4 pro tips for a dust-free home during a renovation

Having a laser-like attention to detail is a double-edged sword. It’s great because in my line of work the devil is in the detail – people choose us because we notice things other bathroom renovators overlook. On the flipside, it drives my partner crazy because I’m forever wiping down surfaces and vacuuming.

But there is a middle ground: I’ve found myself using methods I use at work to keep my own house clean. And the great thing is, you could use these methods to keep your home clean while doing a big spring clean, painting a room, or doing some handy work. They’re not just for use while you’re renovating.

It’s all about preparation!

1) Move the furniture

Never underestimate the amount of dust that’s created while working around your home. That’s why we always start by removing any furniture that doesn’t need to be in the room. It might take a little longer, to begin with, but you’ll save yourself hours come clean up time. As a last resort, if you can’t move it, be sure to cover it with plastic wrap secured with masking tape.

2) Mask the floors and walls

Let’s face it, you’re probably going to want to take a break from your handy work at some point. Our trick is to not just mask the walls and floor of the work area, but the traffic area too. This is the area where you’ll be walking in and out of most frequently. Done properly, you’ll save yourself trekking dust & debris in and out of your workspace.

3) Minimise dust

You can be forgiven for thinking that nooks and crannies in the furniture are the most common havens for dust. But the reality is, there’s far more just sitting on the walls and ceiling waiting to be dislodged! Vacuum first, then give everything a quick wipe with warm water and sugar soap to ensure all surfaces are dust free from the outset.

If you’re working with ventilation, I suggest taking a couple of minutes to hose off your flyscreens too! That will stop any dust, dirt or nasties being blown into your clean working area.

4) Clean up in stages

Okay, there’s a bit of mess to clean up once you’re finished. At this stage, it’s easy to jump the gun and peel away all your masking and drop sheets into one tidy bag hoping they’ve caught everything. But this is rarely the case. What we’ve found most effective is to clean up in the reverse order you set up:

• Vacuum all large debris from surfaces and floors.
• Wipe everything down (warm water & sugar soap, then microfibre rags)
• Carefully remove the masking tape and drop sheets.
• Vacuum once more.
• Now you can replace the furniture!

Now, this is something I ensure the Lux team do on every renovation – after all, we want you to be able to enjoy your home, not just post-renovation, but during it too. Being tradespeople, we always come prepared with cleaning supplies. If you want to do a pro clean up job, below is a list of must-haves for your cleaning kit. Put one together this weekend and you’ll always be prepared!

Pro cleaning kit:

• 5m x 3.6m canvas drop sheet
• 7m x 3.7m plastic drop sheet
• 36mm masking tape (wider makes for easier masking)
• Sugar soap (for floors)
• Sugar soap surface wipes
• Microfibre rags
• Dusting mitts
• Dusting mop (Microfibre actually attracts & captures dust)
• P Handle Trolley (Trust me on this one, makes moving a breeze!)