7 Ways to Keep Your Home Clean While Remodeling
3 pros!
Dust and debris are necessary side effects of many home improvement projects. Keep these tips in mind during a remodel to keep a tidier home.
Whether you are finally getting that brand-new kitchen or bathroom, a re-imagined living room, or an entirely new room addition altogether, major home renovations and remodeling projects mean some exciting changes are in the air.
Unfortunately, it usually also means that there will be drywall dust in the air, sawdust on the floor and plenty of construction debris lying around.
If you want to get through your remodel without the need for a full-scale cleaning service to come in afterward, take some of these proactive steps to keep your home environment tidy during a remodel:
1. Take it out
Before any remodeling work begins, remove everything from the room or area undergoing renovations. If possible remove furniture, clothing, decorations and any other household goods, leaving the renovation area as bare as possible.
This will not only help prevent your items from becoming dirty or dusty during construction, but also helps avoid the possibility of accidental damage or destruction.
2. Cover it up
Cover heavy furniture with plastic. In many cases, there may be a large armoire or vanity that you cannot practically get out of the room. If you want to preserve the looks of a large piece of furniture in your home during a remodel, cover it completely with plastic.
This prevents dust and debris from getting into the cracks and the crevices, and it also prevents the finish on the furniture from getting dulled.
3. Isolate the area
To keep the other areas of your home cleaner, make sure the renovation area is isolated. Speak to the contractor and ask if there are plans to keep the mess and the debris from spreading through the house.
Depending on the project, this can mean they affix plastic sheeting over doors to seal off a room or area, or, in the case of extensive home remodeling, it can also mean heavier plastic tarps or even thick plastic flaps installed temporarily over the door frames.
4. Stay on the path
If your home improvement project takes place in an inner room away from an entry door, build a path using carpet scraps or heavy canvas tarps for any areas where the contractors will be going.
For example, a path of canvas tarps that leads from the work area to the front door and to the bathroom can prevent a contractor from tracking mud and dust throughout the home.
Once your contractor is finished working for the day, pick up the tarps and shake them off outside, stowing them away until they return the next day. This is a great way to prevent the mess from spreading throughout the home.
5. Keep up with daily cleanup
You'll also want talk to the contractor about his or her daily cleanups. If you ask that everything is to be tidied up and swept up every night, this helps reduce the amount of debris and dirt that ends up getting spread through the house.
Since dust and debris has a tendency to move from one area to another, you'll also want to sweep up the areas around the remodeling area daily, as well.
6. Air it out
If weather permits, open the windows and the window screens while work is taking place. Not only will this help provide adequate ventilation to the home, it will also prevent dust and debris from getting caught in the mesh of the screens.
7. Vacuum, then dust
If you notice that there is a lot of dust getting on your hardwood floors or furniture, take the time to run a vacuum over the affected area before you dust. This can help prevent the floor or wooden furniture from becoming scratched later.
Similarly, take some time and use a soft-bristled vacuum attachment before wiping off the wooden parts of your furniture. Simply wiping the dust can cause it to dull your furniture very quickly.
Editor's note: This is an updated version of an article that was originally posted on Jan. 24, 2012.
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