Useful Tips for Cleaning Up After a Renovation

When you’re going through renovations, it’s normal for your thoughts to be consumed by finding the right contractor and just the materials. While this is rightly a priority, the next stage- the cleaning stage- should be a priority to you too because you need to get rid of toxic fumes, harmful objects, and dirt. Here are some useful tips for cleaning up after a renovation. 

Rent A Bin 

There is a lot of different stuff leftover to throw away after any construction project; it’ll be prudent to hire bin rentals because this debris can’t go into your regular bins for a variety of reasons. First, there are rules and regulations governing where everything should go and without the proper knowledge of local regulations, you’re likely to get in trouble with the law and receive a hefty fine for dumping. Also, the sheer volume of waste will likely overwhelm your bins. 

Clean Your Air Vents And Filters

The air after renovations is full of chemicals and dust particles. As this poses a danger to your respiratory system, you can’t neglect to clean your air vents and filters. 

HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filters are a good way to clear the air as they can trap tiny dust particles better than average. 

Then, dust particles have a way of getting into air vents and thus all air vents should be removed and cleaned with warm, soapy water.

Use High-Pressure Water

Utilizing high-pressure water to do the cleaning is particularly useful for outdoor cleanups. For example, a task like cleaning the patio floor tiles is finished within minutes if you have a water pressure tool like a spray wand in hand. You won’t need to scrub by hand. 

Plus, an added advantage to using pressurized water to clean the house is that you can do it from several meters away. This is extremely handy when you think about all the health hazards a typical cleanup comes with. 

Vacuum

Putting plastic covers on everything before construction begins only mitigates the amount of dust and dirt, but it’ll still get on curtains, carpets, upholstery, and even the ceilings. 

When vacuuming, don’t forget and overlook those places you usually do not often clean, especially the corners of the house and underneath things like the furniture. Pay extra attention to your kitchen, bathroom, and living room. 

Wipe Down Everything 

After vacuuming, everything needs to be wiped free of dust and other contaminants. Usually, a good old damp cloth will get the job done, but some parts like the walls will depend. For example, a fresh coat of paint requires dry dusting instead. 

Further, wipe down moldings if you have them because they trap dust particles. Wipe down any flat surfaces, kitchen cabinets, shelves, plus and other furniture such as chairs, tables, or any other hard surfaces. 

The floors come next. Mop all floors with disinfectant from wall to wall. 

Lastly, all that should be left is minor cleanup tasks that shouldn’t take long to complete but are also necessary. Such as:

• Cleaning your windows
• Cleaning small electronic appliances. Be careful to unplug all of them before you start to clean
• Cleaning decorative items and the ceiling fan
• Cleaning light bulbs and other light fixtures
• Cleaning the insides of your wardrobe
• Cleaning hardware, like doorknobs and door, handles
• Cleaning all sills and frames

Cleaning up after a renovation can be a real headache, especially since contractors aren’t contractually obligated to do any major cleaning. The responsibility falls on you. However, if you use hacks like renting bins, and utilizing the cleaning powers of high-pressure water, there’s no reason why cleaning can’t be finished smoothly in a day or two.