Table of Contents
The short answer
The first clean after building work is a different job from a deep clean, because the dirt is different. Builders leave a fine mineral dust on every surface, inside every cupboard and in the AC, and with it stickers, protective film, paint specks and a cement or grout haze. The dust has to be lifted dry, from the ceiling down, before any water touches it. The residue has to come off without scratching the new surface underneath. Floors are done last, usually more than once.
IHR Dream Cleaning books this as post-construction cleaning. It is offered with our materials and equipment only, with at least 2 cleaners for 3 hours each, which makes the smallest visit AED 210, VAT included. Photos of the site are needed before the day, so that the team and the hours can be planned.
Three things decide how well it goes: whether every trade has really finished, whether the AC ran during the work, and whether anyone tries to hurry the residue off with a blade or an acid. This guide takes them in turn.
Why builders' dust is not ordinary dust
House dust is mostly fibre and skin, and it stays where it lands. Builders' dust is ground mineral: plaster from walls and ceilings, cement and sand from screed and mortar, powder from cut tiles and stone, sanded filler and paint, and sawdust from fitted joinery. Four properties make it awkward.
- It is fine enough to float. It hangs in the air after the work stops and keeps settling for a day or two, which is why a surface wiped on Monday is pale again on Tuesday.
- It turns to paste. Add water and it becomes a slurry that dries as a film on tiles, glass and worktops. A mop used too early spreads it into every grout line.
- It scratches. Dragged under a cloth or a blade, the grit marks glass, polished stone, stainless steel and glossy cabinet doors.
- It gets inside things. Closed cupboards, drawer runners, wardrobe tracks, window tracks and the AC all hold it.
The health reason not to stir it up
Dust from concrete, mortar, tiles and stone contains crystalline silica, and breathing fine silica dust is a recognised hazard for people who work in it day after day. A householder's exposure is of a different order, but the sensible habit is the one the trade uses: do not put the dust back into the air. That means no dry sweeping with a stiff broom, no blowing it off surfaces and no shaking out dust sheets indoors. The dust is lifted with a vacuum that can hold fine particles, then wiped with damp cloths. Keep small children and anyone with asthma out of the home until the first clean is done, and wear a well-fitting dust mask if you do any of the dusty work yourself.
Why this clean is booked with our equipment only
A household vacuum is built for hair and crumbs. Fine plaster dust clogs its filter quickly, and a basic filter lets the finest part straight through and back into the room. That is why post-construction cleaning is the one cleaning service we do not offer at the without-materials rate. Construction dust needs our vacuums and equipment, and household supplies are not enough to remove it properly.
Before the clean: is the home really ready?
The most expensive first clean is the one done too early. One tradesman coming back to sand a patch or cut a tile puts a fresh layer over everything. Check these before you fix a date.
- Every trade has finished in the rooms to be cleaned, snag repairs included.
- The contractor has removed rubble, offcuts, empty tins and large packaging. The cleaning team takes dust and light debris, not construction waste.
- Water and electricity are connected and the lights work.
- The dust has had time to settle. A few days after the last dusty job is better than the same evening.
- The furniture has not arrived. An empty home is quicker to clean properly.
- The AC is off if the ducts have not been cleaned.
- The team can get in and park: gate list, plot or villa number, a location pin, and space for a vehicle carrying machines and ladders.
Photograph the surfaces before anyone cleans them
Dust hides scratches, chips and stains, and cleaning reveals them. Before the clean, take close photos of the glass, the worktops, the sanitary ware, the floor tiles and the appliance fronts, and raise anything you can already see with the developer or the contractor. After the clean, look again in daylight, because a clean surface shows what the dust was covering. A dated set of photos from before the first clean also settles when a mark was made.
What to send when you book
The team and the hours are planned from what you send, so the more exact it is, the closer the plan.
- What work was done and when it finished: a new build, a full renovation, one kitchen or bathroom, or painting only.
- The number of rooms and bathrooms, and the rough floor area.
- Photos of each room, a close-up of the floor, the inside of one cupboard and one window with its frame.
- Any paint or cement splashes, and what they are on.
- Surfaces that need care: marble or other natural stone, wood floors, tinted or coated glass, matt black fittings.
- Building or community rules on working hours and contractor access. Many towers restrict hours and ask for a permit.
The order of the work, and why it runs that way
The outline of our method is published on the service page: top down, and dry before wet. Ceilings, light fittings, AC vent covers, walls and frames come first, then glass, fixtures and cabinets, and floors at the end. A careful team applies that in roughly this sequence, and each step follows from how the dust behaves.
- Walk-round. The team leader goes through the home with you, confirms the scope and the hours, and notes delicate surfaces and any residue that will need testing.
