How To Clean An Apartment Before Moving Out

Preparing for the Move-Out Cleaning

All ready to move out? Wait, now it’s time for the final move-out cleaning before you hop into a car and drive towards the new house. For the thorough cleaning of the apartment, you need to collect a list of supplies and tools to get the job done efficiently and effectively.

Gather the following supplies and tools for your move-out cleaning:

• Household cleaner
• Disinfectant
• Mops
• Broom and bin
• Scrubs and dusters
• Brushes and sponges
• Glass-cleaner
• Pieces of lint-free cloths
• Vacuum
• Trash bags

Your Cleaning Schedule

Going blindly into move-out cleaning might become scary and daunting if you don’t know from which corner to begin. So, it’s better for your sanity and effective cleaning to break down your cleaning tasks into small manageable chunks over several days.

For instance:

1. Less Urgent: Start your moving-out cleaning with less urgent chores, such as packing and disposing of unnecessary stuff and clearing clutter.
2. Slightly Intensive Tasks: Afterwards, get down to slightly more extensive cleaning chores, such as cleaning ceilings, blinds and windows, carpets, cabinets, etc.
3. More Intensive Chores: Finally, tackle the chores that require extensive cleaning and are, of course, a bit dreadful. These include making your kitchen and bathroom spotless.

Room-by-Room Cleaning Guide

General Tips for All Rooms

Keeping these general tips as part of a checklist of your tenant move-out cleaning will make the job super easy.

• Consider dusting, wiping, and vacuuming of all the surfaces as the holy trinity. All your rooms need these three.
• Use a top-down approach by clearing cobwebs from walls and ceilings and dusting fans and light bulbs.
• Next, give your floors a much-needed cleaning session using a vacuum or a mop.
• While you’re at it, don’t forget to wipe surfaces like countertops, baseboards, shelves, and door knobs. Remember, using elbow grease can be a life-saver.

Living Room and Bedrooms

Now, it's time to gear up for extensive room-by-room cleaning. This is how it can go.

Clearing Cobwebs from Ceilings:

Pick a broom or a brush having a large handlebar to reach ceilings. Simple swishing and flicking will eliminate cobwebs from ceilings of your living room and bedrooms. To get rid of stubborn cobwebs, use a crevice attachment with your vacuum.

Dust Blinds and Clean Windows:

Your blinds and windows need a good dusting and cleaning, especially in their hard-to-reach areas. Remove dust from the blinds with a duster, but if they need deep cleaning, take them off and soak them for a while in a detergent solution. Meanwhile, you can clean the windows - both inside and outside - with a glass-cleaner and lint-free fabric. This will prevent ugly streaks. You can also use good ole newspaper for streak-free windows.

Clean Walls and Baseboards

Time to make your walls and baseboards look as good as new. Your walls and baseboards might have accumulated grime over the years. Wipe off all the filth from them with a damp cloth. Take help from a mild detergent solution again for stubborn blemishes.

While you’re at making your walls look as good as new, don’t overlook those nail holes you drilled for decorating your abode. Lucky for you, they’re easy to patch up. A little amount of spackling and elbow grease can do magic. Add a layer of sand and paint once the spackling dries and even you won’t know that there was a hole in the wall.

Vacuum and Mop Floors

If you had carpeted your apartment, then it would have definitely gotten a couple of ugly stains over the years. A simple combo of carpet cleaning solution and microfiber fabric would eliminate all the stains. However, if the stains refuse to go away, then you can simply use a carpet cleaner at a low rental cost.

In case you have hardwood floors or tiles, sweep or vacuum them first to clear all the dirt and debris. Afterwards, mop them with a soap solution. For removing stubborn blemishes from tiles, you may need a strong cleaner and a scrubbing brush.

Kitchen

Your kitchen will test your patience because it loves to gather grease, crumbs, and stubborn marks. You have to give an intense cleaning session to your kitchen before moving out. Follow these tips and steps to get this tough job done efficiently.

Clear Out Cabinets and Pantries

Begin with clearing out all the dishware and food items from cabinets and pantries - while you’re at it, don’t forget to throw away expired and unused stuff. Once the cabinets and pantries are empty, wipe them with a cleaner and a rag. For time-saving, use the brush attachment of your vacuum to remove crumbs in a nanosecond.

Clean the Inside of Appliances

Get to your dirty appliances next as more often than not, people forget to wipe the insides of their appliances, such as the refrigerator, oven, and microwave. The magical combo of vinegar and baking soda or simple warm soapy water will make the interior of your fridge sparkle like stars.

As for the oven, using its auto-clean setting will do the job. You can clean manually too by using a pasty solution of water and baking soda. Brush it on the interior of the appliance and sprinkle vinegar. The reaction will clear away all the caked-up gunk instantly.

Sanitize Countertops and Sinks

Your kitchen countertops, sinks, and drains need equal attention. Clear all the grime from the inside of your sink with a household cleaner and use a sanitizer for the drain. Sanitizing wipes will make your dishwasher and countertops squeaky clean from inside out.

Bathroom

Now, move to the next dreadful part, i.e. your bathroom. Let’s see how you can give it a spa-like treatment in no time.

