New Apartment Cleaning Checklist – The Ultimate Guide

All set to get in your very own new apartment? Before you get comfy and dump all your stuff inside, remember that this is the best time to clean up the new place. Our complete new apartment cleaning checklist will make your new place clean and homely in no time.

The space is far easier to clean while it’s empty. So this is the right time to clean and tidy your apartment with in-depth cleaning, fumigation, and decluttering of the place.

Here’s our ultimate guide with everything you need to make the place clean, yours, and safe for your loved ones to live in.

Cleaning Supplies Required

Before you start away, ensure you have these fundamental cleaning supplies in hand. If not, make a quick stopover to the nearest grocery store and get these supplies:

• Sponges
• A Mop
• Scrubbing brushes
• Trash bags
• Disinfectant wipes
• Microfiber cloth
• Dusting cloth
• Broom
• vacuum
• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Dishwashing soap
• All-purpose cleaner
• Toilet cleaner
• A pair of rubber gloves

New Apartment Cleaning Checklist

Things may seem spick and span when you enter your new place. However, often upon a closer look, you’ll find cobwebs, dust, mold, and even roaches and bugs in the nooks and corners.

As soon as you get the keys in your hand, it would be best if you start cleaning the place. With no barriers to come in the way of sweeping and mopping, you can get around to all the hidden spots with ease at this point. 

But where do you start? 

To simplify things, we’ve organized the moving into a new apartment cleaning checklist into distinct steps. Roll up those sleeves and put on the gloves. 

Declutter and Discard

The first thing to do is make as much space as possible. Start by decluttering and tossing away garbage and stuff you don’t need. Just take a garbage bag – or bags – and start taking out the clutter.

Get to Cleaning the Ceiling and Walls

As a rule, always start from the top. The dust and other particles will fall as you clean the fans, light fixtures, windows, and ceiling corners. Hence, it’s always easier and better to clean the top space first and work your way down. 

Use the duster or broom for the cobwebs and fans, and let the dust bunnies drop down. Next, clean the fan’s blades using a cloth or feather duster. Same with the lights, clean them inside out and get rid of the cobwebs.

Walls

Walls may be the most neglected part of a checklist for cleaning a new apartment. But remember that these often become the hotspot for sticky fingers, dust, stains, and marks. 

Usually, a wipe with an all-purpose cleaner can remove all the debris, dust, and stains. Just wipe all the walls one by one starting from the top and going down.

 

Windows and Doors

After the ceiling and walls, you need to clean the windows and doors. Start with a duster to remove all the accumulated dust from the doors and window panes. Once the dry dust is removed, use an all-purpose cleaner and cloth and clean the windowsills, blinds, and door handles. 

You may also use polish to bring a little sparkle to the surfaces. However, in the end, wipe the surfaces with a dry microfiber cloth.

Further, for the down knobs and switches, you may also use a bit of disinfectant spray or wipes to cleanse them of any harmful elements.

The Kitchen

The kitchen is the one place you need to pay extra attention to. A dirty kitchen not only mars the apartment’s look but also becomes home to diseases, infection, and mold. 

Therefore, start stepwise. Clean the sink, shelves, cupboards, and appliances since you’ve already covered the ceiling and windows.

Garbage

Start with the garbage disposal. Remove any leftover trash from the refrigerator, drawers, cupboard, or garbage bin. Make sure you clean the garbage bin using baking soda and lemon juice. 

Even if empty, previous trash may have left behind odor or garbage residue that may become home to several types of germs and bacteria.

The Sink

Scrub the sink well using baking soda and water. Then using the all-purpose cleaner, clean it and scrub off the remains with vinegar. 

Clean the faucet and knobs and leave off some lemon wedges on the sink to neutralize any odors and give it a fresh fragrance.

Appliances

Check all the appliances in the kitchen. If there’s any leftover food or unwanted stuff, throw it in the garbage—one by one, deep clean all the appliances.