- Light debris picked up by hand. Screws, plaster lumps and grit are collected, not swept, so that they are not dragged across the floor.
- Dry dust removal from the top down. Ceilings, light fittings, vent covers, walls, the tops of doors and frames and every ledge are vacuumed and dry-dusted. Water comes later, so the dust is lifted and not smeared.
- Cupboards, wardrobes and drawers. Each one is vacuumed inside, runners and hinges included, then wiped. Joinery fitted on site holds sawdust in every corner.
- Glass and frames. Tracks and sills are vacuumed first, film and stickers come off, then the glass is washed.
- Residue. Paint specks, cement, grout haze and adhesive are dealt with surface by surface, where the surface allows, after a test in a corner.
- Kitchen and bathrooms. Sanitary ware, taps, tiles, worktops and appliance fronts are cleared of dust, labels and film.
- Sockets, switches and handles, wiped with a barely damp cloth.
- Floors last. They are vacuumed, then washed with the water changed often, and usually washed again, because the first pass leaves a haze as it dries.
- A check in daylight. Glass, frames, fittings and floors are looked over with you for paint, cement and sticker residue before the team leaves, since builders' dust shows most in sunlight.
Film, stickers, paint and cement: what comes off, and what must not be forced
This is the stage where new homes get damaged. Dust does no harm to a surface if it is lifted properly. Residue is where people reach for a blade, a scouring pad or a strong chemical, and a scratch on new glass or an etched patch on new marble is permanent. Our own rule is published: fresh splashes are removed carefully, hardened paint is tested on a small area first, and we tell you if something cannot be removed safely.
Protective film and stickers
Window frames, glass, appliance fronts, worktops and sanitary ware often arrive under a thin plastic film. It is meant to come off soon after installation. Left through an Abu Dhabi summer on a sun-facing frame, it bakes: the film tears into strips and leaves its adhesive behind. If your home still has film on it at handover, ask for it to be removed promptly, or peel it yourself, slowly and at a low angle.
Adhesive that stays behind is softened, not scraped. Warm water with a little washing-up liquid, and time, shift most of it, and the same goes for labels on glass and sanitary ware. A plastic scraper is safe on glass and glazed tile. Metal scrapers and strong solvents are not safe on powder-coated aluminium frames, plastics or lacquered doors, where they can dull or lift the finish. Anything stronger than soapy water is tried on a hidden spot first.
Paint specks and splashes
Water-based wall paint that is still fresh softens with warm water and lifts with a cloth. Once it has hardened it has to be eased off, and what is underneath decides how.
- Glazed tiles and porcelain: a plastic scraper and a damp cloth are usually enough.
- Glass: wet the pane first and use a plastic scraper or a non-scratch pad. A metal blade on construction glass is a known cause of scratches, because grit on the surface is dragged under the edge. On tinted, coated or filmed glass a blade is never used. What suits those surfaces is covered in our guide to streak-free window cleaning.
- Wood, laminate and vinyl floors: no solvent and very little water. Soften, lift, wipe dry.
- Marble and other natural stone: a plastic scraper only. No acid and no abrasive pad.
- Sockets, switches and handles: a damp cloth and patience. Nothing wet goes into an electrical fitting.
Cement splashes and grout haze
Grout haze is the thin cloudy film left on new tiles when the grout was wiped off. A light haze comes away with clean water, a white pad and several changes of water. Heavy haze and hardened cement are another matter. The products that dissolve them are acids, and that is the reason to stop: acid etches marble, limestone, travertine and terrazzo, attacks fresh grout, and marks chrome, aluminium and stainless steel. Our published position is that a light haze can be removed and that heavy residue left by the tiler may need the contractor to return.
Do not let anyone acid-wash a floor in a finished home, and never use brick-cleaning acid indoors. The fumes are harmful in a closed room, the splashes burn, and an acid mixed with bleach releases toxic gas. The right person to remove heavy haze is the tiler, with the product the tile maker recommends for that tile, while the job is still the contractor's responsibility.
Cement lumps are not chipped off dry with a metal tool. On tiles they are softened and worked loose with a plastic or wooden edge. On glass they are soaked and lifted, never slid, because the sand in them scores the pane.