Polish Mirrors and Sanitize Vanity

Start with tackling the mirrors and vanity. The duo of glass-cleaner and microfiber cloth will help you leave a streak-free shiny mirror for your landlord.

As for the vanity, use a disinfectant and then wipe the surface with a sanitizing wipe. An abrasive cleaner and brush will eliminate stubborn make-up marks. Moreover, you should also wipe the faucets and handles to make them germ-free.

Disinfect the Toilet and Shower

Your toilet and shower also need thorough cleaning. An all-purpose toilet cleaner will banish all the ring marks from the inside of the toilet bowl. Make the sides of the toilet spotless with a toilet brush.

As for the shower or bathtub, once again, a solution of vinegar and dish soap is your weapon. This will clear all the mildew and soap scum as if it was never there in the first place.

Dust the Vent and Mop the Floor

Your bathroom fan and vent also collect dust over the years, so don’t forget to dust them. A duster and a can of air will help you get the job done.

Once you’re done with dusting, get to cleaning the floor. First, clear debris by sweeping and vacuuming, then mop the surface with soap solution.

Outdoor Spaces (Optional)

Clean Balcony and Sliding Doors

These simple steps can help you clean your balcony, if you have any. Sweep off all the debris and grime from the balcony and railings. For cleaning the sliding glass door of your outdoor space, clean with a glass-cleaner.

Laundry Room (Optional)

Clean Washer and Dryer

Your laundry appliances also need cleaning. A mixture of vinegar and hot water will clean your washing machine as good as new. Take off the lint trap from the dryer for thorough cleaning. Clean lint-build up from the dryer vent as well. To lessen your burden, you can also acquire a reliable apartment cleaning service for laundry room cleaning.

Special Considerations

How to Clean Apartment Walls Before Moving Out

Cleaning your apartment walls isn’t as challenging as it sounds and looks like. It can be done with the items you already gathered for apartment cleaning before move-out.

Dusting of Walls

Clean all the dust, grime, and cobwebs from your walls with a handheld vacuum. Step on a stool or ladder to reach higher areas.

Wash Your Walls

You may require different cleaning solutions for this part, depending on the type of wall. For instance,

• Use an all-purpose cleaner or dishwashing detergent for cleaning gloss or semi-gloss painted walls.
• For flat or matte-painted walls, use warm water and a cleaning sponge to clean them from top to bottom. Avoid cleaning such walls with harsh chemicals.
• Use the same cleaner that is mentioned for gloss or semi-gloss painted walls to wash the walls having latex paint. Use a gentle hand for scrubbing.
• For walls having oil-based paint, a solution of liquid dish soap, white vinegar, and warm water will do the magic. Use a microfiber or a sponge dipped in the solution to clean the walls.
• If your apartment’s walls have wallpapers, use a mixture of warm water and mild dish soap. Gently wash the wall with a non-abrasive fabric.

What to do with tough stains on the wall?

At times, a gentle cleaner doesn’t clear scuff marks or stubborn stains from the walls. In that case, use a pasty solution of baking soda and warm water. Spread this mixture on those nasty stains with a sponge and gently wipe the marks.

You can also take help from a melamine solution for getting rid of these resilient stains.

Do You Have to Clean the Oven When You Move Out?

Absolutely, yes! It is necessary to clean your oven before moving out to avoid sticking of food. A clean and tidy oven also looks good. You can clean it with a commercial oven cleaner or homemade solution of vinegar and baking soda.

Should You Clean Your New Apartment Before Moving In?

Again, Yes! Cleaning your new apartment means you will start anew in a squeaky clean space. Plus, it will also help you notice early on which areas require maintenance. Here are some effective tips for how to clean your new apartment before you move your stuff.

• Start with cleaning of surfaces.
• Clean appliances.
• Scrub and wipe the floors and baseboards.
• Most importantly, disinfect the bathroom
• Make your kitchen sanitized.

A clean and tidy apartment will help you enjoy your new residence without any stress.

Move-Out Cleaning Checklist

Final Walkthrough Tips

You won’t experience any hitch while handing over your apartment if you apply these handy tips for apartment cleaning.

Should You Hire Professional Cleaners?

Shifting to a new place isn’t a walk in the park. Taking help from professional cleaners is a smart choice if you can’t manage to make your apartment spotless clean when moving out. Although it will cost you money, it can increase your security deposit and let you enjoy your new home in peace.

Factors to Consider

You must take into account these factors when deciding whether to hire professional cleaners or not.

• Period of Your Stay: If you’ve spent five years or more in that apartment, hiring professional cleaners is prudent as they can effectively clean the filth gathered there over the years.
• Magnitude of Cleaning Needed: The magnitude of apartment cleaning needed can also help you determine if you hire professionals or not. If your apartment requires intensive cleaning, get professional cleaners. Hiring them means you will get your entire security back.
• Cost of Professional Cleaning Service: Of course, money is an important factor. Hiring professionals for thorough cleaning can cost you anything between $60 - $400, depending on your apartment’s space.

How to Choose a Professional Cleaning Service

Following practical tips can help you choose the best professional cleaning service.

• Go through their online reviews and testimonials to gauge their reliability.
• Look for experienced and certified cleaning service.
• Gather quotes from several cleaning companies to compare whose prices and services give you remarkable value.
• Ensure they aren’t charging hidden fees.