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H1: After builders clean

A developer in Henleaze handed over a newly converted flat last spring. The buyer walked in, ran a finger along the top of a door frame, and refused to complete. Fine plaster dust. Everywhere. On the windowsills, inside the kitchen cabinets, coating the bathroom extractor grilles. The contractor’s labourers had swept up, wiped the surfaces, and called it done. It looked clean until you touched anything.

We went in the next morning with HEPA extractors, damp-wiping kits, and a boot full of specialist solvents. Took two of us a full day. By the evening the buyer did a second viewing and completed the following week.

Construction dust isn’t normal dirt. It’s calcium carbonate, calcium sulphate, silica particles. It clings to surfaces with static charge. A damp cloth pushes it around. A domestic vacuum blows the finest particles straight back into the air through its exhaust. You need HEPA filtration and the right technique, or you’re just redistributing it.

If you’ve got a build finishing and need it properly cleaned for handover or move-in, call us on 07985 505061. We can usually book within a week of your contractor finishing.

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25 years’ experience | £2M insured (AXA) | IICRC certified | Construction cleaning specialists

Why Builders Cleans Need Specialist Equipment

Your builder will probably offer to clean up. Some do a decent job of the obvious stuff. Most don’t. And even the good ones don’t have the tools to deal with fine construction dust.

Here’s the problem. Construction dust is between 0.1 and 10 microns in diameter. For reference, a human hair is about 70 microns. Standard vacuum cleaners filter particles down to about 30 microns. Everything smaller passes through the motor and gets blown back into the room. You hoover the floor and the dust count in the air actually goes up.

HEPA filters catch particles down to 0.3 microns. That’s what we use. Industrial HEPA extraction units, not domestic vacuums with a HEPA sticker on the box. There’s a difference.

Then there’s the chemistry. Plaster residue needs different treatment to adhesive residue. Silicone sealant smears need solvent. Paint splashes on glass or tiles need razor scrapers and the right angle to avoid scratching. Grout haze on new tiling needs acid-based removers that you won’t find in Asda. Regular cleaners don’t carry these products because they don’t need them for normal work.

We’re not saying a domestic cleaner can’t wipe a surface. They can. But two weeks after they’ve finished, the fine dust settles out of the air and coats everything again. That’s because they never removed it from the property. They moved it from surfaces into the air. A proper after builders clean removes the dust entirely.

What We Remove

Construction sites leave behind a specific set of contaminants. Here’s what we deal with, and why each one needs a different approach.

Plaster dust. The biggest culprit. Plaster dust is calcium sulphate. It’s incredibly fine, carries a static charge, and bonds to surfaces. It gets into light fittings, plug sockets, inside cupboards that were supposedly sealed with dust sheets, behind radiators, and into carpet fibres. We use HEPA extraction first, then damp-wipe every surface. Twice, usually. Once to lift the dust, once to polish.

Brick dust and mortar residue. Heavier than plaster dust but more abrasive. If you try to wipe it off a polished surface without dampening it first, you’ll scratch the finish. We wet-extract it from floors and vacuum it from surfaces using soft-brush attachments before any wiping.

Adhesive residue. Tile adhesive, grab adhesive, carpet gripper glue, label residue from new appliances and windows. Each one needs a specific solvent. White spirit for some, isopropyl alcohol for others, commercial adhesive remover for the stubborn ones. Using the wrong product on the wrong surface causes damage. We’ve seen new window frames stained by someone using acetone to remove label glue. That’s permanent.

Paint splashes and overspray. On glass, tiles, sanitaryware, radiators, door furniture, flooring. Fresh paint comes off easily. Dried paint needs razor blades on glass, plastic scrapers on softer surfaces, and sometimes specialist paint remover. We check every surface type before choosing the removal method. A razor blade on a coated glass unit will destroy the coating.

Silicone smears. Bathroom and kitchen fitters leave silicone fingerprints and smears on tiles, glass, chrome and worktops. Once silicone cures, it won’t come off with normal cleaning products. We use silicone digesters that break down the cured sealant without damaging the surface underneath.

Grout haze. A thin film of cement residue left on tiles after grouting. It dulls the finish and makes new tiles look old. Mild acid-based grout haze remover sorts it, but you have to know which tiles can handle acid and which can’t. Natural stone and polished porcelain need a different approach to standard ceramic.

Sawdust and wood shavings. From joinery, skirting boards, door hanging. Gets into carpet pile and is awkward to vacuum out. We use industrial extraction to pull it from carpet fibres rather than just skimming the surface.

