Why does construction dust take more than one pass to clear?
Drywall and sanding dust is extremely fine and very light. The moment you wipe a surface or move through a room, a portion of it lifts back into the air and drifts down again onto everything you just cleaned. A single pass in a dusty space will look better and then dull over again within a day. We plan for this from the start, cleaning a surface, letting the air settle, and returning to it, which is the only way the space actually stays clear rather than looking clear for an afternoon.
How is this different from a normal deep clean?
A deep clean tackles built up grime in a home that has been lived in, grease in the oven, soap scum in the shower, dirt worked into grout over months or years. Post construction cleaning is a different problem entirely. There is no old grime, there is a fresh layer of building dust and construction residue coating brand new surfaces. The techniques, the number of passes, and the care needed for uncured finishes are all specific to a build. We treat them as separate services because they are.
How long after the contractor finishes should we book?
Wait until the construction work is genuinely done, meaning no more sanding, cutting, or painting is coming. If a crew returns to do one more task after we clean, they will generate a fresh coat of dust and undo the pass we made. If the timeline is tight, tell us where things stand and we can plan around it, but the clean lands best once the last dust producing step is behind you.
How do you protect new floors and finishes during the clean?
Fresh paint, new cabinetry, sealed counters, and just laid flooring can scratch or mark more easily than settled older surfaces, so we work gently and choose products that will not haze or etch them. We lift dust rather than grind it around, and we are careful along edges and corners where a new finish is most vulnerable. If a floor or counter is still curing, let us know and we adjust how we handle it.
Does the dust really get inside vents and cabinets?
Yes, and those are the spots people miss on their own. Fine dust drifts into supply and return vents, settles inside kitchen and bathroom cabinets and drawers even when the doors were shut, and collects along window and sliding door tracks. If those are left, they become a slow source that keeps reseeding the room every time the air moves or a drawer opens. Clearing them is a core part of the job, not an add on.
Can you remove stickers, paint specks, and adhesive residue?
Yes. A build leaves more than dust. New windows and appliances arrive with manufacturer stickers, painters leave specks and the occasional drip, and new tile and trim often have adhesive or caulk smears around the edges. We work those off carefully with the right approach for each surface, so a new window is not scratched taking a label off and a fresh wall is not marked lifting a paint speck.
Is post construction cleaning one visit or several?
It depends on how much was built and how much dust is present. A single finished room is often one thorough visit with multiple passes inside it. A larger project, or one where dust keeps resettling from an adjacent area, can call for a return visit a day or two later once everything has had time to settle. We will give you an honest read after hearing about the project rather than guessing high.
Can you coordinate with our contractor?
Yes. Some clients bring us in the moment the crew clears out, and others have us work alongside a contractor who is wrapping final touches. Tell us who to talk to and when the space will be ready, and we will time our visit so we are not cleaning dust that is still being made. Homeowners and contractors both book this service with us.
Do you handle a whole home remodel differently from a single room?
Yes. A single room remodel is contained, and we can usually clear it in one visit with the passes it needs. A whole home remodel is a bigger undertaking, because dust from the work travels well beyond the rooms that were touched, drifting into hallways, closets, and rooms with a closed door. We scope those as the larger jobs they are and plan the sequence so a finished area does not get recoated by an area we clean afterward.
What kinds of projects do you see in Winnetka?
Winnetka is a mix. The 1950s and 1960s tract houses that fill the streets between the boulevards are steadily being updated, so a lot of the work is kitchen and bathroom remodels and additions to postwar homes. There are also the apartment buildings along Sherman Way, Vanowen Street, and Roscoe Boulevard, where units get built out or gutted and rebuilt, and small business spaces on the boulevards that get renovated between tenants. We clean up after all of those.
Do you clean apartments and units after a build in Winnetka?
Yes. A large share of Winnetka is apartments, and a newly built or renovated unit needs the same dust clearing a house does before anyone moves in. We handle the whole unit, cabinets, vents, tracks, fixtures, and floors, and we work with whatever access the building has, a gate code, a call box, or a parking arrangement for the crew. Tell us the setup when you book.
What are your hours, and how do we book a post construction clean?
