by industry professionals 

Looking for a professional post-construction cleanup contractor? Cleanstart has over 25 years of experience in the commercial cleaning and janitorial industry. We provide fast, efficient, and thorough residential and commercial post-construction cleanup services you can rely on.

Our highly-trained, post-construction cleaning pros will remove the dirt, dust, and debris left behind by the construction process from all interior and exterior surfaces. When we are finished with the job of cleanup, your facility/building will be ready for move-in and set up. You can count on Cleanstart for quick turnaround and response times.  

We can also provide a strategy for an ongoing, regular cleaning and maintenance program to keep your facility looking its best, day after day – year after year.

Cleanstart offers:

✓ Over 25 years of experience in the cleaning and janitorial industry
✓ Thoroughly trained and vetted cleaning professionals
✓ Commitment to the highest quality clean
✓ Local, licensed, insured, & bonded service
✓ 24/7 cleaning options & support
✓ Customized cleaning solutions
✓ 100% satisfaction guarantee
✓ OSHA, HIPAA, EPA, CDC, AORN compliant
✓  A+ BBB-rating

For more information about our quality post-construction cleanup services, please give Cleanstart a call today at (253) 921-2593 or request a free online estimate!

We service the following locations in the Greater Puget Sound region:

Auburn, Bellevue, Bellingham, Bonney Lake, Bremerton, Factoria, Fife, GIg Harbor, Kent, Lakewood, Olympia, Puyallup, Renton, Seattle, Tacoma, Tukwila, University Place, King County, Kitsap County, Pierce County, and Thurston County.

5013 Pacific Hwy E unit 16 Fife, WA 98424 • Phone: 253.921.2593 • Email: Caleb @ thecleanstart.com