If you’ve had a major renovation done in your apartment, cleanup can be a nightmare. Even the best landlords can end up hiring a fly-by-night contractor who leaves your apartment a mess. Worse yet, you may end up being on the hook for cleanup. Here are a few tips for getting your apartment clean, and avoiding costly end of lease charges:
Cleaning Up Paint Spills
Paint spills are one of the most common issues with apartment renovations. Even the best painters can sometimes spill a stray drop, and even the most sharp-eyed tenants can miss seeing it for days. Cleaning up those mishaps will depend on what kind of floor you’re cleaning.
If the paint was spilled on hardwood, you’re in luck. These are some of the easiest surfaces to clean. Spray them down with a citrus oil cleaner like Goo Gone, wait a minute, and scrub them with a plastic – not metal – brush. On tile or linoleum, you’ll want to use rubbing alcohol instead of citrus cleaner. You’ll also need to scrub a bit more, but any modern latex paint will come off easily.
If you have a carpet, you’re in for a treat. There’s no good chemical for removing paint from carpet because anything that removes latex will also damage your carpet. Some spills can be cleaned by continually brushing and vacuuming at the area, slowly freeing up the clump of paint.
For particularly stubborn spots, you may have to cut the paint out of the carpet. If you do this, be careful to cut as little of the carpet as possible. A tiny snip can easily be brushed over. A bigger cut can be a permanent scar.
Set Up a Box Fan
Cleaning up large amounts of dust can be a nightmare. Drywall dust, in particular, is so fine that even the best home vacuums will end up kicking huge clouds into the air. This fine dust can be more than messy – it can also be hazardous to your health. You’ll want to take common-sense safety measures when dealing with this kind of a mess, such as wearing a dust mask.
For safety and easier cleanup, it’s best to set up a box fan in the window when dealing with this kind of a mess. Make sure the fan is pointing out, so it will draw as much dust as possible outside, instead of it ending up on your furniture – or worse, in your lungs.
Hire a Professional
If all of that seems like a lot of trouble, you may want to hire someone who’s experienced at this kind of cleanup. Companies like Handy Pal Services will give you a free estimate over the phone or online. Just tell them how big your apartment is and what kind of cleanup you need, and they’ll get you a price in minutes.
offers a variety of cleaning options, from post-renovation cleanup to more everyday services like end of lease cleaning. They have years of experience cleaning apartments, so you’ll have one less thing to work up when your landlord comes to inspect.