We are available Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm. Call or text (818) 414-8012, or email honestmaidsla@gmail.com. Describe the project, the size of the space, and whether the work is finished, and we give you a free estimate. No card is needed to reserve a date, and every visit carries our satisfaction guarantee, so if dust resettles or something is missed, one text and we return.
How much does post construction cleaning in Winnetka cost?
The honest answer is that the price depends on the size of the home, the number of bathrooms, whether this is a first visit or a regular one, and how the home has been used up to now. That is why every job starts with a free written estimate rather than a flat rate lifted off a website. Text or call (818) 414-8012 with the number of bedrooms and bathrooms and roughly what you need, and we send a real figure back, usually the same day. Every price is agreed before we start, nothing lands on you at the end, and no card is needed to hold the slot.
Are your cleaners insured, bonded, and background checked?
Yes. Honest Maids is a licensed and insured family owned company based in Reseda, and every cleaner on our team is our own employee, screened and trained by us before their first visit. Nothing is subcontracted, so the person who arrives at your door in Winnetka is on our payroll, in our uniform, and covered by our insurance. We are happy to share our license and insurance details before your first clean if you want to see them, and many building managers ask for a certificate of insurance on file.
What products do you use, and are they safe for pets and children?
We bring every supply and machine with us for every visit, so nothing has to be set out. Our standard kit uses products that are safe around pets and children, and where a surface calls for a stronger product (such as a heavily soiled oven or serious mineral buildup) we tell you first and use the mildest option that will do the job. If you prefer a specific brand, a fragrance free product, or a completely green line, tell us in the booking and we will use what you have. The choice is yours.
How far in advance should I book, and can you come the same day?
For a regular clean in Winnetka we can usually reach you the same week, and a small job can sometimes fit into the same day. Move outs and post construction jobs need a little more lead time because they run longer, so book those a few days out when you can. The fastest way to check availability is a text. We are staffed Monday to Saturday, eight in the morning to six in the evening, and a message outside those hours is answered the next working morning.
What forms of payment do you accept, and when do I pay?
You pay after the clean is complete, once you have walked the home and everything is right. We take card, bank transfer, Zelle, cash, or check, whichever is easiest. Recurring customers are usually set up on a saved card that runs automatically after each visit, but that is optional and there is no card on file for a first visit. If you ever have a question about a charge, one text and we sort it out that day.
What is your satisfaction guarantee, and how does it work?
Every visit carries a plain guarantee: if something is not right, tell us within seven days and we come back to fix it, at no charge. We do not ask you to argue for it or fill out a form. We would rather return and put it right than leave a customer in Winnetka feeling like they paid for something they did not get. That is one of the reasons regular customers stay with us, and it is the standard the reviews are talking about.
Do I need to be home during the clean?
Only if you want to be. Many customers in Winnetka give us access through a code, a key with a neighbor, a lockbox, or a building doorman, and come home to a finished house. Others prefer to stay. Either way is fine, and we walk the space with you or send a note with a few photos before we leave, so nothing is a surprise. If the building has parking rules or a call box, tell us in the booking and we handle it from there.
How many passes does a post construction clean take, and why?
Post construction cleaning is scoped as a rough pass and a final detail pass at minimum, because construction dust is much finer than household dust and stays suspended for days after work stops. A single wipe redeposits about half of what it lifts. The rough pass removes bulk debris and heavy dust. The final pass, run after the dust settles, wipes every surface again, including behind fixtures, inside cabinets, windows, tracks, grout, and vents. Heavy jobs sometimes need a third pass, and we scope that on the written estimate.
Do you haul away construction debris?
We remove bagged trash, packaging, protective coverings, and light construction leftovers as part of the clean. Large debris (broken drywall sections, pallets, tile offcuts, appliances) is not part of a standard scope, but we can arrange a debris haul at cost if you tell us in the booking. That way one team handles the site, and the property is truly ready to hand over.
When is it safe for a family to move back into a home after a remodel?
Once the final detail pass is complete and the air has cleared. That usually means the day after the last pass for a room level remodel, and a day or two after for a whole home remodel with heavy dust. If anyone in the household has respiratory sensitivities, we recommend running the HVAC on a fresh filter for a day before move in, and we can add a vent and filter clean to the scope so the system is not blowing residual dust.
