Cleaning up After Repairs and Home Improvements

Building and remodeling projects can be a lot of fun and they can greatly improve a home, when executed well. And while there is a lot of work and strain involved in any large scale home improvement project, if successful, the end result is always worth it. However, besides the home improvement itself, you will always be left with a huge mess in the end. This is to be expected of course, and it isn't the end of the world, but it may feel a bit discouraging looking at the mess at first. However, if you take your time, divide your tasks and don’t stress out, you can be done with the cleaning in no time and free to enjoy the fruits of your home improvement labor. Here is how to do this.

Step 1.

The only way to start is with the big things – depending on the type of home improvement projects, there are going to be varying quantities of building materials and the like. Now, it is very difficult to decide what to do with these. Generally, if it’s quite a small amount of something – a bag of cement or a few wooden planks, the best thing to do is keep these around, putting them away in the garage, or attic or anywhere where they would be out of sight. These can be used later for other construction projects and you do not need to throw them away. Alternatively, if you have significant quantities of some building material, you could get some worth out of the surplus by reselling it. While you won’t be able to get its original value, any money you get will go towards the cost of the renovations, lightening the load on your account.

Step 2.

After you've taken care of the surplus construction materials and put away any tools it is time to actually get on with the cleaning. The first thing to do is, naturally to vacuum clean or sweep (depending on whether the renovations took place inside or outside) the area of the renovations. You may want to go over the area with a bin bag and rubber gloves first to pick up any larger pieces. When doing this, remember to sort them into glass, paper and plastic, so that they can be recycled later. After you’re finished with this, it is time to vacuum. Always go over the area a couple of times, to make sure that there is no hazardous rubbish like nails or pieces of glass left. Safety always comes first, after all.

Step 3.

The third and final step is to put everything back into its place. Home improvements often require moving furniture to different places. After you've finished cleaning, the moment has come to return everything to its place. However, if you want, you could have a bit of fun with it. This gives you a chance to move the furniture around in a new formation, test different layouts and maybe begin redecorating. Use the opportunity to refresh and revive your home. This is particularly important if you've put in brand new architectural features, such as a kitchen window, a window seat or a bar bench in the kitchen. You do not need to be stuck on one arrangement. Work around the new elements of the room to create a different atmosphere.