General construction debris. Screws, cable ties, offcuts, packaging, foam filler trimmings, dust sheets left behind, protective film on windows and appliances that needs peeling. The amount of rubbish contractors leave behind is honestly remarkable sometimes.

Sparkle Clean vs Rough Clean

These are industry terms and they mean specific things. Worth knowing the difference before you book.

Rough clean (first fix clean)

Done while the build is still in progress, usually after the messy trades (plastering, rendering, bricklaying) but before the finish trades (painting, tiling, flooring). The goal is to clear the site of heavy debris, bag up waste, sweep floors, and get the property to a state where the finish trades can work in a clean environment.

A rough clean is about site management, not presentation. Nobody’s inspecting the finish at this stage.

We do rough cleans, but honestly, many builders handle this themselves. Where we add value is when the plastering dust is so heavy that finish trades are complaining, or when there’s a time pressure and the builder needs to move faster between trades.

Sparkle clean (second fix clean / final clean)

This is the one most people mean when they say “after builders clean.” It happens after all trades have finished and before handover or move-in. The property should look and feel ready to live in.

A sparkle clean covers everything:

All internal glass cleaned (both sides where accessible)
All paintwork wiped down and free of dust
All woodwork, skirting, architraves and door frames cleaned
Kitchens: inside all units and drawers, appliance surfaces, worktops, splashbacks, sink and taps
Bathrooms: all sanitaryware, tiles, glass screens, mirrors, chrome fittings
All flooring vacuumed, mopped or scrubbed depending on type
All light fittings and switches wiped
All windowsills and tracks cleared
Staircase, banister and handrail cleaned
Removal of protective films, stickers, labels from new fittings and glazing

Personally, I think the term “sparkle clean” undersells it. It’s detailed, time-consuming work that requires patience and the right products. Rushing it shows. Cutting corners shows.

Our Process

Step 1: Site visit or photo review

We need to see the property before quoting. Every build is different. A loft conversion in Bishopston with exposed brickwork needs a different approach to a new-build semi in Bradley Stoke with standard plaster finishes. We look at the surfaces, the level of contamination, the flooring types, and any items that need special care. Photos work if a visit isn’t practical, but we prefer to walk the site.

Step 2: Rough clean (if needed)

If the site hasn’t been cleared of heavy debris, we do that first. No point wiping surfaces when there’s plaster rubble on the floor. We bag waste, clear debris, and sweep or vacuum all floors to get a clean baseline. For larger sites, we bring a van and can remove waste for disposal.

Step 3: Top-down dust removal

Same principle we use on every job. Start at the ceiling and work down. We HEPA-vacuum all surfaces from top to bottom: ceilings, walls, light fittings, door frames, windowsills, skirting boards, floors. This is the pass that removes the bulk of the construction dust. On a property with heavy plaster dust, this stage alone can take several hours.

Step 4: Damp wiping

Every surface gets damp-wiped by hand. Paintwork, woodwork, inside cupboards, shelving, windowsills, plug sockets, switch plates, door handles. This picks up what the vacuum missed. We use microfibre cloths rinsed in clean water. Frequently. A dirty cloth just smears dust around.

Step 5: Specialist removal

This is where we tackle the specific contaminants: adhesive residue, paint splashes, silicone smears, grout haze, label removal. Each one gets the right product and the right tool. This stage takes experience. Knowing what solvent to use on what surface is the difference between a clean window and a scratched one.

Step 6: Floor finishing

Hard floors get scrubbed with appropriate cleaning agents. Tiled floors get mopped. Wooden floors get cleaned with wood-specific products. Carpeted areas get a full HEPA extraction pass, and if there’s heavy contamination, we’ll recommend a hot water extraction clean (we offer this as part of our carpet cleaning service).

Step 7: Final inspection

We walk every room and check every surface. Windows get checked from both sides. Kitchen and bathroom fittings get inspected under good light. If we spot anything we’ve missed, we fix it before we leave. For developer handovers, we understand that the buyer or their snagging inspector will be going over the place with a fine-tooth comb. We’d rather find the problems ourselves.

Who Books an After Builders Clean

Developers and builders. The most common. A clean property sells or hands over without friction. A dusty one creates arguments, delayed completions, and retention disputes. Several developers across North Bristol book us as standard on every project. It’s cheaper than a delayed completion.

