Home renovation projects always take longer and cost more than expected. They also leave a much bigger mess in your home than anticipated. Brick or drywall dust doesn’t just dirty up your beautifully renovated home, but it can also damage your home if not cleaned up properly.
There’s no point in spending thousands of dollars to renovate your home if you aren’t going to take care of it properly after. Start with a post-construction deep home cleaning. Keep reading for some tips on how to do this right.
Get the Necessary Tools and PPE
Most people don’t have the necessary tools to do a home cleaning after construction projects. So that will be your first step in this clean-up project.
You can’t just use your typical cleaning tools to remove fine dust, mortar dust, and other post-construction waste from your home. Some of the tools that you will need to rent or purchase are:
- High-powered vacuum cleaner (or shop vac)
- Wet/dry vacuum
- Power washer
- Carpet cleaner
- Floor polisher
Also, don’t forget to grab some Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to protect yourself from post-construction waste that’s dangerous, like left nails, broken glass, and other sharp objects that might have been left behind. Don’t walk around in flip-flops or open-toed sandals in a post-construction home.
Make sure to wear a dust mask as well as eye protection, so you don’t get dangerous dust or splinters into your eyes, causing irritation or an allergic reaction.
It can be quite dangerous for your lungs to inhale fine dust, so be careful with this. Don’t let any children or folks with lung issues come into a post-construction home.
Remove Fine Dust First
Once you have all the necessary equipment, you are ready to start cleaning up the fine dust. You will have to do this in many phases.
Aim to start cleaning at the farthest point from the front door, and then work in to out and up to down. This way, you are always moving dust and dirt outside the room and house rather than just moving it about in the room. The latter can create more of a mess, and the goal here is to clean up your home and make it ready to live in sooner rather than later.
The reason why you want to clean the fine dust first is so that you aren’t breathing in too much dust or debris (dumpster rental in Wilmington, DE) while you do the rest of the cleaning tasks. Seal off any rooms that aren’t affected by using plastic sheeting. Use masking tape or something else like that to secure the plastic to walls and doors.
Also, block vents and other openings to prevent dust from entering your HVAC system and clogging it.
Now you will use your wet/dry vacuum to pick up the loose dust. If the dust is really bad and hard to vacuum, use a sawdust-like mixture (from the local hardware store) to bind the dust and make the cleaning easier for yourself. Or you might want to spray it with water, as that can make it easier to sweep up and capture.
Make sure you sweep the ceilings and walls as well, as a lot of dust will have settled there. Again, don’t forget to wear a dust mask when you do this sweeping up, as a lot of dust will get moved around through your actions, and you don’t want to breathe that in.
Start With Rough Cleaning
Now you are in the second phase of your cleanup, where you will deal with all the debris and major sources of dirt. To start, you will want to use a soft-bristled broom to sweep up every renovated room and get it as clean as you can.
Rent a budget dumpster in Newark, DE so you can throw all the post-construction debris into it, and you don’t have to worry about carrying it to the landfill yourself.
If there are any stains like paint splashes or adhesive residue, then tackle them in this step.
Wash down everything after sweeping up the debris. This includes:
- Windows
- Glass doors
- Partitions
- Door frames
- Walls
- Baseboards
- Window coverings
- All floors
Do a Deep Cleaning Second
Even with a good deep cleaning of the dust the first time around, after sweeping up all the debris (dumpster rental in New Castle, DE), there will still be more dust that will be flying around. You will need to clean it all up again.
That’s why we mentioned that the cleaning needs to be done in phases.
If you aren’t comfortable or don’t have the time to do this all yourself, consider hiring a professional cleaning company to do this for you. It’s not ideal, but at least it will get the job done.
Once you have removed all the debris and dust the second time around, you will want to do a deep cleaning of all your rooms.
This means vacuuming all your chairs, sofas, and other soft furnishings. And dust down everything with a soft, dry cloth. Also, use a vacuum cleaner to remove as much dust as you can from the HVAC vents and filters.
Keep a microfibre cloth around and dampen it to wipe down all level surfaces, walls, and windows every time you notice some dust settling on them. This should remove the last vestiges of construction and renovation efforts from your home.
Don’t Fear Renovation Projects Any Longer
Now you can go forth and tackle all renovation projects for your home without worrying about the aftermath. Follow the steps laid out above, and removing debris from your renovated house will be a cinch.
Don’t forget to contact us if you wish to rent a dumpster in Newcastle County, DE to take care of all that renovation debris and garbage. You have enough on your plate already, so let us take care of your garbage for you.