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Builders cleans
The clean that turns a finished building site into somewhere people can move into. First clean, sparkle clean and handover — dust, plaster, paint splashes and every last sticker.
Builders dust gets everywhere and it does not behave like household dust. It is fine, it is abrasive, and it settles again for days after the work stops. Cleaning a new build with domestic methods gets you a grey film on everything the following morning.
There are usually two stages. The first clean takes the bulk off once the trades are finished — plaster, paint splashes, adhesive, silicone and the worst of the dust. The sparkle clean, closer to handover, is the detail: glass, frames, ledges, sanitary ware and every surface again.
It matters that this is done last and done thoroughly, because it is what the client or buyer actually sees. A well-built property with a poor final clean reads as a poor property.
How we do it
First clean
Once the trades are out. Plaster and paint off hard surfaces, adhesive and silicone residue removed, bulk dust taken out, floors cleared.
Sparkle clean
Closer to handover. Glass inside and out, frames, ledges, sanitary ware, kitchens, sockets and switches — the detail that gets looked at.
Handover ready
Stickers and protective film off, floors finished, and a walk round with you so anything missed is put right before the client sees it.
What is covered
- New builds and extensions
- Refurbishments and conversions
- First and sparkle cleans
- Paint, plaster and adhesive removal
- Window and frame cleaning
- Working to handover dates
See the difference
Before and after
Photographs of jobs we have actually done. Drag the handle across the image to compare.
Site cleared and swept after the builders
Algae washed off a clad elevation
Flagstone floor, years of grime taken back off
Questions
Builders Clean — your questions answered
What is the difference between a first clean and a sparkle clean?
The first clean happens once the trades are finished and deals with the bulk — plaster and paint on hard surfaces, adhesive and silicone residue, the heavy dust, and clearing floors. The sparkle clean happens as close to handover as possible and is all detail: glass, frames, ledges, sanitary ware, kitchen units inside and out, sockets, switches and skirtings. Two stages exist because builders dust keeps settling for days; a single clean done too early looks fine that evening and grey by the weekend.
Can you work to our handover date?
Yes, and it is the whole point of the job. Builders cleans are always at the end of a programme that has usually slipped, so the date is fixed and the window is short. We are used to that, and being open 24 hours means we can put more people on it or work overnight to hit a date. Tell us the handover and we will work back from it.
Do you remove paint and plaster from windows?
Yes — glass, frames and sills. Plaster and emulsion come off readily, and paint splashes are scraped and cleaned carefully so the glass is not marked. Protective film and stickers are removed too, including the adhesive residue underneath, which is the bit most often left behind.
What about the dust that keeps coming back?
It is the defining problem of a builders clean and the reason for two stages. Fine dust sits in every ledge, track and cavity and drifts down for days. We work top-down, get into the places it hides rather than just the flat surfaces, and time the sparkle clean as late as the programme allows. If trades come back on site after our clean, expect to need a touch-up — that is the nature of it, not a failure of the clean.
Do you clean up after refurbishments as well as new builds?
Yes, and refurbishments are often harder. A new build is empty; a refurb has existing finishes, fittings and sometimes occupants to work around, and dust has usually spread well beyond the work area. We handle both, and for occupied refurbs we can work in phases so parts of the building stay usable.
Can you take the waste away?
General cleaning waste, yes. Construction waste, skips and anything hazardous is the contractor's responsibility and needs the right licensing and documentation, so we will not pretend otherwise. Tell us what is likely to be left and we will be clear about what we can and cannot remove.
“Ashton Cleaning have always been an excellent cleaning & maintenance service. They have always completed their works to the agreed timescale and the standard of finish has always been exemplary.”