As a professional house cleaner, cleaning without water was unimaginable until I did it. This once in a lifetime experience forced me to use on-the-spot and creative techniques to accomplish a tall task.

Prior to accepting a new construction cleaning assignment, I inquired about running water and live electrical power. However, when I arrived on the work site, I was informed the City hadn’t tapped the sewer lines. That means water was on in the house but I (nor anyone else) could run water through the drains because the plumbing wasn’t connected to the sewer.

Scoping The Dirt Damage

If we didn’t need the moulah, I would have done an about face and told the builder “see ya”. Nevertheless, I decided to accept the challenge. Because of builder imposed time constraints, I made a quick assessment of what all needed to be cleaned. The house was approximately 4,000 square feet with stairs, and a mother-in-law suite above the garage and it was a mess. There was Georgia red clay tracked throughout, up and down stairs, on the newly tiled bathroom floors and finished hardwood floors in the suite. Also, dried drywall plaster was stuck inside the Jacuzzi, on tubs, toilet, countertops, cabinet surfaces and tile floors but, that’s not all. The bathroom floors with white tile grout were stained from the muddy dirt. And, the custom cabinetry, throughout the home, had an inch of sawdust residue inside and out.

There’s more and it doesn’t get any better. Although most of the finished hardwood floors were thoughtfully covered with craft paper, the uncovered areas were tracked on and dusty. The stainless steel appliances and sink needed cleaning because the other subcontractors violated the “don’t run the water” rule. In addition, the light fixtures, windows, solid and French doors, stair rails, risers and treads, closet fixtures, decks and porches all needed a thorough cleaning.

I Was Born Ready

I couldn’t use the water, so HOW was I going to clean this house? As one who takes great pride in being excellent at cleaning, my reputation was on the line. The easiest thing to do would’ve been to walk away because I wasn’t starving. I was born with a “can do” attitude so I couldn’t walk away. I rolled up my sleeves and cleaned without water to prove I could do it, even under harsh and uncomfortable circumstances. My sub cleaner had a medical condition so water was critical as was access to indoor toilet facilities for both of us, which there were neither. Fortunately, I don’t travel without bottled water and; a portable outhouse was available for gents and a lady on the sidewalk. Aside from lack of personal amenities, we cleaned the house in 24 hours without complaints and a substantial rate increase and here’s how we cleaned it without water.

If No Water, Then What?

From experience, I know that more cleaning products are needed to clean new construction than a residential home. Therefore, my vehicle was well stocked with LIQUID cleaning products, cleaning cloths, spray bottles and cleaning equipment that worked harder than we did. In this business, the vacuum cleaner is truly the most valuable piece of equipment in terms of its multitask performance. It made fast and easy work of removing sawdust. To accomplish the dry cleaning, we literally used up all available liquid cleaning supplies. If it weren’t for my standard to purchase quality, concentrated commercial cleaning products, this job would have been mission impossible. To bring this cleaning project in on time and under budget, I divided the scope of work (degree of dirt buildup) and the amount of liquid product available to “get her done”.

We started in the most heavily soiled areas first—bathrooms. We sprayed the surfaces with diluted cleaning product and used many, clean cleaning cloths to scrub, wipe down and polish. We repeated this process on the tile grout, shower surround and glass doors, etc. Detail cleaning the Jacuzzi was tricky and more time-consuming because dirt and grime gets in the jets during installation. We overcame this obstacle too by spraying into the jets and brushing them out with a soft bristle toothbrush. Interior windows were cleverly cleaned with Windex Commercial Window Cleaner and concentrated window cleaner was attached to a water hose to clean the exterior windows and French doors. Fireplace surround tile and hearth was sprayed down and wiped clean as well as cabinetry, closets, doors, sills, light fixtures, etc, etc. Did I mention we also used pails of cleaning water which we filled, emptied out the back door and repeated many times. It should have been videotaped but, our hard work spoke for itself. We dry cleaned every cleanable square foot of a new construction home.

Dry Cleaning Tip: Use one spray bottle with diluted, concentrated cleaner and another spray bottle with plain water to rinse surfaces.

When it was all cursed and done, other subcontractors asked me how we cleaned it without water. I’ve been very closed mouth and tight lipped until now. Cleaning a house without water is not an easy feat, and it was the first time I did it. If you are prepared with a broad assortment of quality liquid cleaning supplies, reliable equipment, smart helpers, and time to spare, you can clean a new construction project, in a pinch, without water.

Tonza Borden is an experienced writer. She has spent most of her adult life working in government, journalism, international banking, as well as former public affairs officer. She has authored and edited many articles for a variety of audiences. Her new ebook is Exposed! Free Government Benefits for People with Disabilities: A Basic Guide to What You Can Get to Make Your Dreams a Reality. P.O. Box 115579, Atlanta, GA 30310 or 404-574-7349

Visit www.house-cleaning-atlanta.com

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