How to Survive Post-Renovation Cleaning (yes, it’s possible)

Two young women sitting in a blue couch stressing over their post-renovation cleaning

We all know construction is often synonymous with “a confusing, messy, never-ending story”; did your home actually make it? Mission Impossible became Mission Accomplished? Holy smokes – hooray to you!

Not to burst your bubble, but there’s one more obstacle to overcome before you get comfy: post renovation cleanup.

After your home’s makeover is complete, there may be copious amounts of dust and debris leftover (though hopefully no fossilized lunch remains, courtesy of the construction team).

Are you wondering whether you can manage the mess yourself or need to hire a professional to get the job done? Take a look at what we’ve come up with here to help you figure it out!

 

How to Start Your Post-Renovation Clean Up?

Brave enough to get through post-renovation cleaning on your own? Well sheesh – we’re impressed!

But a heads up – all that crud we’ve been talking about here? It’s probably made its way into the many nooks and crannies your dandy dwelling holds. Investing in essential equipment is a must if you want to be a cleaning boss.

From the tip-top cabinets to your floor’s many crevices, everything will need a scrub-a-dub-dub (unless you find a mouse – in that case, the mentioned “scrub-a-dub-dub” may not be the course of action).

We recommend having the following before you get to it:

  • Vacuum cleaner
  • Broom/Dust pan
  • Mop/Mop bucket
  • Stepladder
  • Spray bottles
  • Multi-purpose cleaner
  • Sponges(choose a variety for different surfaces)
  • Cleaning brushes
  • Microfiber cloths or rags
  • Paper towels
  • Other supplies as required (i.e.carpet cleaner)

When you begin cleaning, start high, finish low. Now we don’t mean in terms of your cleaning spirits – keep those up 24/7 (alright, this may be harder for you than it is for us)! We mean ceiling to floor, and leave the inbetween for later.

Channel your inner Inspector Gadget and make sure to investigate it all – for example, a spider family may have set up shop in a hard to reach spot. Get the ick (but hopefully no back strain) over with – after all, cobwebs are only relevant during Halloween.

Side note: Give yourself time beforehand to whip up a cleaning list for your high and low spaces, respectively. Worrying that you’ll miss something? Breathe! And check out this guide – it may be helpful, AND it has pictures – who doesn’t love a good visual aid?

 

Getting Your Post Renovation Cleanup Together

Once your amazing cleaning powers have worked their way through your home’s highest of highs and lowest of lows, it’s time to tackle the middle, the good part, the life of the party; the rooms your ceilings and floors hold!

We recommend starting with the bathroom(s) first, for obvious reasons; when ya gotta go, ya gotta go.

Begin with disinfecting, then make your way through dusting, scrubbing, sweeping and mopping (don’t forget to wipe down those mirrors so you can see that wonderful face of yours!)

Runner up for top room to clean first? The kitchen. Why? Construction crews often use this area as their headquarters, likely meaning lots of supplies lived there, stuff frequently came in and out of it and any of the sinks were used for washing up.

While hopefully no camp-outs transpired, the kitchen was presumably the room most heavily used, so give it some extra cleaning love (Yes, that means opening every cupboard and drawer, at least for a quick dust!)

And don’t forget about your kitchen’s appliances; while they’re likely new, it’s important your food is being stored and cooked in a perfectly pristine environment!

Once you’ve made it through the discussed priority areas, how to proceed from there is usually house-dependent (or can simply be determined on what you’d prefer to do next!).

However, a few important points sometimes forgotten:

  • The closets (no, there aren’t any monsters in them waiting to greet you…in all likelihood anyway).
  • Carving out enough time for carpet cleaning (if applicable).
  • The walls. We know. B-O-R-I-N-G. But necessary. There’s often leftover fingerprints from construction, so sing a song (or five) and wipe em’ down!

Construction and post renovation cleaning are two major house milestones; both are big jobs, with the latter left to you; but it’s absolutely achievable!

Show up with the right tools, a strategic plan, some helping hands, and you got this.

If you can already tell the prospect of post renovation clean up will give you nightmares though, we totally get it – and that’s why we’re here!

If you’d like to hand over your cleaning duties to us, we’d be honoured – and promise to be top notch with our timeliness and magical abilities (Disclaimer: Said magic is unofficial).

Get in touch with us right here and let’s talk cleaning today!