What is a Builders Cleaning Service?

Construction and renovation projects can create a lot of mess. And, unfortunately, tradies don’t have the best reputation for cleaning up after themselves. This means worksites can often be left in desperate need of a serious clean before post-construction work, like painting or interior detailing, can commence.

It also means that post-construction sites can also be left in a state of disarray that may present health and safety hazards or risks for the environment. Physical obstacles and waste, potentially harmful or toxic chemicals or residues, fire hazards or slip and fall hazards may also need to be removed or cleaned up before the next stage of construction or the site is fit for public use.

This is where a builders clean or post-construction cleaning comes in. This process is carried out between construction phases or after the completion of construction and before the final detailing or handover.

So let’s have a look at what’s involved in a builders clean and how it differs from general cleaning.

Initial / Rough Clean

A builders or construction clean can be broken down into two main stages: the initial or rough clean and the detail clean.

The initial or rough clean will generally be carried out between construction phases or stages. During construction, debris, waste and rubbish can build up, which can hinder the work or even make it unsafe. This could include waste building materials, plaster dust, grouting, paint and more.

The initial clean will remove all this debris, waste, packaging and so on, and clean all the surfaces, in preparation for the next stage of work. For example, a common rough clean job involves removing gyprock dust before tiling or painting.

A rough clean will also be required between the final stage of construction and the interior detailing stage (e.g. prior to painting or carpet or floorboard installation. A rough clean may also be carried out prior to a client walk through to ensure the work looks clean and professional and any trade defects can be easily spotted.

Detail Clean

The detail clean is the final stage of cleaning after all construction or renovation work has been completed. It’s purpose is to remove any minor blemishes and ensure that everything looks brand new and completely spotless.

The detail clean can include removing minor trade defects like paint on light switches or floorboards, render splatter on windows, grout or sealant lines on tiles and so on. It will also look to remove all traces of builder activity like fingerprints, footprints and other markings, as well as a deep clean of all surfaces to remove any trace of dust, glass, sawdust or any other contaminants.

Besides ensuring that the property has a spotless, showroom quality finish, the final detail clean is also designed to ensure that any and all potentially harmful or damaging construction contaminants or residues have been removed from the property before people move back in.

What else is involved?

Besides the two main stages of cleaning, there are a few more elements to the work that separates a builders clean from a regular cleaning job.

• Sort and remove waste and rubbish

A great deal of rubbish and waste can build up during a construction or renovation project. This waste can include building materials, organic waste and potentially harmful chemicals. Any rubbish and waste left behind after the construction process should be collected, sorted and disposed of appropriately. This can mean disposing of potentially harmful chemicals according to relevant guidelines and regulations as well as recycling any reusable or recyclable waste materials.

A good builders cleaner will be able to handle the rubbish removal, as well as sorting and recycling all waste and building materials while adhering to all guidelines regarding safe disposal.

• Remove hazards

A builders clean is also important for removing hazards prior to other contractors or tradespeople coming on-site. This may include removing physical obstacles, potential slip and fall hazards or any dust, residues or contaminants that may pose a respiratory risk.

As with any cleaning work, a builders clean is labour intensive and time consuming and is best left to the professionals.