How to Clean Your Home After a Renovation

Last steps before you move in!

After what feels like forever, your home’s renovation is finally done – but don’t be too surprised that what greets you when you open the front door isn’t a pretty sight! Renovating can cause quite an upheaval in your home, and leave dust everywhere.

Although interior designers usually clean the apartment after renovation, there might still be reminders of it here and there. Here’s what to do so that you can get your home in order again.

1. Priority: Ventilation

Open those windows and let some fresh air in, because your house will need some airing out after all the renovation work that has been going on. This will also be a great first step for your health, since breathing in dust and other toxic chemicals will certainly not make your lungs happy! If you need to, wear a face mask before you start.

Engage formaldehyde removal services if necessary

P.S. If you notice an overpowering “new house smell”, you’re likely inhaling formaldehyde, a toxic chemical byproduct in the manufacturing of many furnishings and pressed-wood products.

As above, ventilating your home is the first thing you should do if you encounter this, but it may not be sufficient. Should the smell persist, you may wish to engage the formaldehyde removal services of a professional cleaning company.

Alternatively, consider low/zero-formaldehyde options for your furnishings.

Explore: What is Formaldehyde, Why It’s a Problem, and How to Solve It

2. Use a dry cloth or mop to dust off surfaces

You might be tempted to reach for a mop to give the floor a good wipe down, but before you do that, make sure to dust all surfaces with a dry microfibre cloth or mop first. This is because doing so with a wet cloth or mop immediately can cause stains that will be difficult to remove.

Since dust always falls from top to bottom before settling on horizontal surfaces, start from higher surfaces like light fixtures and countertops, before working your way downwards.

Don’t neglect the ceiling, walls and the insides of cupboards and your light fixtures either.

3. Wipe down with cleaning solutions

Next, use disinfectant and specialised cleaning agents for metallic and glass surfaces – but be sure to check with your ID or material supplier if there are any chemicals to avoid for the different surfaces.

Give all the surfaces in your apartment a good wipe, including the walls, door knobs, window sills, and doors. Note that dust takes time to settle, so you might find yourself wiping down the same surfaces repeatedly over a few days – and that’s perfectly normal.

Alternatively, if it’s within your budget, consider engaging professional home cleaning services who come well-equipped with commercial-grade cleaning tools, to ease your load.

P.S. Even after all that cleaning, you may also wish to use an air purifier with a HEPA filter for a few days before moving in. This will help to remove residual airborne particles that are invisible to the naked eye, particularly if anyone in your household has allergies or respiratory issues like asthma.

4. Remove pesky stains

Lastly, it’s inevitable that the renovation works will leave some stains behind. Don’t fret if you see any handprints or fingerprints on your laminated surfaces, because you can easily wipe those away with a damp cloth and a gentle detergent. And if you have a case of tile grout, you can use tools around the house, such as a screwdriver, to scrape the grout out.

And with that, you’re done! It’s time to settle in, lounge about, and enjoy your new home.

This article was originally published on 26 October 2017 and last updated on 11 Feb 2025.

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