If you can pack up items you do not want dust over...we use plastic sheeting, tarps etc to try to contain as much dust as possible but you will have it. it will get everywhere. You can either keep cleaning it off as the renovation is progressing or wait till the end. It will take a few days for the dust to settle after renovation. We have had many clients hire a cleaning company to help them clean afterwards. It will get better and you will have your house back again.

Construction dust is so fine it gets into every nook and cranny, even when the construction zone is sealed off. The worst is during demo (especially if you have plaster walls) and sheetrock installation.

I learned the hard way to take down and bag all fabric window coverings and rugs. Bag up knickknacks and anything else you can live without for awhile. Keep doors in unaffected rooms closed. Cover upholstered furniture and beds with sheets and plan to wash them regularly.

I try to clean up every evening -- dust, vacuum, wipe, etc. Not worth trying to get it all until the work is complete. Then plan to start cleaning at the ceiling and work your way down to the floor -- light fixtures, fans, windows, sills, everything will have a thin layer of talcum-like dust. Hire a cleaning service if you can because there will still be plenty of work for you to do once the crew leaves. Good luck!

If you are cleaning everything from floor to ceiling after renovation work (implying some amount of demolition is involved), and doing it out of necessity, I'll guess something is not right. Best guess is contractors are missing or skipping some important steps? On purpose?

A simple sanity check, shortchanging the cleanup is one very simple way to cut the cost (estimate) of a job. It means the burden of cleanup moves from the tradesman / contractor to the you the home owner. And the amount of effort is much greater when it lands in your lap in the manner you describe vs. what a contractor can do at the point of generation of the dust/dirt/debris.

I do agree not all, (i.e., not 100%) of airborne dust can be contained. However containment can get pretty close if someone knows what they are doing.

I'll add a helpful user insight.

Drop cloths, after the first use and forever thereafter, are like magnets for debris, dust and small particles.

The good practice if you want to keep dirt to a minimum, when you finish some work and 'fold up' the drop cloth, do so gently, then place the (hopefully neatly) folded mass into a plastic bag, transport to your workroom, if you will not be using again soon remove from plastic bag (to allow air flow).

Thought of this thread when doing something today.

As has been said, drop cloths over everything, seal off rooms, clean up daily, constantly vacuum all you can....and then remember the wise words a friend who had recently gone through a big remodle..."Linda, you will think you will never get everything clean again, but just keep at it...eventually it will get clean again"..
LOL! Seems impossible....but do what you can to contain the dirt and clean and clean some more....for a few months, dust seems to come out of the pores of the house!

Ugh, just experienced this. We removed tile from two bathrooms and laundry room. Even though I closed doors, the dust made its way in those rooms. I've cleaned for two days so far. I used a lint roller over bedding prior to washing. Also over furniture and lamp shades. I should have put up plastic around the door frames, although I still think it would've traveled through duct work. Next time I will use old sheets to cover everything. It's just the nature of renovating. Good luck with your project.

Good point of reference here: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/keeping-dust-down

One quote is insightful "...can assure you that for every dollar or hour spent preparing, you'll save five dollars and five hours on cleanup or repairs."

I note they do not mention "ram board" which is also called "contractor's paper drop cloth."