What Tools Are Needed For Interior Post Contruction Cleanup

[bfenne]

Hello All,

This forum does not seem that busy, but I thought I would I would ask...

What Tools Are Needed For Interior Post Contruction Cleanup? What ladders are most universal? what squeegie type is best? Telescoping wands? mops? etc. etc. What qould be a fair budget to do this professionaly in the eyes of the contractor. Your experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Brian

[Beth n Rod]

Brian,

Personally, I have found that chems are integral to the success of the post-con cleaning as well but here goes!

A-frame ladders or multi-fold ladders 12'-16'
6',14',24' extension poles
Commercial mop bucket(s) and cotton mops, wooden handles
Large floor squeegees
Push brooms, dust brooms and dust pans
Several 3 gallon buckets
Shop Vac
Several 5-in-1 tools, and scrapers
3M or Scotchbrite pads, sponges
Tons of cleaning towels and Trash bags

Glass cleaner and specialty glass/bullet proof cleaners.
Non abrasive towels, 4" scraper blades, ettore' squeegee's and mops.
towels and window finishing towels


Cleaners:
Degreasers, bleach, softscrub, neutral tile and floor cleaners, carpet shampoo, stain removers, tannin remover, neutralizers
Goof-off, Goo-gone, mineral spirits, acetone, Paint thinner
Ceramic, porcelain tile and grout cleaner, sealer, applicator(s)
Marble, granite tile cleaners, sealer
VCT wax, non-static wax, 2 speed Floor scrubber, High speed buffer, wax applicator
wax stripper, neutralizer, various pads for scrubber and buffer (color defined)
Stainless steel polish, furniture polish
pressure washer (hot water), floor spinner tool, telescoping wand, various nozzles, extension wands, water burms

Sheesh...Did I forget anything?

Oh, yeah...1 person per 150sqft.

Rod~

[bfenne]

Originally Posted by Beth n Rod

Brian,

Personally, I have found that chems are integral to the success of the post-con cleaning as well but here goes!

A-frame ladders or multi-fold ladders 12'-16'
6',14',24' extension poles
Commercial mop bucket(s) and cotton mops, wooden handles
Large floor squeegees
Push brooms, dust brooms and dust pans
Several 3 gallon buckets
Shop Vac
Several 5-in-1 tools, and scrapers
3M or Scotchbrite pads, sponges
Tons of cleaning towels and Trash bags

Glass cleaner and specialty glass/bullet proof cleaners.
Non abrasive towels, 4" scraper blades, ettore' squeegee's and mops.
towels and window finishing towels


Cleaners:
Degreasers, bleach, softscrub, neutral tile and floor cleaners, carpet shampoo, stain removers, tannin remover, neutralizers
Goof-off, Goo-gone, mineral spirits, acetone, Paint thinner
Ceramic, porcelain tile and grout cleaner, sealer, applicator(s)
Marble, granite tile cleaners, sealer
VCT wax, non-static wax, 2 speed Floor scrubber, High speed buffer, wax applicator
wax stripper, neutralizer, various pads for scrubber and buffer (color defined)
Stainless steel polish, furniture polish
pressure washer (hot water), floor spinner tool, telescoping wand, various nozzles, extension wands, water burms

Sheesh...Did I forget anything?

Oh, yeah...1 person per 150sqft.

Rod~

Wow,

Thanks for the jam packed reply. Couple of things...What are 5 in one tools?, Where should I get this quality tooling and supplies, Home depot,Lowes? What should I expect to pay for all this? And now the big part when and where would you use some of these chems? Also if you are only doing interior does your service include washing the outside of the windows? While I am at it what legal forms do you have signed prior to beginning any work? What is the approx average price per sqft? are windows extra and how much? what else is considered extra and how much? I know I have asked a lot but you can't learn unless you ask. Thank you all in advance for any replys.

Brian

[CarolinaProWash]

Rod - only thing I can think of are drop cords and portable heaters, unless you've never had to deal with properties without electricity and heat (lucky dog!) We also carry some miscellaneous crap like WD-40, spare vac belts, bags & filters. Oh, and nitrile gloves and white plastic putty knives. We love the blue micro-fibre rags that you can get in the paint department at Lowe's.....they may seem pricey at first but they are such good scrubbers that we have been able to reduce the amount of chemical necessary. Don't even have to use anything to get the paint off the window frames.

Brian,

How many people will you be starting with? With just two of us, buying all of our start up stuff at Lowe's, we were below $750.00, not including insurance. We have gradually added more vacuum cleaners and shop vacs. Each one of my cleaners has a tote bucket with each cleaner that is needed (whether they use it for their area or not), a shop vac, rags, scraper, trash bag. We keep a larger bucket in the truck with the jugs of chemicals to be able to mix bottles as necessary.

