After-Renovation Cleaning That Feels Like a Fresh Start

The Challenge: With real estate photography locked in for two days’ time and the first open-for-inspection already marketed, Andrew’s brand-new South Yarra townhouse was nowhere near presentation-ready. Multiple trades had finished only the day before, leaving the property in typical post-construction condition across all four levels: thick dust on every surface, smudged fingerprints on new joinery and glass balustrades, builder packaging and offcuts scattered throughout, boot prints on the new engineered timber floors, greasy handprints on the polished stainless steel stair balustrade, silicone smears on windows and frameless shower screens, and paint overspray on several windows. For a luxury South Yarra listing where presentation is everything, this needed to be resolved in a single day.

The Clean — Level by Level:

• Level 1 — Garage and entry (1.5 hours): Swept and mopped the garage floor. Cleaned the entry foyer — wiped down all walls, cleaned the front door (inside and out), polished the intercom panel and mailbox. Removed packaging materials and builder debris. Cleaned under-stair storage area.
• Level 2 — Open-plan living, kitchen, and dining (3.5 hours): Removed fine dust from all walls, ceilings, cornices, and skirting boards. Cleaned inside all kitchen cabinetry (every shelf, drawer, and cupboard). Polished stone benchtops with pH-neutral cleaner. Degreased new oven, rangehood, and cooktop. Polished the stainless steel fridge and dishwasher. Cleaned the butler’s pantry. Removed silicone smears from the splashback. Hand-cleaned the engineered timber floor (no harsh chemicals — appropriate timber-safe solution). Cleaned floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors inside and out, including removal of paint overspray from two panels.
• Level 3 — Master suite and second bedroom (2.5 hours): Dusted all surfaces, wardrobe interiors (walk-in robe had extensive dust inside), and light fittings. Cleaned the master ensuite — removed silicone haze from the frameless shower screen, polished chrome fixtures, cleaned grout haze from new wall tiles, cleaned the freestanding bath. Cleaned the second bathroom. Vacuumed bedroom carpets. Cleaned all windows.
• Level 4 — Third bedroom, study, and terrace (2 hours): Dusted all surfaces and cleaned inside all cabinetry. Cleaned the study windows and built-in desk area. Cleaned the rooftop terrace — swept tiles, wiped down the glass balustrade (both sides), cleaned outdoor lighting fixtures.
• Staircase and common areas (1.5 hours): Cleaned the glass balustrade across all levels (four flights of stairs — fingerprints and handprints on every panel). Polished the stainless steel handrail. Vacuumed stair carpet runners. Dusted all cornices, picture rails, and architectural details. Cleaned all light fixtures.
• Final detail (1 hour): Removed all remaining builder packaging and debris from the property. Polished every door handle, light switch, and visible hardware throughout all four levels. Final mop of all hard floor areas. Walkthrough to ensure luxury-listing standard across every room.

The Challenge: After four months of living off-site, Samira’s family was eager to move back into their newly renovated Kew home. But despite the builder marking the property as “ready,” the environment was far from safe — particularly for Samira’s youngest child who has asthma. Fine plaster and silica dust was still visibly floating in the air when sunlight hit the rooms. Layers of construction residue coated every surface — skirting boards, walls, cabinetry interiors, window ledges, and the tops of door frames. The ducted heating vents were clogged with fine particles, and the new carpets in the bedrooms had trapped dust from months of construction activity. The builder’s clean had addressed visible debris but hadn’t tackled the fine particulate dust that poses the greatest health risk, especially for children with respiratory conditions.

The Clean — Day by Day:

Day 1 — Dust Extraction and Deep Surface Cleaning (Team of 6, 8 hours):
• Ceilings, walls, and cornices — full house (2 hours): Wiped down all ceilings, walls, cornices, picture rails, and trims throughout both levels to remove the fine dust film that settles on every surface during construction. This is the layer most builder cleans miss entirely.
• Ducted heating system (1 hour): Removed and thoroughly cleaned all ducted heating vent covers throughout the home (14 vents total). Vacuumed inside the accessible vent openings. Cleaned exhaust fan covers in all three bathrooms and the laundry. This step was critical for preventing dust recirculation once the heating was turned on.
• New kitchen and family room extension (2 hours): Cleaned inside all new cabinetry. Polished new stone benchtops. Cleaned new appliances inside and out. Removed grout haze from the new tiled splashback. Cleaned the new family room — dusted all surfaces, cleaned new windows, and mopped the new tiled floor.
• Bathrooms x3 (2 hours total): Cleaned all new bathroom fixtures — removed silicone haze from new shower screens, cleaned grout haze from new tiles, polished all new chrome fixtures. Cleaned mirrors, vanities, and toilets. Mopped all bathroom floors.
• Skirting boards, door frames, and cabinetry (1 hour): Wiped down every skirting board, door frame, window frame, and built-in wardrobe interior across both levels. Construction dust clings to these surfaces and slowly releases into the air if not removed.

