A lot of work goes into home renovation projects. Whether you are changing the flooring, updating your bathroom, or adding an extra room to your home, it takes much effort and creates a big mess.

Don’t expect your renovation teams to clean up as part of their contract with you. While some may tidy, a large part of the mess may be left for you to tackle. Depending on the details in your contract, most renovation crews are only required to do a broom sweep after they’ve completed their work. What this means in layman’s terms is that the company will get rid of bigger debris pieces, lightly dust surfaces, and may or may not wipe the space down. If you’re not prepared for this reality, it can be shocking to come home and see.

Cleaning up after a renovation is not the same as your regular housekeeping. It is more intense, but necessary before your home can be clean and safe again. You’ll need a good plan of attack to convert your post-renovation mess into your dream space.

Tips for a Post-Renovation Clean

Getting your home back to a livable condition again requires more work than typical house cleaning. During renovation projects, the dust tends to get everywhere, so you’ll need to be very thorough to be sure to get it all. While dust may sound harmless, breathing it in day after day is a potential health risk for your family.

Here are some things you need to keep in mind as you clean up after a renovation.

Dusting

Dust from a renovation project will be everywhere, and removing it will be one of your biggest tasks. Every surface in your home will need to be wiped down—inside and out. That includes cabinets, drawers, and other small spaces where dust may have settled. If there were linens or furniture left in the home during the project, they too will need to have a good washing. Wipe down backsplashes, appliances, countertops, and around the sinks and faucets.

Air Vents

After you’ve given your space a good dusting, it is time to tackle the air vents. Dust from your renovation may have become trapped in the filters, which means it could travel to other parts of your home. To prevent this from happening, you’ll need to remove the air vents and wash them with soap and water. To be very thorough, you could even replace the filters before you put the vents back on.

Windows

Windows are dust magnets. Unless you clean them well, the layers of dust and dirt will just build up. This can affect the amount of sunlight you get into your home and possibly damage your windows or frames. You’ll need to be careful when cleaning your windows, as they can scrape easily. Try using warm water and vinegar or a window-cleaning solution to get the dust and grime off.

Floors

No matter what type of renovation project you took on, dust, dirt, and fingerprints always seem to end up on your floor. The good news is that sweeping and mopping should be enough to remove them. If you have carpets soiled during the renovation, you can hire a carpet cleaner or use a deep cleaning machine to give them a good wash. If your project was near an entryway, you should sweep the porch and patio too. These are high-traffic areas, and dust collected here can be tracked back into your home on shoes and feet.

Walls

It may be easy to overlook, but your walls likely got dirty during the work. If they’ve just been painted, then dust them lightly to remove the mess. However, if you’ve kept the original paint, you can wipe them with a damp cloth. Don’t forget to wipe door frames and the door, baseboards, and trim while wiping down the walls.

Light Fixtures

Dust even has a way of making it up to the ceiling and into your light fixtures. To remove it, take them apart and wipe them down with a damp cloth. Be sure they are dry and clean before you reinstall them. If your project took place near an entrance, it is good practice to wipe down exterior light fixtures as well.

Ceiling Fans

Don’t forget to wipe down any ceiling fans that were in the space. You can do this with a duster, dry cloth, or a damp cloth. You may need to use a step stool or a long-handled duster if you have one.

Additional Materials

Once all the work is done, you may find that some of the materials purchased for your project were not needed after all. This can include pipes, tiles, paint, wood, etc. Getting rid of these items may seem like a hassle, but it doesn’t have to be. Contact a professional junk removal specialist to see if they can help you dispose of the unwanted materials.

Debris

You’ll likely be looking at a large pile of debris following your renovation. However, you can’t simply put it in a garbage bag and leave it on the curb with your other household waste. Construction and renovation debris need to be handled differently. To tackle the clean-up safely and efficiently, call Junk Works to help. We’ll come out and take the mess away so you can get back to enjoying your new space. Junk Works offers eco-friendly disposal and we try to recycle as much of the waste as possible, so you’ll be doing something good for the environment too.

Depending on how far the dust and debris spread, you may want to clean your walkway and driveway with a pressure washer and sweep or wash thresholds to be sure that the dust won’t find its way back into your space.

For more information about post-renovation junk removal services, call Junk Works at 1-888-888-JUNK (5865) or contact us here.