After builders cleaning: what it involves and why it’s a separate job

The builders have gone. The kitchen extension looks great in the photos. Then you run a hand along the new worktop and it comes away grey.

That’s builders’ dust, and it’s the reason after builders cleaning is its own service. A normal clean assumes the dirt is sitting on surfaces. After building work, fine dust is everywhere: inside cupboards, on top of door frames, in window runners, inside light fittings and settled into the grout. Plaster and sanding dust is so fine it hangs in the air for hours and keeps landing after you’ve wiped.

Why a normal clean doesn’t cut it

Two things go wrong when people treat it like a regular clean.

The first is order. Wipe the worktop, then dust the shelf above it, and the worktop needs doing again. Post-build cleaning works from the top down, dry before wet.

The second is equipment. Wet plaster dust smears into a paste. A household vacuum clogs quickly on fine dust, and the filter can start pushing it back into the room. You need the right filters and plenty of clean cloths, and you have to be willing to do some surfaces twice.

What’s usually included

The exact scope depends on the job, but an after builders clean normally covers:

• Dust removal from every surface, high to low, including ceiling corners, coving and light fittings
• Inside cupboards, drawers and wardrobes, especially new units
• Door frames, tops of doors, skirting boards and window sills
• Window glass, frames and runners
• Paint splashes and sticker residue on glass, tiles and new sanitaryware
• Grout haze on newly tiled walls and floors
• Radiators, switches and sockets
• Kitchen appliances inside and out
• Floors vacuumed and mopped, with extra attention to edges

What it usually doesn’t cover

Builders’ waste is the big one. Rubble, offcuts, packaging and skip waste are normally the builder’s responsibility, so check your contract before the trades leave. Heavy paint removal, plaster on floors that needs scraping, and anything needing repair also sit outside a cleaning job. If you’re not sure, send us photos and we’ll tell you straight.

When to book it

Book the clean once the trades have completely finished, including the snagging list. If the electrician is coming back to fit the last light, the dust comes back with them.

Try to get it done before furniture and rugs go back in. An empty room is quicker to clean properly, and you won’t be washing dust out of the sofa later.

For bigger projects, like a full refurbishment or a loft conversion, it’s worth thinking about a follow-up visit a few days later. Fine dust keeps settling out of the air and out of soft furnishings for a while after the first clean.

What to tell us for a quote

The more we know, the more accurate the price:

• The postcode and property size
• What work was done (extension, loft, kitchen, full refurb, new-build)
• Whether the property is empty or lived in
• Access and parking
• Your deadline, such as a move-in date or a tenant arriving

We clean across London and travel further out for after builders work too, including Thatcham, Sandhurst, Alton, Wallingford and Sunbury-on-Thames.

Send us the details or call 020 7205 7386, and we’ll confirm the scope before any work starts.