• Microwave: Take a mug of water and microwave it for a whole minute. Any leftover food particles or splashes on the walls will get loose. Now, you can easily wipe them with a paper towel or cloth. Also, wash the glass turntable.
• Oven: Use an oven cleaner to clean the oven. You can easily spray the cleaner and let it sit to loosen the grease and food residue. Wipe away the grime using a damp sponge. Finally, take the all-purpose cleaner and wipe all the sides and insides clean with a microfiber cloth.
• Refrigerator: Take out everything inside the fridge and clean all the shelves using disinfectant wipes or an all-purpose cleaner and cloth. Wipe the refrigerator’s door, door handle, top, and sides.
• Dishwasher: Take white vinegar in a cup and place it on the top rack of the dishwasher. Run the dishwasher once in the hottest setting. Next, wipe the sides and racks once the cycle is complete. In the end, clean the outside of the dishwasher using a cloth and the all-purpose cleaner.
• Washing Machine: Run a cycle using water and vinegar only at the hottest setting. Clean the outsides and lint trap with a piece of cloth and an all-purpose cleaner.

Cabinets and Drawers

Scrub the insides of the cabinets and drawers using a sponge and warm water with dishwashing soap. Wipe all the corners and sides nicely. Use baking soda, water, and a scrubbing brush for stubborn stains. 

Lastly, clean the handles and knobs. Use the polish to brush up the surface and knobs/handles for a little extra shine.

Counter and Shelves

Take dishwashing soap, water, and cloth to clean the counter space and shelves. Make sure to clean the shelves thoroughly, especially the corners. Now, wipe once more using the disinfectant wipes to rid the surface of any infested bacteria or mold.

Bathroom

Take the toilet cleaner and coat the inside of the toilet bowl. Let it sit for a while. In the meantime, use the all-purpose cleaner and spray it all over the sink, tub, and shower area. 

Wipe down the mirrors and glass using the glass cleaner. Then, clean the sink, tub, and shower areas using a scrub brush. Finally, using the toilet brush, scrub the sides of the toilet bowl using the toilet brush. 

Use disinfectant wipes to clean the seat and outside of the toilet seat. 

Scrub and clean the floor using the same all-purpose cleaner. Mop dry the floor as you go out of the toilet to avoid leaving shoe prints on the clean floor.

Closets

Dust the corners, doors, and shelves thoroughly. Scrub off any particles that may be stuck around the walls or shelves using baking soda and water. 

Line up the shelves with decorative paper. This makes the area clean and keeps the clothes and other items safe from stains and blotches. 

The Floors

Once all the dust, cobwebs, and other particles have fallen to the floors, it’s time you turn your attention there. Start with sweeping the floors with a broom. 

For efficient cleaning, start from one room and sweep your way to the door. Vacuum the carpets and corners where needed. 

If there are any stains or marks, use carpet shampoo or an all-purpose cleaner to clean them. After that, mop the whole flooring again, starting from the room at the end down to the entrance and doorway. 

If the stains still don’t leave, rent a carpet cleaner from a hardware store. You may also try a home remedy and leave baking soda. Sprinkle it all over and let it sit on the carpet for a few hours, and then vacuum.

The Outdoors

Don’t forget the terrace/balcony and porch in your new apartment cleaning checklist! If there’s furniture, dust and clean them with an all-purpose cleaner and brush. 

Using disinfectant wipes, clean the door and knobs. Lastly, clean the floor again using the mop and all-purpose cleaner solution.

 

Tips to Clean Your New Apartment

As stated earlier, an empty space is far easier to clean than a furnished one. Without your furniture and other assets in the way, you’ll have all the space to yourself. So cleaning at this point is easy.

If you are planning to clean the place yourself, here’s a new apartment cleaning checklist that’ll help:

• Cleaning the refrigerator is very important. You need to make space for new stock and eliminate the old, expired food that’s no longer fit for consumption.
• You also need to clean the kitchen needs inside out. Get into the cabinets, drawers, appliances, and counter spaces since this is where food is stocked. Ensure you eliminate all the bugs, dust, mold, and other harmful elements.
• Disinfect the tub, basin, and toilet bowls.
• Don’t forget the fans, lights, windows, window panes, door handles, and hinges.
• For stubborn burn marks and spots, leave the all-purpose cleaner on the area and scrub away the marks using warm water and liquid dishwashing soap.

Final Word

There’s no shortcut to home cleaning. It is one complete task that can get on your nerves. To make the best of it, be thorough but take it slow. 

With these steps, you can easily break down the task into subtasks and divide the workload or tasks into days. You don’t have to get it all done in a day!

Call a friend or loved one for help and support and with this new apartment cleaning checklist, make your place slick, shiny, and homely. Also, you can call us to order an apartment cleaning service, please feel free to contact Sunlight Cleaning NY.