A new construction project or renovating an existing structure are important times for a business. It shows that your business is thriving and expanding. It’s also a sign that your hard work is paying off. But before you can open the new space for business, the final step of any construction project is a thorough cleaning. Follow this construction cleaning checklist so you’ll be ready for the big reveal to your employees and customers.
Get the Right (Cleaning) Tools
You’ll need more than a broom and a dustpan to clean up after a construction project. Dust and grime are everywhere, from floor to ceiling. Some important cleaning tools you’ll need include a shop vacuum, heavy-duty garbage bags, a mop, bucket, window squeegee, and rags. You’ll also need cleaning solutions for general cleaning, window cleaning, and a sanitizer for restrooms.
Remove Construction Debris
When a space is under construction, workers are not worried about cleanliness and things left lying around. Fast-food wrappers, takeout coffee cups, nails, pieces of leftover wood, and more should be picked up and thrown away. Once all the large pieces of debris are removed, it’s time to focus on the dust and dirt that naturally accumulates during a renovation or construction project.
Deep Clean Top to Bottom
Start by using the shop vacuum to quickly go over the entire space, including the inside and outside of any cabinetry, to pick up visible sawdust and construction grit. You’ll need to vacuum thoroughly again later in the process, but this will remove a large portion of dust, and make the next part of the construction cleaning checklist go much quicker.
Now, you can start cleaning the space from top to bottom. Fill the bucket with warm water and a small amount of mild soap. Use a damp rag to wipe down walls, ceiling fans, molding, and baseboards. Take down any light fixtures, wash them with warm soapy water, and dry before replacing.
Use a window cleaner and the squeegee to clean interior and exterior windows. If possible, clean both sides of exterior windows. Now you can vacuum again. If the floors are wood or tile, use a mild cleaner to mop the floors and allow to dry.
Don’t forget to change the air filters on your HVAC system. Airborne dust and debris get trapped and can affect efficiency. It’s recommended that, during a construction project, you change air filters every month. After that, it’s recommended that filters are replaced every three months. Once the main area is cleaned, it’s time to focus on your restrooms.
Disinfect and Sanitize Restrooms
Chances are, the cleaning of restrooms was scaled back if not completely overlooked during the construction period. All the dirt and germs tracked into the building on the bottoms of construction workers’ shoes likely found a home in your restrooms. One study found there is an average of 421,000 bacteria on the outside of shoes, with some strains of bacteria being harmful.
Germs and bacteria are also spread around a bathroom every time a toilet is flushed. The eruption of microscopic water droplets that spray into the air when a toilet is flushed has been nicknamed “toilet plume.” It travels several feet in every direction and covers every surface. Disgusting, right? Time to get out the bucket, rags, mop, and disinfecting cleaner.
Scrub sinks, toilets, and if the restroom has stalls, wipe those down too. Clean the mirrors, light fixtures, and scrub floors to remove construction grime from the grout and tiles.
Is the thought of doing all this work yourself not something you bargained for? It may be time to call in the experts at Enviro-Master Services. Our commercial cleaning services remove the dirt and grime you can see, along with the germs and bacteria that you can’t. We use EPA-registered disinfectants to kill 99.2 percent of germs including norovirus, coronaviruses, hepatitis, and more. Want to know more? Contact your local team of experts.
