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Whether you’ve just moved into a new home or you’re finally giving your house a much-needed revamp, home renovations are always an exciting time. That said, redesigning a room, fitting a new bathroom/kitchen or adding a new room altogether can be messy work! And while there’s no way around making a bit of a mess, it’s best to keep it to a minimum so you can reduce cleaning time at the end of the project and get your home back in one piece quickly.
But how can you do this? Being organised and proactive is the best way to keep on top of any resulting sawdust, debris and rubbish. So, if you want a successful remodel without hours of cleaning up afterwards, follow our top tips below to keep your living environment as tidy and dust-free as possible.
Clear the room
If you’re not sure how to prevent dust from settling on your furniture and finding its way into every nook and cranny, the best thing to do is to remove what you can from the rooms that are being remodelled. Of course not everything can be moved and some items may prove far too inconvenient to take out, but moving what you can and storing it safely in another room is the best solution.
For example, your rooms may be filled with items such as small coffee tables, bookshelves, decorative furniture like a variety of wingback chairs, electronic devices like TVs or sets of drawers. If this is the case these are all easy enough to remove. Do this before you begin the remodel to keep mess to a minimum.
Cover things over
For bigger furniture and objects that you can’t always remove, don’t panic! You can cover these with plastic wraps or old sheets. This will protect them from dust and paint during the remodel and means you can simply pick up the protective layer and remove it once the work is complete.
Stop the spread
Another way to prevent dust and debris being spread about your house is to isolate the area that is being remodelled. Keep doors closed where possible and ask any contractors you have to put precautions in place to stop the spread. This could mean using a different entrance that is closer to the room being remodelled, or laying down protection such as sheets, plastic or old carpets on the floor to stop dust being carried around by boots and shoes as they walk around the house.
Open the windows
In the evenings or days when no work is being done, it’s a good idea to open all the windows – weather permitting of course! This helps to ventilate the room and gives the dust a chance to escape. It can also stop it from settling on any furniture that has been left in the room.
Do a daily clean up
At the end of each day ask your contractors to have a cleanup and clear away as much rubbish and debris as they can. You can also do this yourself; clearing up even the smallest mess can make a difference. Of course be careful not to disturb any of their work as you don’t want to cause problems, but a small cleanup at the end of each day is beneficial.
Hoover and sweep
If you’re assisting or completing any of the remodelling yourself it can be helpful to hoover the dust as you go. If you have a hand held vacuum this can be great for getting in tighter spots. Alternatively, if you have wooden or tiled floors it’s easy enough to do a quick sweep up after each big task is complete.
And this also applies for other rooms in the house. Despite your best efforts it’s entirely possible that some dust or debris will be spread around by people. So hoover or sweep other rooms as well to minimise the mess and damage done during the remodel.
Keeping on top of the mess
They say prevention is better than cure, and this can also apply to keeping your house clean and tidy throughout a remodel. By being organised and proactive you can prepare the rooms to the best of your ability before the work begins. After that put precautions in place to stop the dust from spreading. At the end of each day, air out the room and do a quick clean up to make sure you’re keeping on top of the mess.
Edward is the managing director of Sloane & Sons Stylish Chairs. He is an expert in quality, comfortable upholstered chairs.