Celeste

[bfenne]

Thank you all.I would like to get specifics on chems when you have time please.

What chem works best on tile?
What chem/polish works best on wood?
What chem/polish/wax works best on linoleum?
What chem works best on glass?
What chem/stain remover works best on carpet?
What chem works best on drywall/paint?
What chem works best on formica?
What chem works best on ceramic?

If I missed an application I might run into please advise what chem works for it. Is there one all purpose cleaner you have found to do well on many areas such as "Simple Green"? While I would like to stay low budget initially, I want to be as professional and proficient as possible for mainly 1 person sometimes 2.

I know it is alot to ask as I should learn the hard way but if anyone who I would not be competition with would not mind sending me any forms that I would need to get off the ground like contractor letters,pre cleaning damage form, invoices, contracts or service agreements or anything else benificial. I guess I should have put my wish list in before Christmas but I am hoping it is still the season to be giving! Thanks again everyone.

Brian

[Beth n Rod]

Brian,
while the questions you ask are great ones, the answers and not necessarily the easiest.
Different cleaners are used for different surfaces according to what the unwanted debris or stain may be. For some, you may use off the shelf products and others you may have to use surface specific cleaners which will not damage the items you are cleaning. But here is the tricky part, there have been situations in post-con cleaning where these surfaces have been exposed to something that will not be affected by the surface specific cleaner. You risk damage in the process of cleaning.

For the most part, I can recommend that you visit a local janitorial supply house and look around, read labels, ask questions.
If I can give you a hint? Based upon the premise of your initial question, I am presuming you are just beginning in this area. Determine the various types of surfaces you will be cleaning in your own home, and study up on them. Start out small and grow as you feel confident. Visit a mall or local office building and go into the bathrooms. Take notice of kitchens in fast food restaurants you may frequent. Look at everything from the ceilings, walls, counters, shelving, cabinets, fixtures, toilets, sinks, floors, drains. This will give you an idea of what a project supervisor will be looking at when they go through the punch list of areas that need attetnion in order to pass inspection.

I dont want to be the only one with input here, so I will stop and let someone else contribute.

Rod~

[RyanH]

Originally Posted by bfenne

Thank you all.I would like to get specifics on chems when you have time please.

What chem works best on tile?
What chem/polish works best on wood?
What chem/polish/wax works best on linoleum?
What chem works best on glass?
What chem/stain remover works best on carpet?
What chem works best on drywall/paint?
What chem works best on formica?
What chem works best on ceramic?
Brian

I have found (after many trials with many brands) that Mr. Clean (Professional line works great) and Spic 'n Span (Also, professional line) work fantastically at cleaning lineoleum, tile, and formica. I don't care much for the Lysol products when it comes to cleaning. The Spicnspan when sprayed onto painted drywall and gently rubbed with a cloth diaper (do they still make those!?!?!) or a soft wash cloth (dry) does a great job a removing scuff marks left by people brushing against it. I use the liquid comet to remove scuff marks from doors and baseboards, but don't rub too hard because it's an abrasive and can take the paint off if it's weak paint. You can mix your own glass cleaner (water, a little dish soap, and some vinegar or lemon juice), but I just prefer to use Windex (I use the professional line there, too) because it works so well. For outside windows, though, I'll mix the Zep tinted window cleaner with water and use a squeegee and sponge to apply (tinted cleaner because it contains alcohol not ammonia). The Zep grout and tile cleaner works really well on dirty grout, but be sure to wipe up all excess with a towel (you will need many many towels for a house) or you will be mopping it 20 times to remove the haze. You'll also need some kind of brush (whatever you are comfortable holding for hours at a time) to scrub. They make automatic scrubbers, but the spread the acid around and I like to keep it off the tile as much as possible. For wood, you can use something like Murphy's wood soap. I use hot water and the Mr. Clean (professional) at 1/2 cup cleaner to 3 or 4 gallons water to mop laminate wood floor. Have been doing this for well over a year in one of my commercial places and haven't noticed any damage to the floor. For mud, rust, blood, makeup, etc. stains on carpet, I've found a wonder chemical called Folex. I buy it at Target (can't find it anywhere else). May also try http://www.folexcompany.com . It makes very short work of cleanup. Also, there is a great chemical called Pull Out 2 that is great for getting oils and organic chems out of carpet. If you clean tar off carpet with something like GoofOff, this stuff will remove the ring left by the organic chemical. Can get it from http://www.american-niagara.com . The guy I bought it from is David, but it's been over a year since i've ordered anything (you have to buy it by the case at around $8 per can), so I doubt he remembers me. Aero makes a pretty good stainless steel cleaner/polish, but you can get comparable stuff at any janitorial place (for the popular SS appliances being used in houses now). Also works on brass and chrome.

I think that covers most of the bases.