The short list of what not to use
If you remember one table from this guide, make it this one.
| Surface | Do not use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Window and door glass | Dry scraping, abrasive pads, blades on coated glass | Grit under the edge scratches the pane |
| Marble, limestone, terrazzo | Acid cleaners, descalers, vinegar | Acid etches the polish |
| Powder-coated frames | Metal scrapers, strong solvents | The coating dulls or lifts |
| Stainless steel appliances | Scouring pads, steel wool | Scratches, then rust spots |
| Wood, laminate and vinyl floors | Soaking, solvents | Swelling, lifted edges, marks |
| Acrylic baths and shower trays | Abrasive powders | The gloss goes dull |
| Fresh paint and new grout | Scrubbing in the first weeks | Neither has fully hardened |
Why the AC matters after building work
An AC system moves the air of the whole home through its filters, its coil and, in a ducted system, its ducts. If it ran while walls were being sanded or tiles cut, it drew that dust in. Afterwards it feeds the dust back out, a little every time it starts, and a home cleaned on Sunday has a pale film under every grille by Thursday. Our duct-cleaning page notes that fine construction dust settles deep into ducts even when the AC was switched off during the work, and that this is the most common reason the service is booked after a renovation.
These are the signs that the system is holding builders' dust.
- Pale dust on the vent covers, or in a fan shape on the ceiling beside them.
- Dust back on dark furniture within days of the clean, heaviest under the grilles.
- A dusty smell when the AC starts.
- Weaker airflow in some rooms than in others.
What to do, and in what order
Keep the AC off during the clean if the ducts have not been cleaned, so that the system is not blowing while the team is lifting dust. Vent covers are cleaned as part of the post-construction visit. The ducts behind them are a separate job: AC duct cleaning is confirmed after photos, from AED 350 for a studio or one-bedroom apartment and from AED 750 for a villa. The best order is ducts first and the clean second, because clearing ducts shakes dust out at the grilles. If the ducts have to wait until after the clean, expect to wipe beneath each grille again.
The filters are worth a look in any case. A clogged filter makes the unit work harder and cool less. The washable filters of a split unit can be rinsed and dried by the householder where the maker's instructions allow it. Anything behind a ceiling panel, and anything involving the coil or the drain, is for a technician. How a unit wash, a service and duct cleaning differ is set out in AC cleaning, servicing and duct cleaning compared.
In summer a closed home cannot go long without cooling. Book the clean for the morning, so that the AC is off for hours and not for days.
Windows and glass in a new home
New homes are built with a great deal of glass, and builders' dust shows on glass more than on anything else. The frames come with film and stickers, the tracks collect plaster lumps and screws, and the panes carry specks from the painters.
Tracks are done first. Grit left in a sliding-door track is ground under the rollers every time the door moves, and it blocks the small drainage slots at the bottom of the frame. The track is vacuumed, the lumps are lifted out, and only then is it wiped.
The post-construction visit includes the inside of the glass and its frames, and the outside where it can be reached safely from inside, from a balcony or from a step ladder. High exterior glass needs rope access or a platform, which we do not provide, so on a tower or a double-height villa wall it stays with the developer or a specialist access company. Where that line falls is explained in what a cleaning team can safely reach. If the glass is the main job, window cleaning can be booked by the hour as its own visit once the dust indoors has gone.
Team size, time and cost
The job is priced by the length of the visit with our materials: AED 55 for 1 hour, AED 65 for 2 hours, AED 30 an hour for 3–4 hours and AED 25 for each hour after that, per cleaner, plus AED 5 per cleaner-hour, VAT included. What decides the total is the size of the site and how much dust and residue the work left. The table sets our published guidance beside worked examples from the price list.
| Site | Published guidance | Examples, with our materials |
|---|---|---|
| Smallest booking | 2 cleaners for 3 hours each | AED 210 |
| Renovated apartment | 2 or 3 cleaners for 4 to 6 hours | AED 280 for 2 cleaners and 4 hours; AED 600 for 3 cleaners and 6 hours |
| Villa after renovation or extension | 3 or 4 cleaners for most of a day | AED 690 for 3 cleaners and 7 hours; AED 1,040 for 4 cleaners and 8 hours |
What moves the hours
The villa examples are ours, chosen to show the range; 4 cleaners for 8 hours each is the largest single visit that can be booked. These are the things that move a job up or down inside that range.
- Floor area and the number of rooms.
- The kind of work. Sanding, tiling and plastering leave far more dust than painting.
- Paint, grout or cement residue on glass, tiles and fixtures.
- Whether the contractor has already cleared the debris.
- The number of windows and glass partitions that can be reached from inside.
- Whether a second, lighter visit is needed once the remaining dust has settled.
One long day or two visits
Fine dust keeps settling for a day or two after heavy work, so a single visit cannot catch what is still in the air. On large or very dusty jobs a short follow-up about a week later often does more good than stretching the first day. Plan the furniture delivery for after that second visit if you can.
If the home needs longer than booked on the day, the team leader asks you first, and time is added in 30-minute steps only with your approval. The price is the same on Fridays and public holidays, and every figure is on the price list.
