How to Clean Up After a Remodeling Project

Remodeling your home, or even just a part of it, is one of the most exciting and rewarding projects a homeowner can do! But it comes at a price – noise, commotion and general disruption of your life during the renovation, followed by dirt, dust and debris literally everywhere! Sheetrock dust, flooring dust, brick dust, nails, screws, shards of wood, tile or laminate – you name it. As cleaning professionals specializing in post construction cleaning, NY Brite has some DIY tips for before, during and after remodeling to help minimize the inevitable mess that construction projects leave behind.

Before your remodeling project starts:

• Everything in the construction area will get dirty. Everything. Remove as much as you can before starting – furniture, blinds, curtains, knickknacks, lampshades, even light fixtures, if you can.
• Cover or remove electronics and appliances – construction dust can damage them.
• Cover anything else you can with disposable covers like old bedsheets or garbage bags.

During the project:

• Designate one or two sets of old clothes to use as “construction clothes”. If you need to go into the construction area, take off your clean clothes, change into your construction clothes. Change back when you leave. This helps avoid tracking dirt into the rest of your house.
• Shut off air filters in the work area if possible, to avoid bringing fumes and dust into the rest of the house.

Post Construction Cleanup:

First a few things you’ll need:

• Gloves, protective eyewear, facemasks – In addition to ultrafine dust, construction can release various toxins, mold spores and silicates. You don’t want to breathe or come in contact with any of that if you can avoid it.
• A good shop vac
• Rags, broom, mop, bucket
• heavy-duty bags and boxes to dispose of the debris

Now that you’re all set, let’s get down to the “nitty gritty” – so to speak!

• Remove all remaining debris.
• Clean air ducts and replace filters. Clean vent covers.
• Use your shop vac on every surface – walls, ceilings and floors.
• Plan your cleaning strategy from top to bottom. Dirt that you displace from higher places will land on lower ones.
• Use a wet rag to wipe down EVERYTHING that’s safe to use it on – walls, ceilings, baseboards, molding, windows, window frames, handles, hinges, light fixtures, ceiling fan blades, lamp shades.
• Wipe down light bulbs, clean glass.
• Wipe down electronics and any decorative items you didn’t remove beforehand. If you had covered up your electronics or small appliances, remove the covers carefully and dispose of them right into a trash bag.
• Open up cabinets and clean the interior shelves – dust will get in there too.
• If any furniture was left in the room, vacuum well – you will probably need to do this several times.
• Wait a few days, re-check air ducts and filters.
• Disinfect hard floors.

You may need to repeat these steps several times.

Clean it up yourself or hire someone?

This is a big decision. Three things to take into consideration:

• How long will it take you to do it yourself?
• Do you have the time and the energy?
• Do you have health considerations like asthma that could be aggravated by being in close contact with dust, dirt and other construction debris?

Related: Three reasons to hire a cleaning service after construction Does the thought of all this cleaning make you want to throw in the towel? We don’t blame you – it’s a really tough cleaning job! If you’re in the NYC area, call NY Brite for a free estimate. Post construction cleaning is our specialty - we have years of experience in cleaning up after remodeling projects quickly, safely and effectively and we would be happy to help make your newly-renovated house or apartment into a home again.