We clean across Bedford Park

Most Bedford Park housing is prewar brick

Bedford Park sits between the Grand Concourse and the New York Botanical Garden. Most of the housing is brick and stone apartment buildings put up before the war. Many have long tiled lobbies, marble stairs and old elevators, and a few older houses still stand on the side streets. Buildings that age hold dust in places newer ones do not, like radiator covers, deep window sills and the gaps along worn wood floors.

Old surfaces need a different hand. Marble and terrazzo in a lobby go dull fast under an acidic cleaner, and a harsh scrub pad leaves fine scratches that hold dirt afterward. Plaster walls with many coats of paint can lift if they get soaked. So we match the product to the surface before we start on a whole floor. It takes a little longer at the start, and it keeps the finish you already have.

The business side of the neighborhood runs along the Grand Concourse, Webster Avenue and the blocks near Lehman College. There you find medical offices, storefronts and building offices. Commercial cleaning is the main thing we do. Here that means floors that take heavy foot traffic all day and restrooms that serve the public. Most owners want the work done when the space is empty, and we can talk through timing when you call.

• Lobby floors cleaned with products made for stone
• Radiators, sills and moldings dusted by hand
• Office restrooms and break rooms scrubbed
• Renovation dust wiped from every ledge
• Empty apartments cleaned before move in day

Winter salt ends up on the floors

Bedford Park is inland, well away from the water, so salt air is not the problem here. Road salt is. From the first snow through the thaw, the sidewalks along Bedford Park Boulevard get salted, and every boot carries it through the front door. It dries into a white film on tile and stone. On a wood floor it wears through the finish if it sits there for weeks.

A mop and plain water mostly spread that film around. The salt has to be dissolved with the right cleaner, picked up and rinsed, or the floor turns cloudy again as soon as it dries. Entry mats need the same attention. A mat that is full stops catching anything, and then the salt walks right past it into the hallway and up the stairs.

Summer brings a different mess. The Botanical Garden and the trees along Mosholu Parkway put out heavy pollen in spring, and the city stays humid through the warm months. Pollen settles as yellow dust on sills and air vents, and humidity makes that dust cling. Bathrooms without good airflow start growing mildew in the grout. If you ask for eco friendly cleaning, we handle all of it with gentler products.

Renovation dust spreads through older buildings

Many apartments here are being updated one unit at a time, with new kitchens and sanded floors. Work like that in a prewar building makes a very fine dust from old plaster and joint compound. It floats in the air for days, drifts into the hallway, and settles again after you think the room is clean. That is why a quick sweep never finishes the job after a renovation.

Post-renovation cleaning goes from the top down. We start at the ceilings and light fixtures, then work across the tops of door frames and window casings. After that we vacuum and wipe every surface before we get to the floors. The insides of cabinets and drawers get done too, because dust hides there. Skip that step and it shows up on your dishes for weeks.

Apartments in Bedford Park change hands often, with students near Lehman College and families moving within the neighborhood. A move in cleaning happens while the rooms are empty. That is the only time you can easily reach behind the stove, under the radiators and along every baseboard. We also do deep cleaning for people who are staying put and want the whole place cleaned properly again.

Getting a price in Bedford Park

Call us at (516) 537-2367. Or send us the details through the request on this page. Tell us the address and what kind of space it is. It could be an office, a lobby, an apartment after a renovation, or a unit before a move. Tell us what you need done. You get a free quote before any work starts, so you know the price up front.