Top 5 Home Renovation Cleaning Tips

When you’re prepping for a home renovation, chances are you’re not going to spend too much time on cleaning since the demolition process is bound to be incredibly messy. You’ll likely move all your stuff out and get to work knocking down walls and hauling away debris. But there are actually a few preparatory steps you’ll need to take, such as properly covering furnishings going into your garage or another storage space (to keep off the dust, if nothing else). And you’ll certainly want to make sure to remove any fixtures or other elements you’d like to salvage and reuse. However, the bigger issue will come after the fact, when the renovation is complete and you’re looking to put your home back together. At this point a major cleaning will be necessary to make your home livable. So here are just a few tips to get your house back in perfect condition following a renovation.

1. Get a shop vac. A good place to start when cleaning up after a renovation is by having the right tools for the job. And while you’ve no doubt got rubber gloves, cleaning rags, and a cupboard full of solvents at your disposal, the main issue with most renovation projects is the dust left behind. Unfortunately, it can be a bit of a hassle. This is where a shop vac can help by giving you the added suction and attachments you need to get into every nook and cranny and really attack the particulates left behind in the wake of your remodel.
2. Make a checklist. If you’re planning to systematically clean every surface in your home it behooves you to do so in an orderly manner, lest you overlook a spot or several. By creating a checklist for each room you won’t have to drag the vacuum or dust rags back out because you forgot to clean the fan blades or you realize that a fine layer of grit has somehow embedded itself inside the kitchen cabinets or under the fridge.
3. Clean under and behind. No gap is too small for air to get through, and the same pretty much goes for dust. So unless you want to find reminders of your renovation puffing out here and there, it’s probably a good idea to move absolutely everything when you clean, including appliances, furnishings you covered and left in rooms, and even photos and art on the walls.
4. Use green cleaners. Natural cleaning solvents might not be very appealing to the average homeowner, but there are a lot of good reasons to make the switch. For one thing, chemical cleaning solvents can be responsible for all kinds of respiratory ailments like asthma, allergies, and more. But the fact that you can make green cleansers at home at less expense thanks to the use of common household ingredients (look for recipes online), you might just decide to turn over a new, green leaf. And since your home is all new thanks to the renovation, now is a great time to start.
5. Replace HVAC filters. Part of the cleaning process following renovations will be addressing interior air quality, and that may include a professional duct cleaning service. While you probably already know why carrier factory authorized service is best, you might find yourself questioning the cost. The thing is, you really can’t do the same job as the pros when it comes to cleaning the dust from your ducts. What you can do on your own to spare some expense, though, is replace the filters on your own. And you might want to consider using beefy HEPA filters, at least at first, to trap and lock dust and allergens stirred up by your renovations.