Move-in/ Move out Cleaning Checklist: Top 15 Move in/Move Out Cleaning Tips

So, you’re just about to move? That’s amazing! Hopefully, your new home will bring you even more joy and good memories than your last home! You will need a move out cleaning checklist, however.

Even though you will be moving to a new place, cleaning work is still done. You have to make sure that your new home and your old home are properly cleaned. This is because you do not want to leave the new tenants or owners of your old house with a large mess, and you want to make sure your new home is looking its best when you move in. Also, if you had to put a security deposit down when you moved in, you will need the property to be clean when you move out in order to get your deposit back. 

When many people are moving in or moving out of new homes, they often overlook all of the cleaning tasks they should do to ensure that everything is as clean as possible. 

We have compiled a list of the top 15 move-in/move out cleaning tips for you. After you read this article, you should be fully prepared to know exactly what kinds of cleaning you have to do when moving in or moving out. 

Here is the ultimate move-in/move out cleaning checklist:

1) Vacuum Everywhere 

Over time, all sorts of dust and debris can accumulate on the floors of a home. Whether you vacuumed regularly in the past or not, you should try to vacuum all of the floors in the home. This will help the property to look as clean as it possibly can. Your vacuum will remove any crumbs or debris on the ground, making the carpets and floors look great. 

2) Mop the Hard Floors 

Although running a vacuum over your home floors will help remove loose debris, it will not get stains and grime out. You will need a mop for this. When you are mopping, prioritize the areas that have stains. However, it would help if you still run a mop over the entire floor surface of the home so that every inch looks as clean as possible. Mopping is an essential item on a tenant move out cleaning checklist.  

3) Clean the Windows

Hopefully, you have some Windex lying around your home that you can use for this. If not, you might want to run to the store and get some or a similar product. Windex does a great job cleaning windows. Before you move out, you want to make sure that your windows look as shiny, clean, and sparkly as possible. Both your landlord and the next tenant will really appreciate this. This is especially true if there is a good view of the home! 

4. Take the Nails and Screws Out of the Wall 

Nobody wants to move into a home that is loaded up with nails and screws in the wall. So, if you hung a lot of paintings, tapestries, posters, or other works of art, then you should go around your home and carefully remove them. Once you have removed them, you can apply putty to them to cover up the holes. Once you are done with this process, the walls will look brand new and ready for the next tenant/owner! 

5. Dust All Ledges and Light Fixtures 

Even if you are not aware of it, a large amount of dust may have accumulated in your home while you were living there. Not everyone remembers to dust periodically. If you fall into this category, then this step is especially crucial for you. So, get out your duster and get to work! Dusting all ledges and light fixtures is an essential part of this move out cleaning checklist. It is vital to move in cleaning checklists too. 

6.Throw Away Any Trash 

When you are moving out, you may discover that there is a considerable amount of random trash lying around your place. This trash could be wrappers, bits of paper, boxes, etc. Sometimes we don’t realize just exactly how much trash is in our homes until we move a bed or a couch. So, you should go around and look for every piece of trash, then throw it away. 

7. Clean All of the Mirrors 

No matter what kind of home you live in, it is likely that there are at least a few mirrors on the property. Before you move out, you should take a good glass cleaner and give the mirrors a thorough cleaning. Mirrors can get dirty from fingerprints or other grime that builds up on them over time. You can clean the mirrors in the property you are moving out of and the property you are moving into! 

8.Clean the Toilets 

This might not be the most fun cleaning job on the move-out cleaning checklist, but it’s necessary. You can wear rubber gloves to make it more sanitary. Make sure you use a good toilet bowl cleaner and clean every inch of the inside and outside of the toilet. That is the only way to make sure that the toilet will be completely clean. No one wants to move into a home with dirty toilets, so you will be doing the new tenants/owners a favor by making the toilets very clean before you move in. 

9. Clean Out All of the Cabinets 

You have to remove all of the food and wrappers from the cabinets when you are moving out. So, you should go through all of the cabinets very carefully and make sure that there is no food, no wrappers, and no crumbs in the cabinets before you leave. You can even vacuum the insides of the cabinets to get out all of the crumbs. Don’t forget this item on your rental move out cleaning checklist. 

10. Completely Empty and Sweep Your Garage 

If your property has a garage, you should go through it and take out everything there. There is likely to be a lot of dirt and dust on the floors, so make sure that you go through and clean everything. Take out all the tools, bikes, toys, paint cans, old books, etc. Everything that’s in there must go. Then sweep the floors once everything is removed. 

11. Scrub the Oven and the Stove 

As the years pass, both ovens and stoves can become covered with grime, burned food, and other particles. So, you can use a high-quality oven cleaner to get out all of the grime in your oven. You can get out the grime on your stovetop with water and a sponge and perhaps a little soap. 

12. Clean All Sinks and Faucets 

Your old home will not look its best unless all faucets and sinks have been properly cleaned and shined. This means that you need to clean all of the sinks and faucets in the bathrooms and in the kitchen. Don’t skip this item on the move-out cleaning checklist. You need to remove all of the grime that has accumulated on them and make sure that they shine. 

13. Pick Up Every Loose Article of Clothing 

There can be many different clothing items strewn about your house, apartment, or condo. Old socks and shirts can be stuffed behind couches, at the bottom of your closet, etc. It is not only picking up loose articles of clothing important for cleaning, but you also don’t want to leave any of your clothes behind when you move! 

14. Wipe Down All of The Countertops 

You can do this with a wet hand towel. Giving the countertops in your kitchen, a good wiping will remove all of the dirt and grime from them. Once you have finished this task, the countertops should look a lot cleaner and better overall. The new tenants/owners of the apartment, condo, or house will really appreciate having clean countertops and not having them covered in dirt and grime. 

15. Clean The Refrigerator 

This means removing all of the food from the inside of the refrigerator and cleaning the outside of the refrigerator. The fridge is often the only or one of the only appliances that stay behind when you move to a new place. So, as a courtesy to the new tenants/owners of your home, you should thoroughly clean your refrigerator and make sure it looks as good as new! This is one of the essential items on the apartment move-out cleaning checklist. 

Move Out Cleaning Checklist Conclusion 

Whether you are moving out or moving in, doing all the items on this checklist can help make sure that you have the cleanest possible home. Living in a clean home is much preferable to living in a messy home. So, if your home is not currently in tip-top shape, then you should carefully go through all of the items on this checklist and make sure that they are checked off. 

If you need any assistance with cleaning your home when you are moving out or moving in, Sunlight Cleaning can help you. You can book a cleaning from Sunlight Cleaning on our website or by calling us at 212-920-5966.