Clean Your Renovated Home in Three Stages
There’s always a huge mess to clean after a renovation project, whether it was successful or not. Hopefully, all of the effort (and money) was worth it; otherwise, the cleanup will be even more unenjoyable. Either way, at RBC Clean, we know that you want to enjoy your new home ASAP.
Most homeowners don’t even realize how much there is to clean until after the renovation! Luckily, our team has organized our cleaning process into easily followed stages. Read below to see the most efficient way to clean after your renovations.
Open Windows
The first step in tackling your renovation cleanup is to open up some windows. Ventilation is crucial because construction projects produce chemical fumes, dust, and debris contaminating the air. Breathing these in can cause many health issues, so open up windows and doors to let the air flow.
Opening a window is especially important after painting because headaches from fumes are less likely to occur and paint will dry quicker. If you have an air filter, then turn it on to help remove fine dust particles.
Get Prepared
This is your chance to make sure you have all the right cleaning products and tools before starting. If you haven’t done so, ensure you block off any areas that you want to protect. Having a plan will make your cleanup more time-efficient and make you less likely to miss areas. Here are some initial steps to include in your cleanup plan:
- Work backwards to avoid stepping into your mess. Start at a point far away from the door and move towards it as you clean.
- Seal off rooms with plastic sheeting and masking tape. Don’t use other tape varieties. Masking tape (also known as painter’s tape) is least likely to damage fresh paint.
- Prevent dust from entering other rooms through your vents and damaging your HVAC system by blocking them off too.
- Throw out any garbage too big to be swept up or vacuumed.
Stage 1: Rough Clean
The rough clean is the first actual cleaning step after prepping and primarily consists of sweeping. It’s called a rough clean because your home will still look pretty messy after this step, but most of the mess will be gone. Cleaning after a renovation is best done in multiple passes; rough cleaning will be your first pass.
It’s important to sweep before dusting because sweeping kicks dust up into the air where it can settle on surfaces. You’ll have to re-dust pretty soon if you don’t sweep first. Use a soft-bristled broom to sweep off the dust on your walls and ceilings.
Take a short break after sweeping to let the dust settle; you can then start to dust. If the dust is excessive, wear a mask to prevent inhalation, and make cleanup easier by lightly misting with water.
Finishing the Rough Clean
There’s usually too much dust and wood particles to be cleaned effectively in one go. Remove as much dust and debris as possible in the rough clean stage, but keep in mind that a lot will just be moved around and not removed yet. Complete the following steps before moving on to the deep clean stage:
- Wipe down glass doors and windows
- Buy required cleaning products and services
- Throw out construction debris and garbage
- Sweep and vacuum
Sweeping is great on hardwood or laminate floors, but a vacuum with an HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter will suck up fine dust from carpets.
Stage 2: Deep Clean
After cleaning up the majority of the renovation mess in the rough clean stage, it’s time to start deep cleaning. The process doesn’t differ too much from the rough clean. The significant difference is that rough cleaning is relatively dry, and deep cleaning uses water.
A microfibre mop is great for collecting dust that your broom missed earlier on. Don’t soak the mop; instead, wring it out until it’s slightly damp. You’ll want to avoid too much water, as it can turn your dust into mud instead of just sticking to the mophead. Go over all the areas you swept, including ceilings and walls. Keep a bucket of water close by to rinse frequently and avoid wet dust on surfaces you’re trying to clean.
Deep Cleaning Carpets
A mop won’t do you any good if you have carpets or area rugs to clean in your home. You can rent portable carpet cleaners, but truck-mounted carpet cleaners provide the deepest and most-thorough steam clean. Give your carpet a few slow passes with a regular vacuum before any type of steam cleaning.
Drop your area rug off at our rug cleaning depot in Aurora, Ontario and you’ll save 25%!
Finishing the Deep Clean
After sweeping, mopping, and dusting, you should notice that your home looks much cleaner. Check off these last few tasks and you’ll be ready for the final cleaning stage:
- Use a vacuum to suck up dirt in vents and HVAC systems
- Wipe and polish any metallic or reflective surfaces
- Clean soft furniture like couches and chairs
- Squeegee glass windows and doors
- Dust light fixtures and bulbs with a microfibre cloth
- Wash baseboards, cabinets, and doors
At this point, the cleaning process is about 95% complete. Let’s look at the final stage that makes your newly renovated home livable and fit for entertaining.
Stage 3: Spot Clean
You might be able to do the first two stages in a day but allow for some time to pass before starting the touch-up. The final bits of dust will settle within a few days of completing the deep clean. You may also see some areas with fingerprints or stains that need to be spot cleaned.
The final stage in your renovation cleanup turns an “A-” clean into an “A+.” If you removed furniture to start your renovation, it can go back now. Give furniture you are putting back a quick clean so it’s just as spotless as everything else.
Let RBC Clean Help
There’s already enough stress that comes with home renovation; don’t let a complex cleanup make it worse. Located in Aurora and servicing all of Southern Ontario and the GTA, including Concord, we have over six decades of cleanup experience.
For more information, including on our post-construction cleanup services, give us a call at 1-855-493-9259, or click here for a quick quote..