Whether you’re leaving a rental or just sold your home, leases and purchase agreements clearly require you to perform a thorough move-out cleaning in North York to present the home in livable condition.
In this blog, we will cover the essential steps to ensure you leave nothing behind, and you fulfill your end of the bargain.
Steps to Follow Throughout Your Home
First, there are several move-out cleaning tasks you’ll need to complete throughout your entire home, including the following:
- Dust and clean ceiling fans and light fixtures.
- Inspect your walls for damage from nails and screws. Then, fill any holes and paint them.
- Wipe down all the walls and dust the baseboards.
- Clean the windows and sills/ledges.
- Wash the doors and knobs.
- Wash the light switches.
- Sweep, vacuum, and/or mop the floors.
- Dust the vents and exhaust grates.
- If the window treatments come with the home, have them dry-cleaned or launder them.
- Dust any blinds that come with the home, slat by slat.
Steps to Follow in the Kitchen
Along with the above list, the kitchen requires special attention in the following areas:
- Empty the fridge and clean it inside and out.
- Clean the oven using an oven cleaner.
- Wipe down the stove top and replace the burner covers if necessary.
- Run a cleaning cycle in the dishwasher with a dishwasher cleaner.
- Scrub the sink.
- Clean the garbage disposal (if applicable).
- Disinfect the countertops and backsplash.
- Empty the cabinets and drawers, vacuum out crumbs, and wipe down the surfaces.
- Replace missing knobs (if you rent, only do this if they were there when you moved in!).
- Check under the sink for messes or mould, and spritz with a mould-remover.
- Make sure all food and belongings are removed from cabinets, under the sink, the fridge, etc.
Steps to Follow in the Bathroom
The bathroom is one of the most important rooms to clean before moving, using these steps:
- Scrub the shower and/or tub surround with a bathroom cleaner.
- Consider steam-cleaning the grout and surfaces to remove germs.
- Clean the sink and counter.
- Wash all faucets.
- Scrub the toilet inside and out.
- Consider replacing the toilet seat if it’s damaged.
- Make sure all the cabinets and vanity drawers are clean inside and out.
- Remove all your products, especially medications.
- Remove the shower curtain.
Steps to Follow in the Laundry Room/Closet
Whether you have a full laundry room or just a laundry closet, the following steps will ensure it’s clean for the new residents:
- Run a cleaning cycle in the washer using a rinse product (not all washers have this option).
- Clean the surface and interior of the washer and dryer.
- Pull out the washer and dryer if you can, so you can vacuum or sweep up all the lint and mess.
- Check both machines for stray socks and other clothing items.
- Clear out storage areas.
- Clean the lint catcher.
Tips to Power Through Your Move-Out Cleaning
Move-out cleanings aren’t easy, but can be less stressful with these tips to help you power through your tasks:
Stock up on Cleaning Products and Tools
Before you begin, check your cleaning products and tools to make sure you have everything you need to work efficiently. You don’t want to have to make a trash bag and paper towel run when you’re in cleaning mode! Here’s a checklist of what you’ll need:
- Microfiber cloths and/or paper towels
- Rubber gloves
- A good scrubber, such as steel wool
- Large trash bags
- Antibacterial cleaning solutions for the bathroom
- Glass cleaner
- Multipurpose cleaner or your own natural cleaners like baking soda, vinegar, lemons, etc.
- Dish soap
Work Top to Bottom
By working top to bottom, you continue to clean dust and debris that falls as you clean. By ending with the floors, you capture all that mess and leave a pristine home in your wake.
Tackle the Job Room by Room
You might have a way you prefer to work, but we recommend tackling the job room by room. This will keep you organized. Also, working task by task in each room often keeps you working efficiently. The trick is to avoid working chaotically, as this will a) stress you out and b) make it almost certain you’ll miss more than a few spots.
Check Behind Every Closed Door and Drawer
By using our tips, you’re not likely to find anything you’ve left behind. That said, it never hurts to check behind every closed door and drawer, just in case you missed something.
Sweep and Dust Closets
Once you remove all your belongings from your closets, be sure to sweep them out and dust the shelves so they’re nice and clean.
Do a Final Once Over
After you move all your belongings out, check the home for any glaring messes or issues that you missed or that appeared out of nowhere. This might include things like dust bunnies, damaged walls, or things like random nails left behind from wall art.
Move Out Cleaning North York: Call the Professionals
If there’s one time we recommend calling in the pros, it’s to complete your move-out cleaning in North York. The cleaning list is exhaustive and will be hard to tackle while your home is filled with boxes and furniture.
It makes far more sense to hire move-out cleaning services to come in after you’re all moved out to ensure every surface, nook, and cranny is pristine. The new owners/renters will feel safe and at home when they move in. At Maid4Condos, we address all of the above and more for a very reasonable price and complete peace of mind.
The move-out cleaning process is a necessary evil and something nice to do for the new residents. However, it’s a daunting task that is usually best left to the professionals to make life easier and ensure you meet the expectations of the lease or purchase agreement.
If you’re running out of time, click here for an online quote on Maid4Condos’ move-out cleaning North York services. You can also call us at 647-822-0601 or contact us online.
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