Post-construction is the critical last step in preparing a property for its occupants. In this article, we will look at the process and how thorough residential cleaning services in Toronto help get homes ready for the market.

Who hires post-construction cleaners?
Typically, post-construction cleaners are hired by the property owner, manager, or developer.
Does it help to have mid-construction cleanings?
This is a very different process than post-construction cleaning. Mid-construction cleanings help create a safer work environment, while post-construction cleaning ensures the space is ready for its intended use.
Don’t contractors handle the cleaning?
Contractors take care of the basic cleaning that removes things like dangerous debris, material waste, their equipment, etc. This still leaves a large cleaning job to tackle before the level of clean is reached for safe occupancy.
What do post-construction cleaning services include?
Post-construction services include a thorough cleaning of the entire space to ensure it is safe. This typically includes:
- Dusting
- Vacuuming
- Sanitizing surfaces
- Removing debris
- Cleaning windows (inside and out) and mirrors
What is the post-construction process?
There are three phases of post-construction cleaning, including the following:
- Initial cleaning
This phase is performed by industrial professional cleaners as it addresses the larger, most prominent cleaning issues to make room for cleaning equipment that finishes the job. This includes:
- Removing large debris like cast-off materials and building supplies
- Window and mirror cleaning
- Hardware and fixture cleaning
- Removing protective coverings and residue left behind from packaging
- Vacuuming
- Removing hazardous material containers
- Main cleaning
This is the nitty-gritty of the cleaning, addressing all surfaces and tasks, and often performed by commercial or residential cleaners. It includes:
- Dusting
- Removal of drips such as globs of glue or paint splatter
- Wiping down all surfaces, including walls, counters, floors, etc.
- Cleaning and removing wrapping from fixtures, appliances, etc.
- Vacuuming and cleaning carpets and floors
- Disinfecting surfaces, especially in kitchens, bathrooms, and frequently touched surfaces
- Final cleaning
While phase 2 is quite thorough, phase 3 takes care of all the touch-up cleaning for anything that was missed. The most important step in this phase is a final walkthrough to identify issues that will need to be taken care of. This list is usually handled by residential cleaning services in Toronto who tackle the following:
- Spot-cleaning of various surfaces, especially fingerprints and smudges
- Spots on windows and mirrors, as well as other glossy surfaces such as marble counters, floors, and walls
- Polishing fixtures in the bathroom (as well as lighting)
- Removing garbage
Who should perform post-construction cleanings?
Post-construction cleanings require specialty cleaning equipment, as well as a familiarity with removing substances not usually encountered in the average living or workspace. This is especially true in phase 1.
As a result, it is a job best left to professional cleaners who understand the risks and hazards encountered during post-construction cleaning. This might include:
- Hard-to-remove adhesives, paints, and finishing products
- Dangerous empty containers under pressure
- Specialty surfaces requiring treatments such as marble and natural stone
- Potentially dangerous fumes
- Sharp and dangerous debris such as broken glass, mirror fragments, lumber, used blades from utility knives, etc.
What types of specialty equipment are required for post-construction cleaning?
Some examples of the specialty equipment used for the post-construction cleaning process include:
- Cleaners designed to remove adhesives
- HEPA commercial vacuums to capture excess dust and debris
- Commercial-grade disinfectants
- Safety gloves to avoid injury from sharp objects and debris
- Goggles and masks to deal with hazardous fumes
- Proper, safe containers for disposal of hazardous materials
What are post-construction cleaning safety hazards?
There are several potential hazards encountered during the post-construction cleaning process that must be handled properly to make new homes safe, including:
- Discarded nails and screws
- Glass shards
- Power tool parts and broken equipment
- Loose fixtures
- Falling hazards, such as loose materials on walls and ceilings
- Dangerous construction dust such as sawdust, metal filings, drywall dust, and cement dust
- Exposure to volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) released from various building materials
- Harsh cleaning chemicals and solvents
It’s also important that those working on the post-construction cleaning process are trained on these hazards and have the proper protective gear and equipment to safely and effectively remove all traces of these hazards. This is the only way to ensure the home is ready and safe for occupancy.
What are some post-construction cleaning best practices?
The three most important best practices in the post-construction cleaning process are as follows:
- Safety: We can’t stress enough the importance of putting safety first following a construction project. Construction sites are filled with threats and hazards, even once the contractors are finished and have turned over the property to the property manager or owners. There are still all kinds of dangers from broken glass and stray nails to dust containing dangerous materials such as concrete.
During each phase of the post-construction cleaning process, cleaners must be aware of the risks and wear proper safety gear to avoid injuries. Proper removal of hazardous materials is also essential to ensure the home is fit for living. - Top-down cleaning: Top-down cleaning is the safest process to remove dust efficiently and thoroughly. By working from the ceiling down, falling dust is captured at each stage all the way down to the floors. The final stage then uses a thorough vacuuming process with commercial-grade HEPA vacuums to remove any remaining irritable fine debris and dust for the best possible air quality.
- GermBlasters service: Our GermBlasters service provides an effective disinfection of new homes. It not only targets germs such as the common cold, the flu, and other superbugs, but also other harmful substances such as mould, mildew, allergens, and odours. These are all common in new-build homes due to open exposure to the elements at different stages of the build in hand with massive amounts of dust and particles in the air.
GermBlasters effectively eliminates contaminants left behind from the final clean, creating a safer environment using highly efficient surface and airborne coverage from ceiling to floor.
Contact the Cleaning Professionals
With all the expense and effort put into building new homes, you don’t want to risk your reputation by missing a thorough post-construction cleaning in the final stages. This information will help ensure this critical step is carried out properly to create safe living environments for new homeowners.
Visit our website for more information about Maid4Condos’ residential cleaning services in Toronto. You can also call us at 647-822-0601 or contact us online.
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