Just finished a kitchen renovation at my house in Monmouth County and holy hell, the dust. Everywhere. In cabinets I didn’t even know we had. Behind furniture that was supposedly covered. In the air vents. Literally everywhere.
Thought I could handle the cleanup myself. Spent three days scrubbing and it still looked like a construction zone. Finally caved and called a post construction cleaning service. Best decision I made during the whole renovation.
Construction Dust Is Different
Regular house cleaning? I can handle that. Vacuum, wipe down surfaces, mop the floors. Done in a couple hours.
Construction dust is a whole different animal.
Post-Construction Cleaning Should Be Done Right
It’s finer, it gets into everything, and it doesn’t come up with regular cleaning supplies. I went through like six Swiffer pads on one room and they just kept coming up gray.
The worst part is it settles everywhere while you’re working. Even rooms that weren’t part of the renovation had this film on everything. My bedroom is upstairs on the opposite end of the house from the kitchen. Still had drywall dust on my nightstand.
My contractor warned me about this but I didn’t really get it until I lived through it.
What Actually Needs Cleaning After Construction
Everything. I mean literally everything.
Windows had this haze on them inside and out. Light fixtures were caked with dust. The tops of door frames, ceiling fans, baseboards – all covered. Every surface in the kitchen had a layer of fine white powder even though we’d taped off plastic everywhere.
The floors were the worst. We have hardwood throughout most of the house and the construction tracked grit into every room. It was scratching the finish just from walking on it. Needed special treatment to get it up without damaging the wood more.
Air vents and returns were full of dust. The HVAC system basically circulated construction dust through the whole house for two weeks. Had to get the ducts cleaned too or we’d just keep breathing it.
Why I Couldn’t Do It Myself
I’m not lazy. I clean my own house every week. But this was beyond what normal home cleaning can handle.
First problem – I didn’t have the right equipment. My regular vacuum couldn’t handle the fine dust. It just clogged the filter immediately. You need heavy-duty shop vacs and HEPA filters for this stuff.
Second problem – I didn’t know the order to clean things. I’d wipe down the counters, then clean the cabinets above them, and dust would fall back down on the counters. Then I’d vacuum the floor and realize I should’ve dusted the baseboards first. Kept redoing the same areas.
Third problem – time. This took forever. I worked on it for hours and barely made a dent. Meanwhile my family’s living in a construction zone eating takeout because the kitchen’s unusable.
What Professional Post Construction Cleaning Includes
When I finally hired a service in Monmouth County, they brought like four people and a truck full of equipment. Took them about six hours to do what would’ve taken me weeks.
They started at the top and worked down. Ceilings first, then walls, then surfaces, then floors. Makes sense once you see it but I’d been doing it backwards.
Wiped down every single surface – and I mean everything. Inside cabinets, inside drawers, window sills, door frames, light switches, outlet covers. Stuff I wouldn’t have even thought to clean.
Cleaned all the windows inside and out. They were so foggy from dust I forgot what actual sunlight looked like.
Vacuumed and mopped all the floors multiple times. First pass to get the big stuff, second pass with better equipment to get what was ground in, final pass to make it actually shine.
Cleaned inside all the appliances. The inside of my dishwasher had drywall dust in it somehow. Don’t ask me how.
The Air Quality Thing
One thing I didn’t realize – construction dust in your HVAC system is a real problem. Not just for cleanliness but for breathing.
The cleaning service recommended getting our air ducts cleaned before they finished. Said otherwise we’d just keep circulating fine particles through the house. Made sense.
They worked with a duct cleaning company that came out the same day. Wasn’t cheap but man, the difference in air quality was immediate. Could actually breathe normally again without feeling like my throat was scratchy.
If you’re in Ocean County or anywhere in NJ doing construction, don’t skip this part. The dust gets in there and just sits, constantly blowing through your house.
Timing Matters
Don’t try to move back in or use the renovated space before it’s properly cleaned. I made that mistake.
We started using the kitchen before it was fully cleaned because I was desperate to cook a real meal. Everything I made tasted slightly gritty. Realized it was dust settling on our food while we cooked. Gross.
The cleaning service told me they usually recommend waiting until they’re completely done before using the space. Seems obvious now but when you’ve been without a kitchen for three weeks, you get impatient.
What It Cost
I’ll be straight with you – post construction cleaning isn’t cheap. Way more than regular house cleaning.
For my 2,000 square foot house after a kitchen renovation, I paid $800. That included the whole house, not just the kitchen, because dust had spread everywhere.
