How to Do a Construction Clean Up?

As you probably know, a home renovation job comes with a lot of mess, and cleaning it up could be a nightmare. You may think cleaning while working is an option, but the truth is that is not so. It does not make sense to clean while the construction work is ongoing because doing so actually extends the project timeline.

Likewise, construction clean up does not mean going to the property, sweeping up everything, and throwing it all into trash bags. There is a particular way to clean up a construction job site, and there are crucial points that you should consider to make the job easier. 

This article elaborates on the different phases of construction clean up and provides you with important tips. Let’s get this show on the road. 

The Three Cleaning Phases

Basically, construction clean up can be done in the middle and at the end of the job. You should figure out which stage the construction work is in and which cleaning phase you should do. There are three cleaning phases. Take a look:

The Rough Clean

The rough clean, which takes place while construction is ongoing, is the first phase. It starts after specific work, such as plumbing or electrical, is finished, and new jobs are starting that require clearing the site. For example, refinishing a floor requires the floor area to be cleared.  It makes no sense to deep clean the area at this time because the construction work is ongoing. You only need to gather stuff in one place and take out the trash in this phase.

.

The Final Clean

After the site’s construction is complete, phase two, also referred to as the final clean up, is conducted. You may need a few days to complete this phase. This is the most extensive construction clean up phase; you should put all the leftover materials as well as the trash outside and clean the entire site.

. 

The Touch-up Clean

The final phase of the construction clean up process is the touch-up clean. At this time, the project is finished, and the entire site requires a deep clean, including cleaning smudges off the windows, doors, and mirrors.

Do Not Assume Everything is Trash

No matter which phase of cleaning you are in, this is the most important tip to keep in mind during the construction clean up.  While cleaning up, you will come across a lot of screws, nails, pieces of molding or plywood, and pieces of pipe or wire while sweeping the floors, remember not everything is trash.  Also, be sure to keep all Instruction Manuals.

Make sure to keep these items. Put them in a separate place or a bucket and keep them in a specific place. If you are doing a rough clean, place these items somewhere on the job site. 

So, why keep all these things? The answer is straightforward. Sometimes the material that you keep from a clean up will save a lot of time and effort later in the job. Near the end of the job, one missing screw, pipe, or wire may cause you to stop everything, run out to the store, and pick up that particular material. This not only saves time but prevents you from buying extra nails or other materials when you may just need one piece. 

But that is not all. Sometimes you can use these materials for other purposes. For example, recently, we found an unusual size piece of  wood (¼ inch thick), which was actually a piece of furniture, and used it for installing a prehung exterior door in another job. If we did not keep that piece of wood, we might have had a tough time finding what we needed. So this is precisely why you should not assume everything you find during a clean up is trash.  

Put All Materials in a Particular Place

If you are doing a rough clean in the middle of the job, you should place all the materials that might be useful in a particular place at the property. For example, if you want to refinish the living room floor, you should move all the construction materials to another place on the job site.

To do this, start by sweeping and cleaning up the area where you are going to store tools and materials.  Then, move the items to the storage area, starting with big items. After setting everything in the new space, you can begin to sweep and clean the area where the work will be done. 

Be warned: If the floor in the new storage space is finished, put some cardboard down and then put the materials on top to avoid scratches and damage.

Take Care with Trash 

Most likely, many of the items will be trash and you can get rid of them after making sure they may not be needed later in the project. Put any trash you want to get rid of in trash bags and put it outside. It is crucial to make sure anything of value is not covered by or placed in trash bags; this could result in valuable items being thrown out. 

To make it easier, label boxes or other items with a move date and the destination to quickly know where they have to go.  This will help the clean up process go quicker since you will not have to stop and try to remember where each is destined to end up.

Use a Construction Clean Up Checklist

Cleaning a property after renovations includes many details. To ensure that you remember to do everything, make a checklist of every item that needs cleaning. You can create a checklist yourself or get ideas from online resources. We have included a general checklist for construction clean up after a home renovation that we hope is useful.

• Clean the walls, windows, ceilings, and floors.
• Check the lightbulbs and change them if required.
• Clean all closets.
• Sweep all porches, decks, and patios.
• Clean kitchen cabinets, inside and out.
• Clean bathrooms and toilets.
• Sweep entranceways.

Prioritize Your Health

Dealing with a lot of dust and cleaning agents could seriously affect your health. This, in my opinion, is the most crucial construction clean up tip that everyone should consider. Do not jeopardize your health doing a construction clean up. If you have a respiratory disease, it is best to let someone else clean, or if you have balance or vertigo issues, do not climb a ladder. Additionally, if you think moving a particular object requires a lot of effort, ask for help rather than risking injury. There are also construction cleaning companies who will do all these jobs for a fee. 

Final Remarks

All in all, a construction clean up in a home renovation includes gathering all the leftover materials, throwing out the trash, and cleaning up the entire site, including walls, windows, bathrooms, kitchen, as well as all other spaces affected by the construction mess. In every phase of construction clean up, it is essential to have a plan and know how to organize your materials. 

Let’s face it, construction clean up is a job that requires patience and attention to detail.  The tips we have included in this article should help you save both time and money.  Using these tips will ensure you successfully clean up during each phase of your project. 

If you are reading this article and are a homeowner in the Philadelphia area, keep in mind that Matrix Company Solutions Corp. is a home renovation company that can handle your renovation project from start to the final clean up.  We make it easy to renovate your home. Call us now for more information.