What contractors usually leave behind
Most contractors finish with what the trade calls broom clean: debris hauled out, floors swept, tools gone. That's a fair handoff, and it's not the same as clean. Run a hand across the top of a door frame in a house that was just broom cleaned and you'll see why.
Here's what's usually still there:
- Drywall dust on every horizontal surface: trim, window sills, the tops of door frames and cabinets, and inside drawers that were open during sanding.
- Stickers and labels on windows, appliances, light fixtures, toilets and tubs.
- Paint and caulk specks on glass, hardware, floors and countertops.
- Grout haze on new tile that dries into a dull film if nobody buffs it off.
- Footprints and tracked-in grit on new floors, plus dust in light fixtures and outlet covers.
Older Albany homes add their own layer. Opening up plaster and lath walls in a Center Square rowhouse or an older Pine Hills house throws off a heavier, grittier dust than drywall, and it finds its way into radiators, pocket doors and the gaps in old wood floors. A new build in a subdivision has less of that grit and a lot more stickers, packaging film and fine sanding dust.
Rough clean, final clean and touch-up
A rough clean happens after drywall and heavy work are done but before finish trades start, so painters and flooring installers aren't working in debris. A final clean comes after every trade is finished and covers everything top to bottom. A touch-up clean happens right before a walkthrough, closing or move-in, after punch-list work kicks up dust again.
Most homeowner remodels only need the final clean. A kitchen or bathroom project rarely justifies three visits. Builders and general contractors finishing a whole house often book all three, because a rough clean protects the finish work and the touch-up makes the walkthrough go better.
If you're not sure which you need, tell us what's left on the project schedule. The answer usually becomes obvious once we know whether the floors are done and the cabinets are in.
Fine dust, vents and the HVAC system
Sanding drywall makes dust fine enough to stay in the air for hours, and wherever there's airflow, it travels. If the furnace or central air ran during the project, some of that dust ended up in the ductwork and on the vent covers.
Here's how we handle it. Vent covers and return grilles get removed where they come off easily, then washed and dried, and we vacuum the reachable part of the opening behind them. Ceiling fans, light fixtures and the tops of upper cabinets get wiped, because dust that stays up high just falls again next week.
Two things fall outside a cleaning visit. First, swap your furnace filter once the dusty work is done; a filter that sat through a remodel is usually loaded. Second, if dust got deep into the ducts, duct cleaning is a separate trade with its own equipment.
One more note for older houses. If your renovation disturbed painted surfaces in a home built before 1978, lead-safe work practices and cleanup under the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule are your renovator's responsibility. Our cleaning should come after that work is done, not in place of it.
Timing it around inspection and move-in
The best time for the final clean is after the last trade leaves and before anyone moves furniture in. Cleaning an empty room is faster and more thorough than cleaning around a couch, and every box you bring in early collects the dust that's still settling.
Give it a day or two after the last sanding or saw cuts. Dust keeps drifting down for a while, and cleaning too early means doing part of it twice. If floors were refinished, ask your floor contractor when they can be damp mopped, since a fresh finish needs time to cure.
For a sale or a rental, schedule the final clean before photos and showings. If you're moving into the space yourself, our move out cleaning covers similar detail work, and our move-out cleaning checklist is a good way to spot anything the project missed.
Who books post-construction cleaning
Homeowners finishing a remodel are the most common caller, usually a kitchen, bathroom or basement in Albany or the nearby suburbs. They've lived with dust for weeks and want the house back.
General contractors book it because pulling a carpenter off a job to wipe baseboards is a waste of a skilled worker's day. Builders finishing new homes in places like Clifton Park, Halfmoon and Malta book it before buyer walkthroughs. Investors and flippers need a house listing-ready on a deadline. Landlords call after a unit renovation, before the next tenant signs.
Each of those jobs is different, so we quote them by walking through what's left to do. If the home just needs a thorough top-to-bottom clean without construction dust involved, deep cleaning is the better fit. Otherwise, call (518) 464-8817 with the square footage, what was built or renovated, and when you need it done.