How to Make Sure Your Home is Clean Following a Renovation
You've finally completed the renovation, and you couldn't be happier. Now comes the really tough part. It doesn't seem to matter how much you try to contain the mess, the dust and debri gets everywhere. Here are some ways that you can get that mess under control, and go back to your regularly scheduled clean home.
Start From the Top
Dust has a way of settling onto every surface. Pull out the ladder and brush off the ceiling and the molding in your home. A used dryer sheet attached to a broom is great at attracting dust. It may be tempting just to focus on the areas of your home that were near the renovation. This can leave you finding dust pockets in strange places in your home weeks or months down the line. Work your way down the walls and all the way to the baseboards. You can use a broom to knock off the larger chunks, and then follow through with your vacuum hose.
Focus On Vents and Light Fixtures
The vents in your home may have allowed the dust particles to spread around the rest of your home. It may be a good idea to clean out your air ducts if the remodel was prolonged or particularly messy. Remove the vent covers and give them a good cleaning as well. Change out your air filter so that you can start the system out fresh again. Another place that dust settles is in the light fixtures. Take off the shades, and wash them in the sink.
Wipe Down All Hard Surfaces
Wipe down all of the hard surfaces in your home. This includes your electronics. The residual heat from the device likes to hold onto the dust. You may want to consider dusting off coils that are on your appliances, such as the refrigerator. A place that is so frequently forgotten about is the top of the refrigerator. If it's safe, consider wiping all of these surfaces down with soapy water and a rag. Use your mop bucket so that you aren't just spreading the dust around, and switch out the water often. Wipe down the tops of your doors and windows. Picture frames may also have accumulated some dirt on the top of the frame. In reality, this can be the hardest and most time-consuming step. Any knick-knacks, decorative item in your house, especially that part nearest the renovation site, will have picked up quite a bit of dust and will need wiped down. You can do it though. Just take it one object at a time, and you’ll be done before you know it.
Break Out the Vacuum
Vacuum your furniture to remove any dust that may have drifted down from another area; your soft and upholstered items need a thorough cleaning too. This can save you from a cloud of dust coming off of them the first time that you sit down or open your curtains. Carpets are notorious for holding in the dirt and grime that is associated with remodeling. If a normal vacuum just doesn’t feel like enough, maybe rent a steam cleaning vacuum or search for the “best carpet cleaners near me”. A professional will be able to get your carpets completely free of all of that dirt if you’re tired of doing it yourself.
Mop the Grime
Your home should be mostly clean at this point. Focus on the details to get it completely clean. Mop the floor at least twice. When it dries you may still find streaks of dirt. The best way to avoid this is to change out the water in the mop bucket after a few passes. This will of course depend on how much dust accumulated over the duration of the renovation. Remove your lampshades and give them a good dusting as well. Give your whole home a once over. Consider asking someone that is taller than you to check any high places. Get down on your hands and knees to see if there are any areas that you might have missed, like under the furniture. You wouldn’t want to have missed anything as it could cause health issues later.
You spent so much time and energy on completing your renovation. Unfortunately, this is only half of the job. When you finish it, you have to clean your home like you've never cleaned it before so that you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. Though you should take your time in the cleaning efforts, I hope these tips have helped you further know how to tackle this huge job while still doing an excellent job.
