The contractors are gone. The dust isn’t. Drywall dust is finer than most people expect, and it ends up in odd places like the top of the fridge and inside light fixtures. This post-construction cleaning checklist goes top to bottom, so you’re not wiping the same counter four times. For everyday dust, see how to get rid of dust in your house.
Before you start
Wait until every trade has packed up. Then grab an N95 mask, put a fresh filter in the HVAC and leave the system off while you clean. Otherwise you’re pushing dust through every vent in the house.
If your home was built before 1978
Old paint can contain lead. EPA rules require paid contractors on these jobs to follow lead-safe practices, which include cleaning up with HEPA vacuums and wet wiping. Ask if yours did that, and don’t dry sweep the work area.
The post-construction cleaning checklist, top to bottom
Crews usually split this into a rough clean, a final clean and a touch-up later on. For the final cleaning after renovation, go in this order:
- Get the junk out. Scrap drywall, cardboard, empty paint cans.
- Start high. HEPA-vacuum ceiling fans, vents, light fixtures and the tops of door frames.
- Walls next, with a microfiber cloth that’s barely damp. Fresh paint needs a few weeks to cure before you scrub it (see how to wash walls).
- Open every drawer and cabinet. Dust gets in even with the doors shut.
- Scrape stickers and paint specks off the windows with a plastic blade, then vacuum the tracks.
- Floors go last. Vacuum, then damp-mop.
- Swap the HVAC filter again about a week later.
Moving into a brand-new build? Add the garage to your new construction cleaning checklist, and peel the protective film off the appliances.
What usually goes wrong
A regular household vacuum is the wrong tool here. Drywall dust can clog the filter and blow straight back out. Feather dusters don’t help either; they just move the dust somewhere else. For construction dust removal from home surfaces, use damp cloths and a HEPA vacuum.
DIY or hire a crew?
A bathroom refresh you can probably knock out in an afternoon. A full kitchen gut or a new build is a different story. Pricing guides put post-renovation cleaning cost at roughly $0.10 to $0.50 per square foot, so about $250 to $1,250 for a 2,500-square-foot house. Get quotes in writing. If you’re comparing after-construction cleaning services Texas companies offer, ask whether they use HEPA vacuums and carry insurance.
Before you move back in
Work through this post-construction cleaning checklist once the last contractor leaves, then plan a lighter round about a week later. More dust always shows up. If that’s more than you want to spend a weekend on, a professional cleaning company has the gear for it.