More extensive renovations cost more. My neighbor did a full gut renovation in Ocean County and her post construction cleaning was like $1,500. But it was also way messier.
Some companies charge by square footage, some by the hour, some have flat rates for post-construction. Get a few quotes. But honestly, whatever it costs is worth not dealing with that mess yourself.
Finding Someone in NJ
I asked my contractor who he recommends. He works with a few post construction cleaning services in Monmouth County and gave me three names.
Called all three, two came out to give estimates. Went with the one who seemed like they actually understood the scope of what needed doing. The other guy kind of minimized it and I got the feeling he was used to regular home cleaning, not construction cleanup.
Ask specifically about their experience with post-construction. It’s different from regular cleaning and requires different equipment and knowledge.
Also make sure they’re insured. You’ve got a bunch of people in your newly renovated space with equipment and chemicals. Want to make sure if something gets damaged, they’re covered.
What I Wish I’d Known Before
Budget for professional cleaning from the start. Should’ve been part of my renovation budget from day one. Instead I had this surprise $800 expense at the end when I was already over budget.
Plan for it to take a full day. I thought they’d be done in a few hours. Took six. Had to keep the kids out of the house, which meant coordinating childcare I hadn’t planned for.
Change your HVAC filter immediately after construction. Like, the day they finish. Maybe change it a few times in the weeks after. They get clogged with dust so fast.
Open windows during and after construction as much as possible. We did this and it helped, but could’ve done it more. The more you ventilate, the less dust settles inside.
Can You DIY Parts of It?
Honestly? Not really. I mean, you can try, but you’ll probably just tire yourself out and still need to hire someone.
What you CAN do is the initial rough cleanup. Like, big pieces of debris, obvious trash, that kind of thing. Get that out of the way so the cleaning service can focus on the detail work.
But the actual dust removal, the deep cleaning, the stuff that makes it livable? That needs professional equipment and knowledge. Your Swiffer isn’t gonna cut it.
My brother-in-law tried to DIY his post construction cleaning to save money. Spent two weekends on it, gave up, hired someone anyway. So he wasted two weekends AND paid for professional cleaning. Don’t be like him.
Regular House Cleaning After Construction
Even after the pros cleaned everything, I noticed dust appearing for weeks afterward. Not as bad, but it was there.
Had to stay on top of regular home cleaning more than usual for like a month. Dusting more frequently, changing HVAC filters more often, vacuuming more.
Eventually it settled down and now it’s back to normal cleaning routines. But there’s definitely a transition period where you need to be more vigilant.
Worth Every Penny
Look, $800 felt like a lot when I wrote the check. But seeing my house actually clean after weeks of construction chaos? Priceless.
My wife walked in after they finished and almost cried. The kitchen looked like an actual kitchen instead of a disaster zone. The rest of the house felt like home again instead of a construction site.
Plus we got our lives back. That weekend we’d planned to spend cleaning, we spent at the beach instead. With the kids. Making actual memories instead of scrubbing drywall dust.
If you’re doing any kind of renovation in Monmouth County, Ocean County, anywhere in NJ – just budget for professional post construction cleaning from the start. Don’t try to be a hero like I did.
Your contractor builds it, professionals clean it, you enjoy it. That’s how it should work.
Questions to Ask Cleaning Services
When you’re calling around, here’s what to ask:
Do you specifically do post construction cleaning? Not just house cleaning, but construction cleanup?
What equipment do you use? Should mention HEPA vacuums, commercial-grade stuff.
How long will it take? If they say “couple hours,” they probably don’t get the scope.
What’s included? Make sure they’re doing the whole house, not just the construction area.
Are you insured? Non-negotiable.
Do you guarantee your work? Good companies will come back if you find areas they missed.
Can you recommend duct cleaning? They should have partnerships with HVAC cleaning services.
Final Thoughts
Construction projects are exciting. You’re improving your home, making it more functional or beautiful or both. That’s great.
But the aftermath is brutal if you’re not prepared for it. The dust, the mess, the chaos – it can really take the shine off your beautiful new kitchen or bathroom.
Professional post construction cleaning bridges that gap between “construction finished” and “actually livable space.” It’s not optional, it’s not a luxury, it’s just part of the process.
Plan for it, budget for it, hire good people to do it. Then actually enjoy your renovation instead of spending weeks cleaning up after it.
My kitchen’s been done for two months now and I still smile every time I walk in there. That’s what proper cleanup does – lets you actually appreciate the work you paid for.
If you’re in NJ and planning construction, learn from my mistakes. Get the pros. Your sanity will thank you.