When the trades pack up
Post-Renovation Cleaning in Peterborough, ON
The contractor's broom gets the big stuff. We get the powdery grey film that coats the rest of the house, so you can finally enjoy the work you paid for.
Getting Rid of the Dust a Renovation Leaves
Drywall sanding, tile cutting and old plaster demolition make dust so fine it floats through the whole house. It settles on top of door frames two floors away, sneaks inside closed cupboards, and coats every vent so it blows back out the moment the furnace runs. A contractor's sweep-up handles the debris; it doesn't touch that dust.
A post-renovation clean goes room by room, top to bottom, through the renovated space and the rest of the house it drifted into. One person on the Peterborough subreddit put it well: they'd just finished a renovation and had nothing left in the tank. That's the moment to call.
It matters more than it looks. Construction dust is abrasive, so walking it into new hardwood or luxury vinyl scratches the finish you just paid for. It clogs furnace filters and the fans in new bathroom exhausts. And if you have allergies, a house that looks clean but still holds fine dust in its vents and trim can leave you sneezing for weeks. Getting it all out at the end protects the new work and makes the house comfortable to live in again.
Book a Post-Reno Clean If…
- The trades have finished and there's a film of dust on everything.
- You renovated a kitchen or bathroom and the rest of the house got dusty anyway.
- You're about to move furniture, rugs and art back in and want clean surfaces first.
- You're a contractor or landlord who wants a unit handed over spotless.
- You're selling a freshly updated house and need it photo-ready.
What a Post-Renovation Clean Covers
Dust settles from the top down, so we clean from the top down, more than once where needed.
High to low
Ceilings and corners, light fixtures and pot lights, the tops of door frames, window frames and cabinets, ceiling fan blades.
Bathrooms
Grout haze and caulk smears gently removed where safe, fixtures polished, inside new vanities and cabinets, exhaust fan cover.
Bedrooms and other rooms
Every horizontal surface dusted, closets wiped, baseboards and trim done, outlets and switch plates.
Kitchen
Inside and outside of new cabinets and drawers, counters, backsplash, appliance fronts and tops, the range hood.
Living areas
Vent covers and cold-air returns vacuumed and wiped, window sills and tracks, blinds, railings and spindles.
Floors last, back to the door
A slow, careful vacuum first, then floors washed, sometimes twice, finishing at the exit.
Where renovation dust ends up
- Vent covers and the cold-air returns, where it will blow around the house again.
- Light fixtures and pot-light trims.
- The tops of kitchen cabinets, door frames and window casings.
- Window tracks and sliding-door tracks.
- Inside drawers and cupboards, even closed ones.
- Baseboards and the grooves in trim.
When to book
After the last trade has finished and taken their tools, and before rugs, furniture and art go back in. If painters are coming last, book after them. If you're living in the house during the work, a mid-project clean can make things bearable.
Older homes
Peterborough has a lot of century homes, especially downtown, in the Old West End and in East City. Taking down old plaster and lath makes a heavier, grittier dust than modern drywall, and it travels further. Tell us if your renovation involved old walls, and allow a little more time. (If there's any chance of lead paint or asbestos in an older home, that needs a specialist before any cleaning.)
What a Post-Reno Clean Costs
One room (a bathroom or kitchen)
priced by the job
What moves it: How far the dust travelled.
Several rooms or a full floor
priced by the job
What moves it: Number of vents, cabinets and windows.
Whole house
priced after photos or a look
What moves it: May need two passes.
Local published rates for deep or post-construction cleaning run roughly $30 to $60 an hour. You'll have a firm price before we start.
Why Book a Post-Reno Clean
Top to bottom, more than once
Dust is cleared in passes so it doesn't resettle.
Every room it reached
Not only the room that was renovated, but everywhere the dust drifted.
Ready to live in
Furniture and rugs go back onto clean floors, not gritty ones.
Booking a Post-Reno Clean
Phone us or use the form
Describe the house, the cottage or both, and the cleaning you have in mind.
Get your price
A few quick questions (photos help for cottages), then a firm number, all before a cleaner arrives.
The first visit
Most places start with a deeper reset so later visits can be lighter and quicker.
Regular or seasonal visits
The house on your schedule, the cottage when the season calls for it.