Having building work done in your kitchen can be unsettling. In fact, according to a study, ‘49% of 1,0003 survey respondents’ claimed that their kitchen was the most stressful room to renovate.
As a result, it’s natural for you to want to put the pieces back together and give it a thorough clean as soon as you can following a renovation.
Considering the room’s been in disarray for some time, you might not know where to start. 6 cleaning tips for your kitchen following a renovation include but are not limited to:
- Dusting all window frames and sills
- Dusting all vents, fans, and lighting fixtures
- Vacuuming the floor and all surfaces
- Thoroughly disinfecting the floor and surfaces
- Cleaning inside all cupboards and drawers
- Vacuuming upholstery
1. Dusting All Window Frames & Sills
When you’re renovating any room in your house, including your kitchen, dust has the tendency to settle absolutely everywhere, especially on your window frames and sills.
Using a lint-free microfiber cloth, you will need to dust your window frames and sills from top to bottom to remove any dirt and dust.
By dusting all the window frames and sills first, you will unsettle the dust and remove it so that it can then be picked up by the vacuum later on.
Failure to clean your windows first could result in you needing to vacuum twice, so save time by doing it first!
2. Dusting All Vents, Fans, & Lighting Fixtures
As dust becomes unsettled, it can also travel and get stuck in vents, fans as well as on lighting fixtures in your new kitchen.
As such, you will need to ensure that you thoroughly dust the tops of your lights, as well as any vents, and extractor fans you may have in your kitchen.
To do this, make sure that you use a lint-free cloth again for the most thorough clean, and this will prepare your kitchen for the next stage of vacuuming.
3. Vacuuming The Floor & All Surfaces
Once you’ve dusted your newly renovated kitchen, it’s crucial that you begin vacuuming the floor and all the surfaces.
As you’ve disturbed a lot of the dust and debris during the dusting process, you’ll notice where the dust has built up on the floor and surfaces in your kitchen.
Vacuuming both the floors and surfaces is the most convenient and thorough way to ensure that you’ve got a dust-free environment before you can begin disinfecting. In fact, a thorough vacuum can ‘draw up to 99% of the dirt and dust in an area’.
For the most thorough clean, be sure to get into all the nooks and crannies when you’re vacuuming, and use a smaller vacuum attachment to help you get into the hard to reach areas.
4. Thoroughly Disinfecting The Floor & Surfaces
Once you’ve dusted and vacuumed all the surfaces, and there’s no dust or debris left, you can set about thoroughly disinfecting the floor and surfaces in your newly renovated kitchen.
Cleaning your kitchen floor and surfaces is essential following a reinvention, as disinfectants help to ensure your kitchen is safe as they ‘destroy germs on contact’.
As a result, cleaning your newly renovated kitchen with disinfectant will help to get rid of any harmful viruses and bacteria, making it a nice and clean space for you and your family to enjoy.
Make sure that you use gloves when dealing with disinfectants to ensure your hands are protected.
5. Cleaning Inside All Cupboards & Drawers
You’d be surprised by how much dust can find its way into the cupboards and drawers of your new kitchen during the installation process. That said, you will need to ensure that you clean inside all the cupboards and drawers.
To do the best job, be sure to vacuum inside first before moving onto disinfecting the cupboards with spray and a damp cloth.
Once your cupboards and drawers are clean, you will need to ensure that you allow them to dry completely before you fill them with your kitchen utensils.
This will help to prevent any mould or mildew growing as a result of excess moisture.
6. Vacuuming Upholstery
Last, but by no means least, you will want to vacuum your upholstery. If you regularly beat your cushions then you already know that your upholstery is one of the common places for dust to settle.
It is especially important to get the dust out of your upholstery for your health, as it’s likely settled there during the renovation even if you can’t see it very well with your eyes.
In fact, ‘Direct contact with dust mites or mould on upholstery can cause skin reactions such as eczema or hives’.
Bearing this in mind, to keep your family healthy and your kitchen chairs and other upholstery clean, you will need to make sure that you vacuum your upholstery following your kitchen renovation.
Some vacuum cleaners even come with special attachments for your upholstery, so it’s worth checking to see if you can buy one for this process to keep your health and your upholstery in the best possible condition.
Written by Jemima Thomas for Homes Aura, on behalf of Cwtch Haus, an independent business that specialises in the design, supply and installation of bespoke kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms.