Construction cleaning
Construction cleaning is the removal of products, debris, and contaminants during the construction process. Cleaning in any industry is typically done to use equipment or machinery without obstruction or contamination. In construction, cleaning benefits both the building structure and the workers themselves.
The primary concern for construction cleaners is to make sure that surfaces are free from dust and dirt particles before installation and again after a renovation or restoration project is complete. This ensures safe working conditions and maintains cleanliness throughout a project. Cleaning up after a renovation enables new finishes to adhere to their surface, ultimately lasting longer fully.
The last step of any construction project is a thorough inspection to ensure that the job site is safe, clean, and well organized. This final inspection typically includes a punch list to ensure that all loose ends have been tied up, damages have been repaired, and the property is up to code. Creating and using a customized post-construction cleaning checklist is important to ensure all of these tasks are completed.
What is a construction cleaning checklist?
Post-construction cleaning checklists detail how to clean the various areas in specific categories. Workers can then walk through each area and identify any cleanup tasks that need to be completed before the project can be deemed complete.
Cover every part of the building with your post-construction checklist. It should serve as a guide for workers to inspect every aspect of the build, including the flooring, windows, ceilings, and external features and the removal of trash and debris. Include the following:
Entrances and exits
Entrances and exits must be inspected and cleaned for all doors leading to the building. When a new owner first arrives at the property, these are the first things they will notice.
- The exterior lights will be dusty.
- Make sure all the lights work.
- Wipe the windows clean.
- Make sure the doorknobs and frames of all the doors are clean, too.
- Sweep the entranceways, too.
Living areas and common areas
There should be sufficient lighting and a clear, clean appearance in the living room and common areas. There should be no evidence of work being done there.
- The floors should be vacuumed or swept.
- The lights should work and be dust-free.
- Light switches and doorknobs need to be cleaned.
- All window sills, tracks, and windows are cleaned and dusted.
- There are no scuff marks on the walls or floors due to paint drops.
- Removing the trash.
- The doors and doorframes have been cleaned.
Kitchens
There are many crevices and spaces that often go unnoticed in kitchens. Ensuring the kitchen is clean and working is an integral part of completing a construction project.
- You should dust all shelves and counters.
- Make sure appliances are clean inside.
- Check drawers and cabinets inside.
- Check all cabinet hardware.
- Vacuum and mop the floors.
- Remove all debris from windows and window sills.
- Take out the garbage.
- Clean sinks and backsplashes.
- Remove dust from all surfaces and fixtures.
Bathrooms
By the end of a construction project, bathrooms must be in a clean and functional state, even if they tend to be small rooms.
- Sink, tub, and shower must be sanitized and clean.
- Toilet must be sanitized.
- Mirrors, cabinet doors, and counters must be cleaned.
- Floors must be swept and vacuumed/mopped.
- Clean inside cupboards and drawers.
- The windows, baseboards, lighting fixtures, doorknobs, and doorframes are all cleaned, and the trash is removed.
Bedrooms
In order to ensure a clean and complete bedroom area, it is crucial to remove the trash, clean light fixtures, and ensure the floor, walls, and windows are all clean. A bedroom area should also be inspected for the following things:
- Closets should be cleaned.
- Lights should be dusted.
- Baseboards should be cleaned.
- During the spring, built-in dust shelves and vents, and grates.
- Remove paint from hinges on outdoor spaces and landscaping.
You should include a careful examination of the property’s exterior on your checklist for post-construction cleaning. Check that all construction waste, including packaging, tape, plastic, and other construction signs, has been adequately removed from the property.
- Remove all garbage from the property.
- Wash walkways with a power washer or sweep them.
- You will need to sweep all the porches, decks, and patios.
- Clean the mailbox and garage door.
Checklists are designed primarily for residential home construction, but Device Magic’s custom checklist builder can also be used for commercial or industrial construction projects! Using our post-construction cleaning checklist form, you can drag and drop elements like photos, categories, and free text right into your custom form.
Day-to-day cleaning:
Part of your day-to-day cleaning is construction cleaning when you think about it. Every time you clean up your home, you are preventing dirt and grime from making the surfaces dirty, for when you pull out that friendly appliance or piece of furniture, it still looks new.
One significant difference between day-to-day domestic and construction cleaning is the equipment used. Construction cleaners typically use heavy equipment such as large vacuums, pressure washers, scrubbers, brushes, brooms, and shovels to achieve a spotless surface.
Read More: What Are Exterior Painters? Facts You Need To Know About Exterior Painters
Specific industries:
Each industry that requires buildings to be constructed has different forms of construction cleanup. For example, there are strict sanitation guidelines in hospitals that must be met before an area can be considered clean enough to move into. This means special attention must be paid to removing any contaminants that could spread infection or disease. This is why construction cleaners use various chemicals to ensure all surfaces are disinfected and sterile. In contrast, the cleaning required for an office building does not need to be as rigorous as a hospital’s, but it still needs to meet specific standards laid out by the facility manager.
In conclusion, construction cleaning is the removal of products, debris, and contaminants during a construction process to achieve sustainable cleanliness throughout a project. Cleaning during a renovation ensures that new finishes fully adhere, thus lasting longer. The final product benefit from day-to-day cleaning.
Post-cleaning: What is it?
An after-construction clean is performed on newly constructed or restored structures. It is clear from the phrase “post-construction” that this cleaning is done after the building phase. A building contractor may clear up waste in general, but meticulous cleaning is no longer part of their scope of work.
