New construction cleaning tips

Les Howington

New member
Some tips for new construction cleaning:

To remove red mud stains from concrete,
use 1 part hrdrochloric acid (muratic) to 2 parts water, add 2 generous squirts of Joy dish detergent and downstream onto driveway. Let dwell 2-3 minutes and wash.

Use the same mix above for cleaning mortar smears from bricks. Pre-wet the wall first, let dwell 5 minutes and rinse. Scrape off bigger tags with a long handled scraper while you're letting the acid dwell. Rinse well.

To clean window tracks,
mix water and 1 squirt of Joy dish soap into spray bottle, with nozzle fully open, squirt inside corners of tracks while sucking with wet/dry vac to remove debris (insulation, mud, insects, etc.)

Window cleaning:
learn to use a squeege. A "bucket-on-a-belt" made by Unger will hold a scrubber, squeege, blade and enough cleaning solution to clean 6-8 windows. Mix water and 1 squirt of Dawn dish soap into spray bottle, pre-wet window and scrape off paint with 6" scraper. Use smaller scraper for stickers to keep from dulling bigger scraper. Wet window with scrubber, with a clean cloth wipe around all 4 sides of window where it meets the frame to remove standing water, then squeege. Mix 1 part Windex to 2 parts water for cleaning solution that dries fast and doesn't streak.

Interior cleaning tips:

always clean floors first. This will allow the dust to settle before you clean counter tops and fixtures. If you sweep last, everything you just cleaned will be covered with dust before you leave.

Instead of sweeping, shop vac the floors before the carpet or tile is installed. It doesnt take much longer, more dust is removed and your labor will be reduced on the following cleaning after the carpet is installed. Everytime someone walks on the carpet, the dust will come through and settle on fixtures if you just sweep it, also you will be setting yourself above other companies that usually don't do this or charge extra for it.

Use rubbing alcohol for removing paint overspray from tubs, vanity tops, window tracks.

Use Steel wool and mineral spirits to clean and shine aluminum thresholds.
 
good thread! thanks for the tips - hope you'll keep them coming.

p.s. For sticker residue on irregular surfaces, WD 40 works great.
 
Some tips for new construction cleaning:

Window cleaning:
learn to use a squeege. A "bucket-on-a-belt" made by Unger will hold a scrubber, squeege, blade and enough cleaning solution to clean 6-8 windows. Mix water and 1 squirt of Dawn dish soap into spray bottle, pre-wet window and scrape off paint with 6" scraper. Use smaller scraper for stickers to keep from dulling bigger scraper. Wet window with scrubber, with a clean cloth wipe around all 4 sides of window where it meets the frame to remove standing water, then squeege. Mix 1 part Windex to 2 parts water for cleaning solution that dries fast and doesn't streak.

Great post. Pulex make a better and cheaper holster (imo) which will hold 3 different squeegees. Always make sure window is wet and soapy before you scrape it. You MUST be able to recognize the pressence of "Fabricating debris" on the surface of some poorly manufactured tempered glass. If you scrape these windows you will here a tinkeling sound. This is because when they put this glass through the tempering furnace it was covered in microscopic pieces of glass dust, which got fused onto the surface. If you continue to scrape it will break off these peices of glass and produce scratches! Windows to watch out for are: Glass doors, windows near doors, windows above your head (open foyer etc..), near bath tubs and on stair landings. These are always or should always be tempered. If you want more info go to the Window Cleaning Network.
 
Thanks LEs
Some tips for new construction cleaning:

To remove red mud stains from concrete,
use 1 part hrdrochloric acid (muratic) to 2 parts water, add 2 generous squirts of Joy dish detergent and downstream onto driveway. Let dwell 2-3 minutes and wash.

Use the same mix above for cleaning mortar smears from bricks. Pre-wet the wall first, let dwell 5 minutes and rinse. Scrape off bigger tags with a long handled scraper while you're letting the acid dwell. Rinse well.

To clean window tracks,
mix water and 1 squirt of Joy dish soap into spray bottle, with nozzle fully open, squirt inside corners of tracks while sucking with wet/dry vac to remove debris (insulation, mud, insects, etc.)

Window cleaning:
learn to use a squeege. A "bucket-on-a-belt" made by Unger will hold a scrubber, squeege, blade and enough cleaning solution to clean 6-8 windows. Mix water and 1 squirt of Dawn dish soap into spray bottle, pre-wet window and scrape off paint with 6" scraper. Use smaller scraper for stickers to keep from dulling bigger scraper. Wet window with scrubber, with a clean cloth wipe around all 4 sides of window where it meets the frame to remove standing water, then squeege. Mix 1 part Windex to 2 parts water for cleaning solution that dries fast and doesn't streak.

Interior cleaning tips:

always clean floors first. This will allow the dust to settle before you clean counter tops and fixtures. If you sweep last, everything you just cleaned will be covered with dust before you leave.

Instead of sweeping, shop vac the floors before the carpet or tile is installed. It doesnt take much longer, more dust is removed and your labor will be reduced on the following cleaning after the carpet is installed. Everytime someone walks on the carpet, the dust will come through and settle on fixtures if you just sweep it, also you will be setting yourself above other companies that usually don't do this or charge extra for it.

Use rubbing alcohol for removing paint overspray from tubs, vanity tops, window tracks.

Use Steel wool and mineral spirits to clean and shine aluminum thresholds.
 
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