Cleaning After Renovation: Techniques, Secrets, Experience

2023 Author: Douglas Hoggarth | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 20:16

• Problem No. 1. General work plan
• Problem number 2. Large debris

• Problem # 3. Dust

  • Planes - walls, floor, ceiling
  • Doors and windows
  • Lighting
• Problem # 4. Spots
• Alternative helpers
• Cleaning companies

Cleaning is no less painstaking and thorough process than fine finishing, therefore it takes a lot of time and effort. There are several ways to avoid excess contamination during renovations and to make cleaning easier.

Problem No. 1. General work plan

The most unpleasant situation is when you have to work in an already finished building, or use it as a temporary warehouse or passage. When planning a renovation or restoration, be sure to consider the possibility of preserving the finished premises - so that you can completely finish and close each room. This can cause some inconvenience with the movement of the material and the order of work inconvenient for the master, but it is guaranteed to save you from unnecessary cleaning and the risk of damaging the finished surfaces.

Problem number 2. Large debris

If dismantling is planned, do it in full first. Everything that needs to be broken, knocked out, cut off - do it before the first material is delivered. Then you should carry out the "dirty" work - punching openings, masonry, screed. At this stage, large garbage is formed, for which you should prepare used bags in advance and order a car for removal. Such garbage is not considered household waste, so you will have to take it out yourself.

Council. In each city there are transport companies that offer services for the removal of construction waste - it costs some money. If you agree with a construction company-developer, the removal will be much cheaper (garbage is used to fill roads and pits).

Problem # 3. Dust

It is the most difficult companion to remove in virtually all jobs. Fine cement dust, grinding and drilling products are hammered into crevices, corners, folds and are removed very "reluctantly". The accumulations of this harmful substance are divided into three categories.

Planes - walls, floor, ceiling

To combat dust during and after work, the main assistant is a vacuum cleaner. The brush with different attachments will remove dust from any surface.

Council. If you have to overhaul the entire apartment, we recommend renting an industrial vacuum cleaner with a wet cleaning function for cleaning. This unit will draw in water and detergent from the tiled floor or walls.

Attention! A household vacuum cleaner may not be able to handle large amounts of fine dust.

In general, an industrial vacuum cleaner can solve almost all dust collection tasks at any site. Only a soft brush can replace it, but the labor intensity will increase significantly.

Doors and windows

The problem with these interior elements is mechanisms and adjoining surfaces. Dust from drilling and grinding will inevitably clog into window frames, door hinges and locks when ventilated, so all these areas should be thoroughly vacuumed.

Council. Have a few good paint brushes of varying sizes ready for use only for sweeping away dust. This will help clean corners, grooves and crevices in the absence of a vacuum cleaner.

It is best to protect decorative elements and moving parts in advance by gluing them over with masking tape. Use a brush and spray bottle with a solution of household detergent to clean the small window grooves.

Lighting

If you plan to use recessed lights, install them at the stage of furniture drifting. During operation, you can connect a temporary socket with a lamp for lighting. Dust often clogs under the shade, and the luminaire loses its decorative appearance, moreover, it can overheat. If this does happen, remove and clean the cover or rinse it.

Problem # 4. Spots

There is one law in handling solutions and liquid formulations: the wallpaper and fabric must not be stained, everything else can be washed. All finishing materials, depending on the severity of their removal, can be divided into three groups.

Water soluble. These are ordinary finishing materials that are used in finishing in 90% of cases due to their absolute non-toxicity:

1. Acrylic paint and putty. The first rule is to wipe while wet. The acrylic compound, as a rule, spreads into a thin spot, which is difficult to break off later. Therefore, it is better to remove it before solidification.
2. Gypsum compositions. In the midst of work, while filling the walls, the master does not notice how small portions of the mass are torn off the spatula. Gypsum can be easily removed from any surface with a spatula or a hard brush. The residues are washed with water.
3. Wallpaper glue. If it is spilled on a smooth surface, you can simply wait until it dries and clean with a dry cloth.

Chemically active. In home and office renovation, it is most often alkyd enamel. It is not completely removed from wood and fabric surfaces. It can be cleaned from other planes with any solvent.

Alternative helpers

In addition to a vacuum cleaner, other tools and methods can be used for effective and high-quality cleaning:

1. Steamer. This household appliance will help clean the surface contaminated with a water-soluble compound. Hot steam will saturate the dried composition, which is already chemically inactive, and facilitate its cleaning.
2. Building hair dryer. It will help in several directions at once. With its help, you can quickly clean areas of dry dust. It is also effective for removing adhesives - just warm up the glue and wipe it off. Enamel or any other polymer can be heated in this way.
3. Thinner "White spirit". They can wipe absolutely everything. There is only one drawback - it is toxic. Use a spray bottle and respirator. Don't dissolve the solvent in water - it doesn't make sense.
4. Conventional detergents. For independent "budget" cleaning after renovation, they are quite enough.
5. Boiling water. The hotter the water you use when cleaning, the better (faster and easier) the result will be.

Cleaning companies

Undoubtedly, the most effective and least time-consuming way to clean the apartment from the remnants of repairs is to do it with someone else's hands. Firms providing cleaning services provide an opportunity not to get involved with the "dusty and dirty" business at all. A number of indisputable advantages make them the leader in cleaning after renovation:

1. Professionalism. Company employees undergo internships and learn how to handle tools and chemistry in advance, and not in the process of paid cleaning.
2. High quality chemistry. Companies with the name have contracts for the direct supply of safe household chemicals and special products. It is easy for the customer to control it.
3. Disinfection. This procedure is possible for domestic and commercial kitchens as needed.
4. Speed. The firm is always interested in the fastest completion of the work. At the same time, the customer does not have to find time to control or correct the process.
5. A responsibility. The firm is responsible for the actions of employees in the event of damage to furniture or surfaces.
6. Additional services. Cleaning companies mainly provide related services - moving, delivery, assembly, furniture placement, polishing and waxing of parquet and furniture, outside window cleaning, carpet cleaning with take-away, etc.

The cleaning company takes money for its work, but by paying for their services, you save something more valuable - time. Therefore, trust in professionals is always justified.