Day 2 — HEPA Vacuuming, Steam Cleaning, and Final Detail (Team of 6, 8 hours):

• HEPA vacuuming — full house (2.5 hours): Vacuumed every carpeted area using professional-grade HEPA-filtered machines that capture particles down to 0.3 microns — the size of construction dust particles that trigger asthma. Vacuumed upholstered furniture (the family had stored some pieces in the garage during renovation). Vacuumed inside all wardrobes.
• Carpet steam cleaning (2 hours): Steam cleaned all carpeted areas — 5 bedrooms, upstairs hallway, and the staircase. Steam cleaning after HEPA vacuuming ensures embedded construction particles are fully extracted, not just displaced.
• Hard floor cleaning (1.5 hours): Mopped all new tiled and timber floors twice — first pass to lift remaining grit, second pass for a clean finish. Cleaned new timber floors with an appropriate timber-safe solution.
• Windows — full house (1.5 hours): Cleaned all windows inside and out across both levels. Cleaned window tracks (which had accumulated significant debris during construction).
• Final walkthrough and detail (30 minutes): Polished all door handles and hardware. Wiped all light switches and power points. Final check of all surfaces with Samira present to confirm the home was allergy-safe for her children.

The Challenge: A full apartment repaint generates more mess than most people expect. While the painters did a good job on the walls, they left behind a constellation of issues: fine paint overspray on all windows, paint drips on the bathroom mirror and vanity, paint spots on the kitchen benchtop, roller fibre stuck to freshly painted skirting boards, dust from sanding/prep on every horizontal surface, paint-dusted curtain tracks, and a general film of fine particulate across all surfaces. Sarah’s furniture had also accumulated a layer of sanding dust. The apartment felt grimy despite looking freshly painted.

The Clean:

• Windows — full apartment (1 hour): Cleaned all windows inside, removing paint overspray from every pane using a careful razor blade technique (painter’s overspray is a fine mist that bonds to glass). Cleaned window tracks and frames. Cleaned the balcony door glass on both sides.
• Kitchen (1 hour): Removed paint spots from the benchtop. Cleaned the splashback (paint dust had settled in the grout lines). Cleaned inside all cupboards and drawers (sanding dust had infiltrated). Polished the sink, tap, and appliance exteriors. Mopped the floor.
• Bathroom (45 minutes): Removed paint drips from the mirror and vanity using appropriate solvent. Cleaned the shower screen (paint dust film). Cleaned the toilet, basin, and all fixtures. Mopped the floor.
• Bedroom and living area (1.5 hours): Dusted all surfaces — bedside tables, shelving, TV unit, desk, door frames, skirting boards, curtain tracks, and light fittings. Vacuumed the carpet and upholstered furniture (sofa and armchair) to remove sanding dust. Wiped down all freshly painted doors and trims to remove roller fibres (used a lightly dampened microfibre cloth — careful not to damage fresh paint).
• Final detail (45 minutes): Wiped all light switches, power points, and door handles (which had paint overspray). Cleaned the entry door (both sides). Cleaned the hallway leading to the front door. Final walkthrough.

The Challenge: Amin’s elderly mother uses a walker and was eager to return to her newly modified Essendon home, which had been adapted to improve her independence and safety. But the builder’s clean was minimal — plaster dust from the widened doorways was on every surface, the new bathroom had grout residue on the non-slip floor tiles, and fine construction debris was scattered throughout the hallway. For an elderly NDIS participant with limited mobility, a dusty home with gritty floors is a fall hazard. Amin needed the home to be not just clean but genuinely safe for his mother’s return.

The clean also needed to be handled with care — Amin’s mother’s walker, medical equipment, and personal items (including carefully arranged cushions and a prayer mat) needed to be treated with respect and returned to their exact positions.

The Clean:

• New bathroom (1.5 hours): Cleaned grout residue from new non-slip floor tiles (critical — grout haze on non-slip tiles creates a rough, uncomfortable surface for bare feet and can trap dirt). Cleaned the new walk-in shower — glass screen, grab rails, new fixtures, and shower seat. Cleaned the raised toilet and surrounding area. Polished the new vanity and mirror. Cleaned the new exhaust fan. Mopped the floor with extra care — non-slip tiles require thorough rinsing to avoid residue.
• Modified kitchen (1 hour): Cleaned the new lowered benchtop section. Cleaned inside new pull-out shelving units (plaster dust had settled inside). Wiped down all existing cabinetry fronts. Cleaned the oven exterior, rangehood, and fridge exterior. Mopped the floor.
• Hallway and doorways (45 minutes): Wiped down all widened doorframes and architraves (plaster dust from the widening work). Vacuumed the hallway carpet. Dusted all surfaces, light switches, and skirting boards.
• Bedrooms, living area, and general (45 minutes): Dusted all surfaces in the bedroom and living room. Vacuumed carpets. Cleaned the front door area and new entry ramp (swept debris). Carefully repositioned Amin’s mother’s walker, cushions, and prayer mat to their original locations. Final walkthrough with Amin.