Plaster dust gets everywhere during a refurb, the upstairs landing included, even with the doors shut and dust sheets down. A fortnight after the builders leave, it is still turning up on picture frames. A cleaning company in Sutton can clear that dust out before the house goes back to normal.
The builders probably swept up before they went, to be fair. Dust is only part of it. Paint flecks on the new skirting are pretty standard, along with stickers nobody peeled off the window glass. One visit from a cleaning company in Sutton usually deals with the whole place, protective film and all.
Walking round after the Builders Leave
Clearing Dust off the Door Tops: Anyone who has had a loft conversion will say the dust kept coming back for weeks. A cloth goes over the door tops on Sunday and they are grey again by Wednesday. Light fittings and the extractor vent collect it too, out of sight for the most part.
Finding Silicone on the Bath Edge: New bathroom tiles usually come with a faint haze of grout across them. Silicone ends up on the bath edge in little smears that set hard overnight. And there is nearly always protective film left on something, a new oven door or a window frame, half peeled.
Checking the Floors and the Windows
Keeping Grit off the New Floor: Ask a floor fitter and grit gets the blame for most scratches on a new oak floor, usually in the first month. A sofa dragged back across a dusty floor is usually how the first scratch happens. And the household hoover clogs on plaster dust after ten minutes or so.
Opening Up the Window Tracks: Sliding patio doors start sticking after a refit, usually from grit packed into the bottom track. The sills get the same grey film as everything else. Light switches have white fingerprints on them from the plasterer. The rest only shows up after the furniture is back in, annoyingly.
- Dust is sitting along the top of the kitchen wall cupboards.
- The extractor grille is furry with it.
- Inside the new cupboards there is sawdust, even in ones that never got opened.
- Plaster dust has dropped down between the radiator fins.
Getting the Rooms Back into Use
Working from the Ceiling Down: The work goes from the top of each room down, light fittings first and floors last, more or less. Hard floors and tiles get a steam clean at the end, once the dust has stopped falling. A supervisor walks round before anyone leaves, checking each room against the list.
Moving Back in without Wiping Every Mug: Families coming out of a kitchen extension usually say they just want a normal dinner again, nothing from the microwave. Unpack into dusty cupboards and every plate gets washed twice. Once the cupboards are cleaned inside and out, drawers included, the plates can go straight in.
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon after the builders finish should the clean go in?
The clean usually goes in a day or two after the last trade has left and the paint is dry. Otherwise the electrician pops back on the Tuesday for a pendant light, and the stairs are dusty again. A short gap lets the dust settle a little first.
Is a two-bed flat an all-day job after the builders?
A two or three-bed flat is not usually an all-day job, more like four to six hours. A bigger house after a loft conversion can take the whole day. The amount of plaster dust decides most of it, more than the number of rooms.
Can the leftover rubbish go at the same time?
Bagged rubbish can usually go at the same time, if it gets mentioned when booking. Big offcuts such as old plasterboard or broken tiles probably belong in the builders’ skip instead. Loose bits on the floor get cleared as part of the prep anyway.
Rooms Ready for the Furniture
Reviews written after kitchen extensions and loft conversions say much the same thing, that nothing got missed and the rooms were ready to live in. Punctual arrival gets a mention too. Call a local cleaning company in Sutton before the sofa goes back in, and ask whether a re-clean within 48 hours comes as standard.