The end of tenancy cleaning process can be daunting, and you want to make sure that the property is left in a livable condition. Whether you are moving out or your landlord has asked for an inspection before renting it to new tenants, this post will provide tips on how to best prepare for and get the clean done.
The first step of preparing for the clean is to remove all personal items from every room in the house. This includes clothes, shoes, furniture and any other belongings that have accumulated over time. You don’t want these things blocking access to areas where dirt may hide so it’s important they’re removed completely before beginning with a deep-clean.
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Clean the kitchen
Scrub down the counters and cabinets, wipe up spills, wash the floors, and remove all harmful objects from the premises. The kitchen is typically the room that gets dirtied first in a home because it’s where people prepare meals, so you’ll have to do some serious scrubbing and organizing to get it looking perfect for your landlord or potential new tenants.
Scrub the counters and cabinets with disinfectant cleaner to remove any dirt or grime they’ve accumulated from everyday wear and tear.
Thoroughly wipe down the floors, walls, and door frames in your kitchen to get rid of those pesky germs that may have been hiding there.
Clean the oven, inside and out , and make sure to scrub off any stubborn food residue from the racks.
Remove all traces of food or drinks from your kitchen or from the fridge. Dispose of any leftover food in garbage bags outside (don’t leave it to rot inside).
Empty the dishwasher and put away any dishes in it. Take out all trash, recycling, and compost
Cleaning the bathroom
Clean the bathroom – scrubbing down all surfaces with a cleaner that is safe for marble or stone, removing hair from drains and tubs, cleaning toilets, sinks, and faucets until they sparkle.
Spray some glass cleaner on your bathroom mirror, take a paper towel and wipe it down until you see all the smudges disappear. You’ll be amazed at the difference you see after just one swipe.
Care for any and all counter tops – take a toothbrush, a box of baking soda, and some vinegar, and scrub away! You can also get them professionally polished if you use a local service.
Clean out your medicine cabinets, removing all expired products and throwing them away when you’re done. You can also use that time to put in new shelves for storage purposes as well if you’ve been wanting to spruce up the look of those and haven’t had time yet.
Scrub down your toilet with disinfectant cleaner **twice** over 24 hours apart because germs lay eggs that stick very well to porcelain so they need more than one round of cleaning power to get rid of all the bacteria.
To clean your bathroom sinks, mix baking soda and water together in a cup or bowl, then using a sponge apply it to the sink, moving it around so you get into every inch of the surface space as well as underneath all the little grooves of each drain hole. Let sit for about 15 minutes before scrubbing with a toothbrush and rinse if its safe to do so, otherwise use towels to wipe up excess residue. Repeat this process on your tub/shower area too. Scrub away soap scum if that’s what is causing your problem with plain old regular dish detergent and let dry over night with one final wipe down in case you missed anything.
Clean the rest of the house
Clean the carpets with a steam cleaner or hire a professional for deep cleaning
If you don’t have a steam cleaner, you can rent one or use carpet cleaning machines that are available at most grocery stores.
Turn the rugs over to sweep out all dirt and scrub with a brush if needed.
If you clean the carpets yourself, sprinkle them liberally with baking soda before vacuuming them (leave it on overnight if possible). Baking soda absorbs odors but be sure you let it sit long enough or use some other method of odor removal as well because not all smells can be absorbed by baking soda alone. Try vinegar too for another smell remover alternative. You can also try sprinkling coffee grounds over the carpet before vacuum cleaning it but this will make your vacuum work harder so I do not recommend it unless you have a large place that needs spot cleaning.
Attach a steam cleaner to your hose and clean the floors. Make sure you do not leave any puddles of water on the floor, especially if there is any chance that furniture may get damaged over it.
Vacuum up all hair, debris , crumbs , and other harmful substances so it doesn’t end up on someone’s shoes later on. Make sure to vacuum or sweep under couches, chairs, tables, beds, and even inside cabinets where dust may hide if you haven’t taken them off their hinges already – these places are often forgotten when you’re on the rush.
Move all furniture away from walls so that area rugs can be vacuumed thoroughly as well as baseboards wiped down with disinfectant or bleach solution. It’s also important to wipe off light switches and the surrounding wall surfaces. If you have hard wood floors, use a broom handle attachment on your vacuum cleaner to sweep them first before mopping them (a damp mop head left too long will leave streaking). Use separate cloths for wiping down window sills and other surfaces like door frames.
Dry mop hardwood floors and thoroughly sweep them using a broom handle attachment for a regular vacuum cleaner. Do this before mopping because the dampness will ruin your mop head quickly due to static electricity build-up.
Put all rugs back in their places when cleaning is done.
Vacuum upholstery with an upholstery attachment or hire a professional for deep cleaning.
Wash down walls, baseboards, and ceilings with bleach or other disinfectant cleaner, following the manufacturers’ instructions. Don’t forget about light fixtures and ceiling fans. A mini-vac with a hose attachment is great for reaching up high in hard to reach places.
Your baseboards will also need to be wiped down with a damp, but not wet, cloth. You can do this more than once over the course of your cleaning process if they’re still dirty looking afterwards.
Clean the bedroom
Switch out bedding items to include new sheets, pillows, blankets and pillow cases and clean the comforters or duvet covers. Wash or dry clean curtains to have up to date bedding. Vacuum all surfaces, including the ceiling (use an attachment) and wipe away any cobwebs. Dust all picture frames with a soft cloth and remove items for a dusting by hand as well. Wipe down furniture top to bottom but make sure you don’t get water in any drawer joints that might damage them or cause mold build up inside. Make sure you lift up heavy items like bookshelves/entertainment centers so that there is no chance of getting anything stuck in the grooves when wiping it down below. You may need some tools to move these if they’re connected to the floors too.
Hire a service company. If you are faced with the prospect of cleaning the entire property by yourself, then it is worth considering hiring professionals to do this work for you. It will cost you more than doing it yourself, but in the end it will save time and make your life less stressful. You can find cleaning services online or through local classifieds – many professional cleaners have websites where you can order their services directly from them. Shop around before deciding on one. Look at reviews from previous clients and ask friends or family members if they know any companies that offer expertise in this area. A good place to start looking would be https://www.needaservice.uk/, which has received positive customer reviews from all over the Northampton area.
