When a construction project is complete it’s incredibly important to present a clean, finished product to the customer. Even a beautifully constructed building or home will lose its luster if not cleaned properly. In this article, we will discuss how to effectively complete post-construction cleaning so that your home or office sparkles for the new occupants!
Let’s start with a few key guidelines –
Work from top to bottom –
Your number one enemy in construction cleanup is dust and amazingly enough, dust obeys the laws of gravity. That’s why you need to always work from top to bottom in an area. Start with high dusting and high cleaning, and finish with floor cleaning. Construction contractors also normally work in a similar process by completing upper-level floors first, then finishing the ground-level floor last.
Work from rough to detail –
Dust and dirt will continue to get tracked around the job site during your cleaning, so you need to systematically work from rough to detail cleaning. This generally means starting with a rough sweep or dust mop, followed by a rough vacuuming to remove large debris. This will limit the amount of dust tracked around the job site as you circle back to complete the details.
Communication –
Construction project schedules and deadlines are never simple, and it seems that there are always a few last-minute items to finish. Additionally, being the final contractor onsite, cleaning up every mess, other contractor’s delays and last-minute changes always affect you. That’s why communication with the onsite superintendent or project manager is so critical. A daily check-in to explain how you are progressing, what you will be focusing on that day, and to better understand any priorities, will eliminate many potential problems.
Come Prepared –
There are many different surfaces and situations that you will run into on a job site. That’s why you need to come prepared to handle each of them. Bring additional supplies otherwise you’ll find yourself running back to the office repeatedly and wasting valuable time.
Know Your Surfaces –
You must understand the different surfaces that you will potentially encounter on a job site. Surfaces such as Stainless steel, Rough Concrete vs. Polished Concrete, Granite vs. Marble, Tile, Drywall, Glass, Metal, etc. Each of these requires a certain cleaning technique. Research, plan, and discuss the proper cleaning technique for them ahead of time.
Prioritize Window Cleaning –
As you gain experience you begin to realize that window cleaning is the most significant time investment on most construction cleanup projects. It can range from 30% to 50% of overall job time. This means that to hit your deadlines, have a crew start cleaning windows as soon as possible, while other crews are working on the remaining tasking, such as dusting, restrooms, kitchens, floors, etc. Many times you can also start cleaning windows in an area before it’s fully completed and if they get dusty again, they’ll just need a quick dry dusting.
It would be impossible and impractical to try and cover every cleaning situation you may run into on a construction job site in this article and that’s why it’s so important to understand these guidelines. By following these you can ensure you’re moving in the right direction, then fine to each project sending on its specific needs. Construction cleanup can be a tremendous opportunity for those willing to master it. It can also be incredibly rewarding to put the final shine on a beautiful new home or building. I hope you can be successful in this rewarding service.