[bfenne]

Thank you all for the informative replys. My mind is like a sponge...I need more.

I am sorry. I was asking for forms and never left my FAX# 610.438.3610

[bfenne]

What online janitorial supply houses are used by most? Can you buy the professional formulas of common household cleaners in the stores and in bulk?

[Beth n Rod]

1 person per 150 sqft is a rule of operation. This helps us to designate how many people it will take to clean an area. The average rate of cleaning (which may vary from site to site) per person is approximately 150-300 sqft per hour depending on the amount of debris and demarkation of the surfaces. Less if you have to peel plastic from stainless steel equipment, walls, etc.

We employ the locust cleaning approach. Depending on how many we have on site (we have had up to 26 people working on a site cleaning) it has been a good expereince for all to have 3-5 people working in an area and they dont move into another room or area until it is done. 1 person in the group is designated the lead and is charged with assurance of inspection quality.
This approach has helped to make the task less daunting and helped to promote teamwork.

About Post-con cleaning windows;
I wanted to mention the pitfalls a company may face. In many instances, there is a film or paint on the windows that needs to be removed. The purpose of this being there is to obscure visibility of the construction going on inside. (strip malls, malls, and most store fronts require the builder to mask the windows.) Protect the floor and adjacent surfaces from exposure to the debris created as you remove it by putting down a tarp, plastic or cardboard. Removing the paint can be done by using hot water*, a degreaser like simple green and a large sponge which is used to soak the paint and make it soften. A scraper will easily remove it at this point. Others that have a film will use the same process but also require the use of a scraper to get it off. As you do get it off, deposit directly into a trash bag.
When it dries, it is difficult to get off any other surfaces it adheres to and often will leave a stain.

Scraper tips: always push the blade forward and do not draw back for the next stroke without lifting the blade off the surface. Otherwise, you are causing the edge on the blade to soften and roll. This increases the likelyhood of a splintered blade that can scratch the glass.
Check your blade frequently by using your fingers on each side of the blade like a squeegee and slowly run them parallel with the blade. If you feel any unevenness, replace it.
Clean the blade in a water bucket often or any time debris accumulates.
If you come accross a window with welding/grinding slag, inform the builder.
The situation is created when a worker is arc welding or grinding to close to the glass and the process sends hot fragments into the glass causing it to melt temporarily and then as it cools, it fuses to the glass.
You cannot clean it without creating pits and scratches with a blade. Often this will need to be replaced. I am because it will be easier to clean

Once you have removed the masking, it is important that you mop and squeegee the windows with a window cleaner to avoid the appearance of a haze from the degreaser residue over the next couple of days. (you dont want a call back)

http://www.iwca.org/industry/glass_bulletin.htm

This link is important to those of you who do window cleaning and come across this type of tempered glass. Make sure you have a signed waiver before you proceed to clean this type of glass. Otherwise, you are liable for the scratch removal.

Rod~

*A hot water pressure washer comes in quite handy in this case if the site has no hot water supply ready.
If there is no water either, Rent a fire hydrant meter.
Your local water utility company can supply you with what you need. They will charge you for the meter for a period of 6 months to a year and then at the end of it, you will be billed for the amount of water used designated by the meter. Our local municipality charges a minimum usage fee of $15 / 10,000 gallons of water used.

Your local water utility company will also regulate you with information on the agreement(s) you sign to get the meter on what you can or cannot do with the water you use with this meter.

Check with them, they are usually very helpful...usually...did I say usually?

[Beth n Rod]

Brian,
Why don't you drive down to the Round Table meeting this Saturday Feb. 12th? There will be companies there who have done construction cleaning, and who would be glad to share and discuss the topic.
Beth

[bfenne]

Beth/Rod

Where is the round table going to be? I live in PA. Thanks.

[CarolinaProWash]

It's in Germantown Maryland - only about 3.5 hours from you. It's going to be great (they always are) Doesn't start until about 1:00 so you could go down and maybe even back in the same day. We're driving up from NC, others are coming from further up north. It will be well worth your time if you can make it

Celeste

[Beth n Rod]

Here's a link to the thread with the info...
DC Area Round Table, Feb. 12th, 2005

Hope to see YOU there! Should be a BLAST!

• Cost for Lunch $12.00
• Event is free
• Chuck Boteler will speak about collecting bad debt
• Celeste will be sharing Quickbooks tips on her laptop
• Bob Williamson from PressureTek will talk pumps
• Tom Vogel from ACR products will talk shop and machine care too
• Beth will talk marketing with those who are interested
• round table topics will be happening on various subjects
• Cleaner Times Magazine has dontated door prizes

We hope you will join us! If you want to bring your rigs you can, do it to share ideas with othes - too cold for a contest this time - we can do that again in the fall.

Beth

[Mike Sweerin]

Maybe this was said but what is the going rate for clean up.