First cleans in Abu Dhabi's new villa communities
Much of this work is in the communities handed over in the last few years: Al Falah, Madinat Al Riyadh, Al Shamkha, Al Hudayriat Island and Jubail Island. The cleaning method is the same in all of them. What differs is practical.
- Addresses. New streets are not always on maps yet. Send a location pin from your phone with the plot or villa number, and the team navigates by the pin.
- Gates. The communities on Al Hudayriat and Jubail are gated, and visitors are added to the gate list in advance.
- Neighbours still building. Where the plots around you are under construction, dust keeps arriving after your own clean. Keep windows shut on windy days, put a mat at every door, and expect the outdoor areas to need doing again.
- Glass. The waterfront villas have large glazed walls. Say how much of the glass can be reached from the ground or from a balcony.
- Timing. The best moment is after handover and a few days before the furniture is delivered, when the dust has settled and the rooms are still empty.
What the first clean of a new villa covers
The first clean of a new villa covers dust removal from every surface, cupboards inside and out, windows and frames, bathrooms and kitchen, and floors, with paint and cement splashes removed where that is safe for the surface. If no builders' dust is left and the villa only needs a full clean before the furniture arrives, a move-in clean is the right booking. How to tell the two apart in ten minutes is in move-in, deep or post-construction clean.
The first weeks after the clean
A new home goes on shedding dust for a while. These habits keep the first clean from being undone.
- Run the ventilation, and keep the windows closed on dusty days for the first week.
- Wipe horizontal surfaces with a damp cloth for the first few days. What you pick up is what was still in the air.
- Look at the AC filters after two or three weeks of running, and clean them if they have gone grey.
- Put felt pads under furniture before it goes onto new floors. One grain of grit under a chair leg scratches tile and wood.
- Leave freshly painted walls unwashed for the first few weeks. Emulsion carries on hardening after it is dry to the touch.
- Have carpets, curtains and sofas that were in the home during the work cleaned separately. They hold dust that a surface clean does not reach, and they are priced by the item.
- If tiled floors still look dull once the dust has gone, floor and tile cleaning is a separate booking.
What you can sensibly do yourself
There is useful work for an owner before the team arrives, and a short list of things better left alone.
Worth doing
None of these raises dust or risks a surface.
- Peel protective film, slowly, before the sun bakes it on.
- Soak labels on glass and sanitary ware with warm soapy water and lift them with a plastic card.
- Pick up screws, offcuts and lumps by hand.
- Open every cupboard, drawer and wardrobe, so that none is missed.
- Take the photos described above.
Better left
Each of these either puts the dust back in the air or risks a mark that cannot be cleaned away.
- Dry sweeping, or using the household vacuum on thick plaster dust.
- Mopping before the dust has been lifted. It sets the film that the team then has to remove.
- A blade on glass, and any acid on any floor.
- Work above a step ladder, including high glass and light fittings on double-height ceilings.
- Opening AC units or ceiling panels.
Common questions
How soon after the builders leave should the clean be booked?
When every trade has finished, the debris has gone and the dust has had a few days to settle, and before the furniture is delivered. Visits can be booked up to 30 days ahead, so fix the date once the contractor gives a firm finish. If the work overruns, move the booking: changes are free up to 6 hours before the start.
Does the team take away rubble and packaging?
No. The team removes dust and light debris. Rubble, offcuts and large packaging should be cleared by the contractor first, and a site that still has them takes hours away from the cleaning.
Can paint be removed from windows?
Fresh paint splashes on glass and tiles are removed carefully. Hardened paint is tested on a small area first, and we tell you if it cannot be removed safely. On tinted or coated glass the safe options are fewer, so mention it when you book.
Is one clean enough?
For a painted flat or a single renovated room, usually. After heavy work across a whole home, plan a short follow-up about a week later for the dust that settles out of the air, and have the AC ducts looked at if the system ran during the work.
Can I book it with my own products to bring the price down?
No. This is the one cleaning service offered only with our materials, because the dust needs our vacuums and equipment. A household vacuum and a mop would spread it and not remove it.
Do I need to be there?
At the start, to walk round and agree the scope, and at the end for the check in daylight. If you cannot come, send someone who can decide for you. In between there is no need.
What will not come off?
Scratches in glass, etched stone, chipped enamel and heavy grout haze are defects or tiler's work, not dirt. A good clean makes them visible, and that is the moment to raise them with the contractor, with your photos from before the clean.
Booking the first clean
Wait for the last trade to finish, let the dust settle, and take your photos. Then send them with the booking: each room, the floors, a window, the inside of a cupboard and any splashes.
The post-construction cleaning page sets out the scope, and the team and hours are confirmed from what you send. Payment is by card online once we confirm your booking, and we work every day from 8 AM – 8 PM. Book the clean for a date a few days before your furniture arrives.
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