Unfortunately, not all contractors are going to take care of the post-renovation cleaning after spending months on a construction site creating piles of renovation debris and a large amount of dust in your home.
If you’re stuck with a gigantic post-renovation mess and have no idea where to start, you’ve come to the right place. Follow these easy tips to get your newly renovated space looking the way you always imagined.
Post-Renovation Cleanup Tips
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How to Clean Up After Renovation
It’s important to keep construction dust to a minimum when dealing with a kitchen, bathroom, or another type of renovation project. Construction dust will build up over time and ideally needs to be cleaned up daily. However, if you’re not able to take care of it daily, you still can handle renovation clean up, given you have the right tools and knowledge.
We’ll tackle how to handle post construction cleanups, from renovation waste removal to how to clean up construction dust.
Remove and Dispose of Construction Debris
The first and most important part of post-renovation clean up is to remove and dispose of all of the leftover construction and remodeling debris. This can be anything from large piles of scrap wood, countertops, concrete, broken tools, hardware, and other assorted waste.
Many people rent dumpsters for this first step. Dumpster rental can be tricky, expensive, and requires a lot of hard work that you’ll be left to deal with alone. Oftentimes, your city or county may require that you get a permit to have a dumpster placed on your property, and it might not always be in a convenient location to easily tackle your project. But there’s an easier way.
The best way to get through the first step of a post-renovation clean-up is to hire a professional and affordable service to take care of the removal, haul away, and disposal for you. LoadUp specializes in full property cleanouts, including fast and affordable on-demand post-renovation cleanout services.
Once all of the renovation waste and debris is removed from your construction project, the next step is to clean up all of the dust that was left behind. Because trust us, there will be plenty. And it’s probably in areas that you would least expect it.
How to Clean Up Dust After Renovation
Construction dust is incredibly fine and tends to get everywhere. Whether it’s dust from tile, wood, drywall, concrete, or brick, any home renovation is going to send a ton of super fine particles into the air that will settle all over your home, even in the deepest darkest corners.
Since construction dust is hazardous to your respiratory system, making sure you know how to clean dust after remodeling properly is incredibly important. Knowing the best way to clean construction dust off walls is a great first step, but you don’t necessarily need professional cleaning after renovation. There are plenty of ways to get it done yourself!
😷 PRO TIP: Breathing in construction dust can be hazardous to your eyes, throat, and lungs. You should always wear a mask and goggles while cleaning up construction dust.
Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
- Face masks
- Soft towels
- Used dryer sheets
- Dust mops or towels
- Floor cleaning solution
- A vacuum + one or two extra filters
- A broom, dust mop (or clothes and tape) and wet mop
Post Renovation Cleaning Checklist
Check off your post construction clean up checklist! Once all of the construction debris, trash, and waste has been removed and hauled away, you’re ready to start the post-renovation cleaning.
Download: Post Renovation Cleaning Checklist here.
General Cleaning
✅ Clean the walls: If you don’t know the proper way how to clean construction dust off walls, you could end up damaging them. First, wipe your walls with a soft damp towel. Next, wrap the cloth around the bottom of your broom and secure it with tape. Finally, push the towel along the walls to trap and remove dust.
✅ Dust ceiling and fans: Use your vacuum’s soft bristle brush attachment and hose to remove dust from your ceiling and ceiling fans. If you don’t have a vacuum, you can use your towel-covered broom from the prior step with a fresh towel.
✅ Wipe trim, baseboards, window frames, and doors: A soft towel and some dusting spray work great for getting all the dust off.
✅ Sweep, mop & vacuum: A dustmop or a Swiffer works great on hardwoods and tile, but you can always use a standard broom and dustpan for your hard floors. Once you sweep and mop, vacuum any carpeting that may have been exposed to renovation dust.
✅ Wipe down windows: A soft towel and some glass cleaner should do the trick!
✅ Clean light fixtures and bulbs: This dust really does get everywhere. Just a quick wipe down will take care of it.
Kitchen and Bathroom
✅ Vacuum and dust: Vacuum before you dust. You might need a couple of additional filters, depending on how must dust and debris you need to vacuum up. After vacuuming, use a soft cloth with a dusting spray to trap all the remaining dust particles.
✅ Clean cabinets: Even if you’re not doing renovations in the kitchen, depending on the layout of your home, dust could have settled on or within your cabinets. Give them a quick wipe first. If you get anything on your rag, go ahead and clean all the cabinets inside and out.
✅ Scrub countertops and backsplashes: Use a soft scrubber to remove all remaining dust from your countertops and backsplashes.
✅ Clean around sinks and faucets: You’d be surprised how much dust and debris will settle around your sinks and faucets, especially where the caulk joins the sink to the countertop. A basic wipe down will take care of it.
✅ Clean appliances: If you have any appliances that have accumulated renovation dust, wipe them down. Now is also a great time to change the air filter in your HVAC system. We recommend a MERV rating between 11 and 13 to ensure all airborne dust is trapped and not continually circulated through your home.
✅ Clean toilets and mirrors: Dust literally gets everywhere. Basic cleaning of the toilets and mirrors will remove any dust that has settled on toilets and mirrors.
Entryways and Exits
✅ Sweep porches: During the process of renovation, porches and patios are often highly-trafficked and will need to be swept well.
✅ Clean exterior lights: Exterior lights often get dirty and dusty during renovations while contractors are cutting materials outside. Go ahead and wipe down the exterior lights to remove all remaining construction dust.
✅ Wash driveways and walkways: These highly-trafficked areas will need attention, too. To get the best, most thorough clean, a pressure washer is highly recommended.
✅ Clean thresholds: Depending on the level of dust and dirt you’re seeing, your thresholds might need anything from a quick sweep to a thorough sweep and wipe down. If you have an outdoor push broom with coarse bristles, it would be great to use for a deeper clean.
That’s it! Now go enjoy your new space, clean and dust-free.
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