Homeowners after renovations. You’ve had a kitchen fitted, a bathroom refurbished, a loft converted, or an extension built. Your contractor has gone, and there’s a film of dust over everything you own. Your regular cleaner takes one look and says they don’t do builders cleans. That’s when you call us.

Letting agents and landlords. Post-refurbishment cleans before a new tenancy begins. The property needs to be tenancy-ready, not just build-complete. We often combine a builders clean with an end of tenancy standard deep clean for properties that are being refurbished between tenants.

Commercial property managers. Office refits, shop fit-outs, restaurant refurbishments. The trades finish on Friday evening and the business opens Monday morning. We’ve worked weekends on retail units in Cabot Circus, office spaces in Temple Quarter, and restaurants across the Harbourside.

Before and After

[Before/after image slider - builders clean jobs]

Photos from actual BCH builders cleans. No stock images.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an after builders clean cost?

It depends on the size of the property and the level of contamination. A one-bed flat after a bathroom refit: roughly £200 to £350. A three-bed house after a full renovation: £400 to £800. New-build properties or large-scale projects cost more. We quote after seeing the site. No hidden charges and no surprises. We’d rather quote slightly high and come in under than the other way round.

How long does a builders clean take?

A one-bed flat after light work (new kitchen or bathroom) takes three to five hours with two cleaners. A three-bed house after a major renovation: a full day, sometimes two. New-build houses that have had every trade through them can take two to three days. We give you a time estimate when we quote.

When should I book the builders clean?

As soon as you know when the last trade is finishing. Give us a week’s notice if you can. We get a lot of builders clean requests at short notice because contractors overrun and suddenly need the property cleaned tomorrow. We’ll do our best to accommodate, but more notice means a better slot.

Don’t book us until the trades are genuinely finished. If a painter comes back to do touch-ups after we’ve cleaned, we’ll need to come back too. That’s an extra charge nobody wants.

Can my regular cleaner do a builders clean?

They can try. Most won’t want to. The ones that do generally lack the equipment and products to do it properly. Construction dust needs HEPA extraction, not a Henry. Adhesive residue needs specific solvents. Paint on glass needs scrapers and technique.

We often get called in after a domestic cleaner has already had a go. The surfaces look clean for a day, then the fine dust settles out of the air and coats everything again. At that point you’re paying twice.

Do you remove builders’ waste and rubbish?

We remove light waste and debris as part of the clean: packaging, offcuts, protective film, dust sheets, cable ties, that sort of thing. We don’t do skip-load clearances or heavy rubble removal. If you need a skip or a full site clearance, your builder should arrange that before we arrive.

What’s the difference between a builders clean and a deep clean?

A builders clean removes construction-specific contaminants: plaster dust, adhesive, paint splashes, grout haze, silicone. A deep clean sanitises and restores a lived-in property: grease, limescale, allergens, embedded dirt. Different problems, different products, different approach. Some properties need both, particularly refurbished rental homes where you need the construction residue removed and the property brought up to tenancy standard.

Do you clean new builds?

Yes. New builds are some of the dustiest properties we clean. Every trade has been through the place, and the plaster dust has had weeks or months to settle into every corner. New-build sparkle cleans are a specific part of what we do. We work with several housebuilders across the BS postcode area, including developments in Filton, Lockleaze, Henbury, and Lyde Green.

Will the dust come back after you’ve cleaned?

Not if we’ve done the job properly. The reason dust comes back after a standard clean is that fine particles were moved into the air rather than extracted. Our HEPA filtration removes those particles from the property entirely. After a proper construction clean, you shouldn’t see dust settling on surfaces over the following days. If you do, it usually means there’s a source we haven’t reached, like a loft hatch that wasn’t sealed during the build, or ducting that needs cleaning. We’ll come back and sort it.

Deep Cleaning — Specialist deep cleaning for homes and commercial properties
Industrial Cleaning — Factory and warehouse cleaning, including post-construction
Carpet Cleaning — Hot water extraction for carpets contaminated with construction dust

Book Your Builders Clean

Your build is finished. The last thing you need is a handover delay because of dust. We’ll get it right so you don’t have to think about it again.

We’re based on Southmead Road in BS10, well placed for sites across Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Bath and North Somerset. We’ve cleaned new builds in Bradley Stoke, conversions in Cotham, extensions in Westbury-on-Trym, and refurbs across the city centre.

Phone: 07985 505061 Emergency 24/7: 0808 303 7072 WhatsApp: 07985 505061 Email: hello@bristolcleaningheroes.co.uk

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After Builders Clean