Do You Need a Professional Clean After a Renovation?

Why the builders' tidy-up usually isn't enough

Most building contracts include a 'broom clean' or 'sweep out' at the end of the job. That means removing offcuts and rubbish and sweeping the floors. Full cleaning is not part of it, and it isn't what you'd want to live with.

The real problem is fine dust. Sanding plaster, cutting MDF and chasing walls for cables produce particles fine enough to hang in the air for hours before settling on door frames, inside cupboards, in radiator fins and in extractor fans. Ordinary household vacuums often push that dust back into the room, so it keeps coming back however much you wipe.

When you can do it yourself, and when you probably can't

Not every project needs professionals. If you have repainted a bedroom or had a new bathroom suite fitted without much plastering, a thorough clean with microfibre cloths, a vacuum with a good filter and a few hours of effort is usually fine.

Bigger jobs are different. Professional help is worth considering if any of the following apply:

• Walls or ceilings were re-plastered or skimmed, or a wall was knocked through
• You've had an extension, loft conversion or kitchen refit
• Floorboards were sanded, which leaves fine dust in every gap
• Someone in the home has asthma or allergies, or you have young children
• You're about to sell, let or hand the property back to a landlord
• The work covered several rooms and you have a firm move-in date

What a proper post-renovation clean covers

A good builders' clean works from top to bottom, and it treats new surfaces carefully. Using the wrong product can do real damage: acidic cleaners etch marble and limestone, and scouring pads scratch new quartz worktops and glass. That is where a lot of DIY cleans go wrong.

You'd normally expect the job to include:

• HEPA-filtered vacuuming of floors, skirting, sockets and vents
• Wiping down walls, doors, frames, light switches and radiators
• Removing paint splashes and plaster from windows and glass with the right blades
• Taking stickers and protective film off new fittings and appliances
• Removing grout haze from tiles and cleaning sealant residue
• Cleaning inside cupboards, drawers, window tracks and extractor fans

Cost and timing in London

Prices depend on the size of the property, how much dust the work produced, and access. In London, parking, the Congestion Charge zone and top-floor flats with no lift all make a difference. As a rough guide, a one-bedroom flat after light works might cost between £200 and £400. A three- or four-bedroom house after a major refurbishment can cost anything from £600 to well over £1,200. Many firms charge by the cleaner-hour, often £25 to £40 in London, so get a written quote based on a site visit or clear photos.

Timing matters as much as price. Book the clean for after every trade has finished but before carpets go down and furniture comes back in. On bigger projects, a two-stage approach often works best: a first clean once the builders leave, then a lighter finishing clean a few days later to catch the dust that has settled since. Check that the water and electricity are on for the day of the clean.

What to ask before you book

Ask whether the company has public liability insurance and whether they bring their own HEPA vacuums and equipment. Check what's excluded. Most cleaning firms don't remove building rubble, which legally has to go with a licensed waste carrier. It's also worth agreeing whether windows are cleaned inside only or outside too, as upper floors on London terraces may need specialist access.