Effective Ways to Keep Your Home Clean During a Renovation

Home renovations can be stressful and chaotic, but once they are complete, they are very rewarding. All your hard work and time will be evident in the beautiful home that you can show off and enjoy. During the process, home renovations are messy. Rooms are in total chaos or even closed off.  You’ll have dust from sanding freshly taped sheetrock, paint splatter from painting rooms, and construction debris everywhere. The best way to keep your home clean during a renovation is to tackle it in stages. Here are a few ways that you can effectively keep you home as clean as possible during this time.

Cover Everything

If you won’t be using it during the renovations, cover it up. Whether you are working in a kitchen, bedroom, or living room, you will want to cover everything in the room with plastic. It is often hard to clear out a house prior to renovations; space is often a problem and renting a portable storage unit can be an added expense.

If you are still planning on using your home during renovations, cover your furniture and appliances in the morning and they remove the covers at night so that you can cook and unwind. This will reduce the amount of dust and debris that gets into and on your items so that you don’t have to thoroughly clean before you can use them. Be careful when removing plastic in the evening, as paint splatter can still be wet and you don’t want all the dust on the plastic to get everywhere; that would defeat the purpose of covering it all in the first place. Be sure that electrical appliances, such as a refrigerator, aren’t wrapped too tightly in plastic, as you don’t want the motor to overheat.

Close Off Parts of the House

Sometimes it is just easier to close off a part of the house and not use it when construction is taking place. It can be a lot less hassle to move small appliances, like a toaster oven and microwave, into the living room while work is being done in the kitchen, and they cover everything else that is staying in the room to prevent damage. While not having access to your kitchen can be an inconvenience, so can taking down and putting up plastic day in and day out. Once one room is complete, you can start in another, again, closing off that part of the house so that work can continue, uninterrupted.

Clean Daily

Every day sweep and vacuum areas of the house that people will walk through so that they are not spreading dust and debris everywhere. If you have a contractor doing the work, you can request that they sweep and clean up prior to leaving for the day. It’s never a bad idea to do a quick sweep through the entire house, as airborne dust travels easily from room to room. Running a vacuum across carpets is also a good idea.

Additionally, use disinfecting wipes on surfaces, such as countertops and tables to remove dust and debris. Doing so will prevent cross contamination with your food and personal care items.

Clean the Air

Air purifiers are a great way to remove airborne dust. Running an air purifier will ensure that you are not breathing sheetrock and sawdust, which can become a major irritant to your eyes, nose, and lungs. If you are able to, open the windows, but you also don’t want wind blowing dust even further around your home. Use your discretion as to whether opening a window will be helpful or hurtful.

Keeping your home clean when you are renovating your home can be a challenge. Use care with covering items and cleaning in the evening to ensure that your furniture stays protected and that you don’t inhale anything that can be harmful to your health. In the end, the extra time spent cleaning will be worth it, when your renovations are complete and you can once again enjoy your home.