Man mopping wooden floor in bright porch/reception room.

Cleaning up After an Interior Revamp

You might have been dreaming about that new kitchen for ages but you certainly didn’t sign up for the whirlwind of a mess that comes with it. If your house is in shambles courtesy of a recent revamping, let the following house cleaning tips lighten the load.

A wet towel works wonders for dusty walls

A wet towel sweeps off a huge chunk of dust in one motion leaving behind spotless rows of cleanliness says the owner of the huge cleaning company Cleaning Ease in Sydney. However, if you’ve recently painted your walls, dry dusting is the preferred alternative lest you clean out perfectly good paint. The same also goes for wallpaper which requires a more delicate approach such as using a vacuum cleaner.

Image showing cleaning products and towels.

Cleaning products can speed this process up. Towels can also help cover a large surface area.

Work your way down from the top

If your interior decor is reeling in the wake of a major overhaul, it’s unwise to start cleaning the floors before the walls or other upper parts of the house. Likewise, you double your work if you live in a storey apartment and start cleaning your ground floor living room before putting your affairs in order in the 1st-floor bedroom. In the same breath, clean counter-tops and other high-hanging platforms before starting any work on the floors.

 

Vinegar is excellent on windows

To avoid those streaks that come about when you use pieces of old newspaper, use a damp cloth accented by vinegar as Dale Berning Sawa says in his article about using bicarb & vinegar. It’s excellent at breaking down dust and other deposits that accumulate on windows leaving few, if any, marks behind. What’s more, its acidic composition sees it double up as an effective anti-bacterial and non-toxic remedy.

Image showing man cleaning window with vinegar solution

Man using Vinegar solution to clean windows

 

Replace filters and clean air vents

The dust from renovation seeps into the ventilation systems putting you and your family at risk of contracting respiratory complications. So once the dust settles on the revamp, so to speak, change out all your old filters. It’d also be wise to disassemble your vents for thorough cleaning although it’s best you leave this part of the job to professionals.

Alcohol gets paint spills out quickly

If some painting was on the agenda, it’s highly likely there are spills or spots of paints where they ought not to be. In which case, rubbing alcohol is your go-to. Soak colouring stains in a puddle of the solution for about half an hour before gently scrubbing away the unwanted shades. For wood surfaces with paint spills, you’ll be best served by a citrus-based cleaner.

Mop hard floors multiple times

This step should be the last on your to-do list once you’ve got all the dust out of the way. Preferably, use a microfiber mop which is free of dangerous chemicals and is acknowledged for its overall effectiveness. Also, you might need to go around in circles for a couple of minutes to realize that brand new aesthetic.

Man mopping wooden floor in bright porch/reception room.

Mopping is the best way to get rid of big chunks of debris/dirt.

Last but not least, don’t forget about the light fixtures. Such accessories are often overlooked yet they are magnets for contaminants and if you are preparing to sell your home the buyers will be put off by the tiniest little things like this, which is just human psychology. If cleaning each individual one seems a bit of a chore, you could opt to replace them with new ones instead. Also, the general rule of thumb dictates you do all your wiping first before you start vacuuming.