Cleaning after a house renovation is hard. It doesn’t matter if you covered the floors and all of the furniture with protective plastic during the building work, somehow everything will be buried under trees fingers of dust. Not only that but there will be drops of cement and paint, parts of old wallpapers and all kinds of rubbish trout the whole house. Let’s be honest your home is going to be an utter mess and you have a limited time to set everything in order because who gives so much paid leave in London?! We got you, here are some cleaning guidelines to make your life easy.

Every Beginning Is Hard

The immediate cleaning tasks after the builders have left are more connected with rubbish disposal than with precise house cleaning. You need to get rid of all the leftover wallpaper, bags of cement or other building materials that may still be laying around your house. Here are some basic steps to follow:

  • Open windows to get rid of the heavy smells of glue and paint. If this doesn’t help and the room is still smelly, place a bowl of baking soda in it. The soda will absorb the nasty odours.
  • Remove all heavy bags and put them in the basement, attic or garage.
  • Dispose of the leftover rubbish – empty bags, carpet or rug parts, broken glass, etc. Make sure you are aware of the rubbish regulations in London. Specific rubbish goes to a specific bin.
  • Take a damp cloth or a mop and wipe the ceilings and the walls, starting from top to bottom. The idea is to remove the dust that has stuck to the wallpaper and ceiling paint.
  • Leave the floor for last.
  • Repeat these actions in every room of your home.

Time to Clean the Toilet

After the rooms are considerably more clean than in the beginning, comes time to clean the toilet and all the tiles.

  • Clear out the debris left from the renovation
  • Use a broom to collect the leftover dust and debris.
  • With a damp cloth wipe the sink, the bathtub and the toilet and take special care of the taps.
  • Be extremely careful not to clutter your drains with rubbish.
  • If you find silicone spots on the tiles gently peel them. Keep in mind that the best way of cleaning silicone stains is by leaving them to dry and then removing them.
  • After the rubbish from the renovation is cleaned, you can proceed by giving your toilet a regular cleaning using your favourite cleaning detergents.

Sparkling Clean Windows

Altho it is an old British cleaning tradition, avoid polishing your windows with newspapers. The ink will stain and damage the glass. You are a modern Londoner with a beautifully renovated home, you just need to do a proper after builders cleaning.

  • Bear in mind that your windows and have never been dirtier and coated in dust so you must clean them regardless of the weather outside (cloudy weather is ideal for window cleaning.).
  • Start by wiping the frames with a damp microfibre cloth, be careful with all corners and on the base of the window.
  • Wipe the windows. The goal is to remove the dust so no cleaner is necessary yet.
  • Use a mix of water and dishwashing soap to clean the frames.
  • Pick your favourite window cleaner and a microfibre cloth and polish the windows.
  • If it is sunny outside you may need to repeat the polishing part on a more cloudy day

The Step of the After Builders House Cleaning

Last but definitely not least – the floor cleaning. After you wipe all the walls and ceilings, clean the toilet and the windows it is time for the finishing touches.

  • Swipe the dust and the larger leftovers with a broom.
  • Use a damp mop and clean the floor firstly only with water.
  • Make a mixture of cold water and multipurpose cleaner and wipe the floors.
  • You can add lemon juice to freshen up the air and disinfect the surface.

Stephanie Cooper

Stephanie is a content marketing specialist for Top Cleaners for the past several years. She has extensive experience working with cleaning companies and knows her audience. Stephanie creates engaging and useful content helping the customers of Top Cleaners with their struggles and providing them with the most accurate insight.