Moving into your new home can be very exciting. However, in the case of renting, don’t forget that the house was previously occupied and was in constant use. And in the case of a new house, you must remember that many harsh chemicals and paints were recently used to build it. Thus, whether you are moving into a new house or renting a new apartment, one thing that you must consider is move-in cleaning. Our experts put together the best ways how to clean an apartment before moving in.
Whether you’re just moving in or about to move out, you might not have thought about an important factor for both: cleaning. Cleaning apartment before moving in might not be your biggest concern, but cleaning your rental space before moving out could help ensure the return of a security deposit.
The Right Way of Cleaning a New Apartment
Cleaning an apartment can be tricky during the move-in phase. Depending on when your lease starts and when you physically move into your space can determine a lot. If you have a few days between the two, take the time to visit and do some overall apartment cleaning and double-check appliances, faucets, and other things that might need attention before you begin using them. If you notice something that wasn’t a problem during your walk-through, or if you didn’t have a walk-through, be sure to contact your landlord or property manager to ensure it’s fixed before your official move-in.
We understand that cleaning a new household space can be stressful. So, to ease up your anxiety and lower your stress level. We have come up with a list of things you need to do before moving into your new home.
Before Move-in Cleaning Checklist:
Hose down the porch and patio
Switch on the sprinklers to give the backyard a little spruce up
Vacuum and/or clean steam carpet
Scrub away all the stains that you might come across
Lightly wipe down surfaces
Wipe down the kitchen countertops
Clean bathtub and toilet
Clean the sinks
Check vents and air filter
Check faucets for potential leaks
Clean and disinfect the refrigerator and freezer
Clean the oven and microwave
Open a window (weather permitting) to allow fresh air in
Once you have cleaned the basics, you can start moving in your stuff. The detailed cleaning can only start once you have organized your new space. Don’t rush with the detailed cleaning. Take it one room at a time or even one corner/nook. Once you pick a room for the day, visualize how you plan to organize and decorate it and go from there.
After Move-in Cleaning Checklist:
Start From The Top
Clean every room from the top down. Think about gravity. If you clean floors first and dust window sills afterwards, chances are some dust will settle on your freshly-vacuumed carpet.
Start at the farthest point from the entryway and slowly move towards the door. If followed properly, this simple apartment cleaning rule will prevent you from walking on wet floors before they dry.
Work Toward The Door
Start cleaning the space farthest away from the doors and work gradually towards them.
This is an important strategy to keep in mind unless you want to clean your floors twice.
Deep Clean All Closets And Shelves
Once you fill your closets with endless stretches of your clothes, accessories and other stuff, it’s highly unlikely that you will ever take them all out to clean the closet shelves and corners. So, deep clean the closet’s corners, lining shelves, and hanging rods. It’s always better to clean it all once than wondering later if something dirty was in there.
Cleaning shelves full of your clothes is not the easiest of tasks. Consider getting vinyl lining for your shelves; it will prevent your belongings from sliding around and is easier to clean.
Clean The Appliances
If you have a dishwasher, run a couple of cycles. For extra cleaning points, use vinegar on the top rack during the first cycle and baking soda on the bottom rack during the second one. It should help to get rid of any weird smells and clean the kitchen appliances.
Scrub your oven and kitchen hood. Clean all the racks and walls of the oven.
Thoroughly clean the fridge. Baking soda and vinegar work great to remove any smells.
Replace The Toilet Seat
A toilet seat is probably the dirtiest in your house, and you end up sitting a lot on it. So, make sure to replace toilet seats and covers. They’re an inexpensive way to ensure a clean, fresh start.
Mop The Floors
Use a steam mop to clean hardwoods and tiles to make the floors shine. You can also rent carpet cleaners to give your carpets a thorough clean.
Disinfect The Knobs
From the light switches to doorknobs, all of it has been touched hundreds of times by the previous tenants. Thus, cleaning and disinfecting the door.
Clean The Kitchen
The kitchen requires extra effort because you want to eat healthily and eliminate any cooking smells the former tenants might have left behind.
Kitchen countertops might also have some stains and sticky things you need to get rid of to give your kitchen and family a fresh start. Use mild soap or a wood cleaner to clean the wood surface.
Don’t forget about kitchen cabinet cleaning. Wipe them both on the inside and on the outside with a microfiber cloth soaked in detergent or vinegar and water solution.
Check The Garage
Check all nooks and corners for any surprise stuff left behind by the previous occupants. Give your new garage an overall clean by hosing it down by a water pipe.
If you believe you don’t have the best apartment cleaning skills, lack time to do a thorough clean-up, or need an extra set of hands, you can find someone to help you with all your cleaning tasks. There are many online websites and apps where you can find one-time or on-call cleaners and housekeepers.
Now that you have a clean condo/house, it’s time to make it your home. Bring out your interior decorator and spruce and deck up the space as per your style. Hang up those family portraits, assemble your furniture, spray some air freshener and cozy up in what is now your new home.
Check out Squeaky Cleaning Services in detail here. We also provide move-in and move-out cleaning services, contact us today and get a free estimation.