Contractors sweep. Some do a decent job of it. Almost none do what is actually needed after construction, and homeowners are routinely surprised at how dirty a “cleaned” renovation site still is.
Construction dust is different
Drywall dust, sawdust and masonry dust are far finer and lighter than household dust. They stay airborne for hours, travel through the whole house on air currents, and settle into every surface including ones nowhere near the work.
That is why one pass never works. You clean a room, the air settles overnight, and in the morning there is a new layer. Anyone promising a one-visit post-renovation clean has not done many.
What it actually takes
- Multiple passes over several days, not one long day
- Vacuuming with a sealed HEPA system — a standard vacuum exhausts fine dust straight back out
- Air vents and returns, which distribute construction dust through the house for months if skipped
- Inside every cabinet and drawer, including ones that were closed
- Light fixtures, ceiling fans and the tops of doors
- Windows, tracks and frames, which collect a cement-like film
- Paint flecks and adhesive residue on floors and glass, removed by hand
Change the filters
Replace your HVAC filters after any significant renovation, and again a month later. Otherwise the system keeps recirculating what it captured, and the house never fully clears.
Timing
Book after the last trade has left, not between trades. A post-renovation clean done before the final coat of paint is a clean you will pay for twice.
Protect what was just installed
New surfaces are not automatically durable. Fresh grout is still curing. New paint takes weeks to fully harden and marks easily. Some new stone is unsealed. Cleaning a brand-new bathroom with a standard bathroom product can genuinely damage it in the first month.
Ask the contractor what was installed and what it needs, and tell your cleaner. This is a conversation that almost never happens and regularly costs people money.
The order for a renovation clean
- Dry removal first — vacuum everything, including walls and ceilings
- Then damp-wipe hard surfaces, top to bottom
- Glass and windows after the dust has settled, never before
- Floors last, and expect to do them more than once
- A final pass a few days later, once airborne dust has fully settled
Debris is not our job, and we will say so
Offcuts, packaging and construction waste are the contractor’s responsibility. A cleaning crew removing builders’ debris is being paid cleaning rates to do disposal work, and it means the actual cleaning gets less time. Get the site cleared first.
Expect it to cost more than a deep clean
It is more hours, more passes and more care than any standard job. A quote at deep-clean rates for a whole-house renovation is a quote from somebody who has not done one.
We handle post-renovation work as custom cleaning — see our services.