Book the post-renovation clean once every trade has finished and before your furniture arrives, with water and electricity on and bulky debris cleared by the contractor. The clean itself works top to bottom: clear packaging and residue, dust the high surfaces, wipe everything down, vacuum the fine dust out of tracks and gaps, then walk the unit with you. Hardened cement, paint or grout on surfaces may need the contractor to rectify.
Before the clean: what needs to be ready?
Most disappointing post-renovation cleans come down to timing. Tick these off before you book:
- All works are finished. That includes hacking, tiling, painting and carpentry touch-ups. If a contractor comes back to fix one cabinet door, the dust comes back with them.
- Furniture hasn't arrived yet. An empty unit is quicker to clean and costs less, and the dust can't settle into a new sofa or mattress.
- Water and electricity are live. We need both to run the equipment.
- Bulky debris is gone. Construction waste, offcuts and packaging pallets are the contractor's to remove.
- You know the floor area. Post-renovation cleaning is priced by floor area, so the square footage lets us quote straight away.
Why does the order of cleaning matter?
Renovation dust is very fine. It floats, settles on every surface and gets into gaps, then drifts down again every time something above it is disturbed. If the floor is done first and the ceiling fan second, the floor needs doing again. That's why a post-renovation clean runs top to bottom:
- Clear. Leftover packaging, protective film, stickers, adhesive residue and paint specks come off first.
- Dust down. Ceilings, fans, walls, skirting, ledges and light fittings.
- Wipe through. Surfaces, fittings, cabinetry, windows and floors, in sequence so nothing is recontaminated.
- Extract. Fine dust vacuumed out of corners, window tracks, grilles and joinery gaps, where it settles deepest.
- Final walkthrough. We check the unit with you before we leave, and anything missed is done on the spot.
Room-by-room checklist
Every room
- ceilings, walls and skirting, including corners and cornices
- switches, sockets, door frames, handles and light fittings
- interior glass, window frames, sliding tracks and grilles
- floors vacuumed and mopped, with attention to grout lines and edges
Kitchen
- countertops, backsplash and sink
- hob surround
- cabinet fronts and interiors
- the outside of built-in appliances
Bathrooms
- tiles and glass panels
- sanitary ware and fittings
- grout lines, including cement haze and grout film left by tiling
Bedrooms and storage
- wardrobes and built-in cabinetry, inside and out
- shelving and drawer runners
- the tops of tall units, which most people forget
What isn't part of a post-renovation clean?
Knowing the limits up front saves an argument on the day. A standard post-renovation clean doesn't include:
- removing construction debris, offcuts or renovation waste
- cement, grout or paint that has hardened and bonded to a surface, which may need the contractor to rectify
- mould remediation or water damage restoration
- dismantling fixtures, fittings or built-ins
- external window cleaning above ground level
- chemical stripping or resurfacing of damaged floors
If something falls outside the scope, we'll flag it during the walkthrough rather than surprise you with a charge.
What should you check on the final walkthrough?
Walk the unit with the team before they leave and look at the places renovation dust hides:
- run a finger along window tracks, sliding door tracks and grilles
- open a few cabinets and drawers and check the runners
- look at the tops of wardrobes and tall units
- check bathroom tiles in side light for a cement haze
- walk the floor barefoot or in socks: if it still feels gritty, the floor may need a scrub
Do you need floor scrubbing or formaldehyde treatment as well?
Both are optional add-ons, quoted separately, and can be arranged in the same booking.
Floor scrubbing is a machine scrub that lifts embedded renovation debris from vinyl, tile and wood. It suits floors with cement haze or grout film, or floors that still feel gritty after mopping.
Formaldehyde treatment deals with something a clean can't: the chemical given off by new cabinetry, flooring and adhesives. It's worth considering if the home has young children, elderly family members or anyone sensitive to indoor air. Our guide to formaldehyde after a renovation explains how it is measured and what the treatment does. Do the dust clean first, so the treatment goes onto clean surfaces.
How long does a post-renovation clean take?
Allow three to six hours, depending on the size and condition of the unit. We confirm the window when you book. You don't need to be there for the whole session, but we recommend being there for the final walkthrough.
We bring our own equipment and supplies. Our teams are trained in-house and we carry public liability coverage. Cleancraft is an NEA-licensed cleaning specialist, licence NEA 200592/1584Z/N01.
Frequently asked questions
When should I book a post-renovation clean?
Once all works are complete, including hacking, tiling, painting and carpentry touch-ups, and before your furniture arrives. Water and electricity need to be live.
Does post-renovation cleaning remove hardened cement or paint?
No. Cement, grout or paint that has hardened and bonded to a surface is outside a standard clean and may need your contractor to rectify it. We will point it out on the walkthrough.
Do I need to be home during the clean?
Not for the whole session. We recommend being there for the final walkthrough so anything missed can be done on the spot.
How is post-renovation cleaning priced?
By floor area. Floor scrubbing and formaldehyde treatment are optional add-ons quoted separately. Indicative rates are on our post-renovation cleaning page, and we confirm the quote on WhatsApp.
Renovation nearly done?
Tell us your floor area and the date the works finish, and we'll quote over WhatsApp. We're an NEA-licensed specialist, owner-operated by Joel and Vanessa for around ten years. Read more about us or browse the rest of the blog.