You can expect a big mess upon completion of the work when it comes to major home repairs and renovations. You can bet that white dust will find its way underneath, even if you cover the floors and furniture with plastic or paper.
A lot of dust scatters everywhere in the home after doing some repairs or renovation. It can deposit on any surfaces or shelves, and can even spread on areas distant from the working area. After the repair or renovation is done, you then need to spend a couple of hours, days or even a week just to remove the generated dust. But there should be more efficient ways to remove it.
It is important to know how to tackle cleaning afterward, whether you have done a partial refurbishment of a single room, you have touched up the whole place with the help of vacuum backpack. The following are 8 effective cleaning tips after a renovation:
1. Know where to start from
Before you do anything else, you need to open up the windows to ventilate the place. There might be a lingering smell of glue, wood, plaster or any other building material. Next, it is time to remove larger objects like tiles, cement bags, and other leftover materials.
As you begin to clean, always start from the top and move towards the bottom. Since the walls have likely accumulated some dust, you can wipe them with a damp cloth or use backpack vacuum cleaners.
2. Cleaning in the bathroom
If you have replaced the sink in the bathroom or done some other renovation work there, you must first clean the sanitary ware and remove the debris left after renovation.
Always start with the largest item in the room and finish with the smallest one. It is best to clean in phases. First, use a dry microfibre cloth and then a wet one. That way you can deal with the dust on the tiles effectively.
3. Cleaning windows
If you notice some glue or silicone residue on the windows, you need to remove it with a scraper. Be very gentle not to scratch the material. If there are drops of paint around the edge of the window frame, you can use a cotton pad with nail polish remover to clear it. Next on your list is to wipe the area from dust. Use a wet cloth and lukewarm for this task.
4. Cleaning spots
If you find a spot in the area that is tough to clean, you will need something a little more potent than just water. According to experts, ammonia works well for individual spots. Dilute it with water and apply it with a cloth and scrub. You can also have the spots removed with the help of a backpack vacuum with a powerhead.
5. Fight unpleasant odor
In many cases smell from paint or some other building material is left to linger in the area. Since that is rather unpleasant, you can employ baking soda to help you out. Fill a bowl with baking soda and place it in the room overnight. It will absorb the unpleasant odor and refresh the place.
6. Cleaning the floor
One of the final tasks you need to address is cleaning the floor. It is recommended that you leave this task for last since that is where the dust will settle. Before you go on and use detergent on the area, go over with a damp cloth to tackle the dirt and dust.
Once you are done, it is time to use a specialized product to address the type of surface, i.e. hardwood, tile or anything else really. If you have no other solution, use a liter of water and 2-3 tbsp. lemon juice for the task.
An effective way to remove dust is through vacuum cleaning. Vacuum thoroughly all the surfaces including the window frames, sill and skirting, and everywhere where dust is most likely settle. After vacuuming all the surfaces, you can then wipe it with a damp cloth to thoroughly clean the surfaces.
If there should marks or stains left, after wiping with a damp cloth, wipe it again with a dry cloth or you can use a universal cleaner to remove the stains.
7. Consider getting help
After-builders cleaning services are quite common and are an excellent way to tackle the task. Instead of bothering with the cleaning process, you can let professionals handle every single aspect of it. They will come with the gear and solutions they need to deal with the job to the highest standard.
8. Vacuum the carpets
Hardwood flooring should be vacuumed with the best backpack vacuum before using a scrubber drier. Instead of vacuuming the floors, you can mop them, but it can be a tedious process. Mopping alone cannot thoroughly remove the dust because it will only wet the dust and leave muddy lines. Let the floor dry for a moment then scrub it with a clean and dry cloth to remove the dirt left on the floor from mopping.
