Post-Renovation Cleaning: What You Need to Know

After a renovation, all you want to do is sit and relax in your new space, and enjoy all the hard work you did. The last thing you want to do is cleaning up the mess, which means more work.

The post-renovation cleanup is just as important as the renovation itself. The debris and materials left behind from a renovation can be dangerous and hazardous to those around. Not only that, but it can cause issues in other parts of your home, like your ventilation system.

Don’t avoid the post-renovation cleanup. Here is what you need to know about it and what you should remember to clean.

Why is It Important?

The cleanup from a renovation is an essential step never to miss. To start, the materials left behind can serious injury someone if fallen or stepped on. Imagine a nail stuck in the carpet, and someone walks over it. You’re left with an injury that could have been avoided with a simple cleanup.

The dust from a renovation isn’t just bad for our health, but it can also clog up the ducts in your home. Dust is an allergen for many people. Even if you don’t have allergies, no one wants to breathe in dust.  Also, the dust can seep into other parts of the house and clog up appliances that keep the air in your home clean and fresh.

Dust, chemicals, and other supplies used during a renovation can degrade the quality of things you have in your house if you don’t clean it up.

Lastly, cleaning up the renovated room right away prevents more work for you down the road. If left alone, the debris and dust from your renovation will eventually make its way into other parts of the house, increasing the amount of cleanup work on your plate.

Expect it to Take Awhile

Unlike a regular cleaning you do throughout the house, your post-renovation cleanup will take much longer and likely be quite a bit more work. That is because you’ll have to be more thorough to ensure that you clean up every crack, corner, and other places dust can seep into.

You’ll Still Have to Clean Elsewhere

No matter how hard you try to contain the renovation to the specific area, you’ll still need to spend some time cleaning in other areas as well. The foot traffic alone from contractors, yourself, or anyone else that helped with the renovation will track dirt, dust, and debris throughout the rest of the house.

Don’t Forget These Cleaning Duties

Lightly wash the walls to remove any dust that built up over time. Make sure the paint is completely dry and set before wiping them down.

Clean the air vents and replace the filters. You’ll have more dust floating through your home that your air vents will collect, which means the filters are working extra hard. Replace them right after you’re done to ensure they are cleaning the air thoroughly.

All the light fixtures, any ceiling fans, lamp shades, appliances, hard surfaces, furniture, flooring, and any decorative items should get wiped down. Basically, anything that is in the room you just renovated, wipe it down before putting it back.