2. Focus on High Traffic Areas
Even if your construction efforts are focused on a remote area of the building, it is likely that you have left traces of your presence in the space’s more frequented areas. As these locations have significant presentation value, leaving them looking less-than-pristine can reflect poorly on your quality of work.
Therefore, take time to clean entranceways, corridors, lobbies, exits, and any other areas through which you have had to pass to and from your job site.
3. Attend to Anything that Gets Dinged Up
Everyone plays by the “you break it, you fix it” rule. No one is going to overlook a window that gets knocked out or a door that is ripped off its hinges during the construction process.
However, it is the minor issues that can actually be the most challenging, as it is easy to move on and hope that no one ever notices the small scratch on the wall or stain on the furniture. Even something as simple as a burned-out light bulb should not be passed on to the tenant to take care of. If any type of issue–no matter how trivial–can be traced back to your work, take the extra few minutes to set it right.
4. Don’t Stop Until it Shines
Even when the project is complete and the work area is clean, the feel of construction can linger without a little extra emphasis placed on the finish. Use a wet cloth to wipe down walls and ensure that no dust or paint stripper residue is left in your wake. Find some furniture wipes to eliminate any traces of construction soot from soft surfaces. Apply a finishing wax or scratch solution to any countertop or other hard surface that you have utilized.
5. Check Adjacent Rooms
Even if you did not work in a particular area, it is possible that adjacent rooms could have been used as break areas or places to stash materials until they were needed. During cleanup, take a sweep through all adjacent rooms and:
– Check for discarded boxes and packaging
– Make a quick pass with the broom, vacuum, or mop
– Wipe down all knobs, switches, and handles
6. Get Clean Air Circulating
The COVID-19 pandemic has taught everyone the importance of clean air–a fact long known by construction professionals. As such, before a job site can officially be declared clean, it is important to open the doors and windows to let some fresh air into the space and use an air scrubber to help remove any harmful particles that may be lingering from the construction efforts.
7. Spend Time on the Exterior
Just as it is important to clean high traffic areas that may not have been directly included in the job site, so too is it necessary to get the building’s exterior areas looking exactly the way they were prior to the construction project.
Power wash sidewalks and driveways, remove oil stains from pavers, haul away any excess trash from overflowing dumpsters, and return any potted plants and lawn decorations to their original locations.
The Best Post Construction Cleanup Tips
Post construction cleanup is an essential element of making a job complete. By following the aforementioned pieces of advice, you are in a great position to leave any job site sparkling clean.