Is there anything more stressful than moving out? Doubtful. Organising your entire life into boxes and shipping them to an entirely new place can be daunting and challenging.
Moreover, there is the cleaning, since you’re supposed to clean the entire property properly.
Since 2019 landlords can’t force tenants to pay for professional cleaning services, but they can expect to receive their home up to the same standard as they gave it away. This means that although they can’t ask you to pay for an end of tenancy cleaning, they surely can ask you to provide the same value.
If you’re going to do the end of tenancy cleaning yourself, ensure you give yourself enough time and proper self-care so that you can do it successfully.
Here’s what you need to know.
Begin with packing everything for the move-out
As you can imagine, your first job will be to pack and remove all your belongings from the premises. That means you either have the keys to your new home already, or you need to have a storage unit where you can place your stuff for a little while.
Regardless, you must give yourself enough time to sort through all your items and decide which ones to keep, donate or throw away. This can be an effective way to reduce your moving expenses. It’s a stressful part of your life, so give yourself enough time to process the change.
It’s essential to have your items organised as you are packing. This will significantly help you when it’s time to unpack in your new place.
For example, place your bedding and sleepwear in the same spot. This way, when it’s time to prepare your bed in your new home, you won’t have to open 15 boxes to find your sheets and pyjamas.
Finally, label everything thoroughly, as it will save you a lot of time when unpacking and sorting the boxes in your new home.
Continue with a simple dusting
Once you’ve moved out your belongings, it’s time to start cleaning your home.
Your first job is to take care of the dust. Usually, when we clean our homes, we tend to swipe the dust only from the places where we see it. Unfortunately, when we are about to give back our apartment to the landlord, we need to take care of every centimetre.
Once you begin, you may quickly come to realise that the whole process is not as simple as it sounds.
First, you must reach hard-to-reach places behind furniture and on top of them. Use a damped cloth or, better yet, a microfiber cloth. Then you need to move on to a vacuum cleaner, as you need to get your floors just as clean as your furniture.
Finally, make sure to dust each room thoroughly, including all of the furniture and decor.
Move to the windows and the doors
Next, it’s time to clean all the windows and doors. Make sure to clean them inside and out.
Use a glass cleaner and a soft cloth to wipe down each window and door. Make sure to remove any dirt, grime, or fingerprints.
Don’t forget to clean the frames and sills, as these can accumulate dirt and dust over time.
Be sure to give yourself enough time, as cleaning windows with heavy rain outside is utterly pointless. So make sure to have enough time to wait for a sunny or at least dry day, so your efforts won’t be in vain.
Next should be the walls, light switches and fixtures
Next on your list should be the walls.
Even if you don’t see any severe damage or scars on the wall, it’s a good idea to clean them thoroughly, as people tend to overlook imperfections in front of their eyes for a long time.
So, even if there are some small scuffs, make sure to clean up and fix them. Use a mild cleaner and a soft cloth to wipe down the walls.
While you are at it, clean all the light switches and fixtures thoroughly. You can use a small brush or cotton swabs to remove the dust and dirt from hard-to-reach places.
When you are done, ensure all the light switches and bulbs work.
Deep-clean the appliances before the end of the tenancy
If there is a place where you can mess up the end of tenancy cleaning, that’s the house appliances deep-cleaning. The entire gig takes at least one whole day, as it will drain your nerves and power.
Usually, that’s the point when people call for professional move out cleaning assistance, as deep-cleaning your home appliances is truly a bane.
Still, if you prefer to take on this arduous task yourself, you must start with your oven and stove. These appliances need most of your attention, as the oven often collects grease and food residue, which burns and becomes almost impossible to remove.
Scrubbing and washing is the game’s name, and you will do it a lot when deep-cleaning your kitchen appliances.
Moreover, empty and defrost your fridge and freezer, wash the sink and clean the drains. As you can imagine, this takes some time, so avoid doing it at the very last moment. Give yourself enough time to make it systematically and correctly.
Finally, don’t forget to clean the washing machine and dishwasher’s filters and wipe them inside and out.
Wipe all surfaces and cabinets inside and out
While on a wiping theme, don’t forget to thoroughly clean all cabinets, shelves and surfaces inside and out.
Give special attention to the kitchen counters, as there would be food stains and drink spills. Wipe down each surface with a mild cleaner and a microfibre cloth. Pay special attention to any areas that may have accumulated dirt or grime over time.
Make sure to wipe down each cabinet inside and out, including any shelves or drawers. Furthermore, disinfect these surfaces with a mild ethanol solution for good measure.
Do not neglect the bathroom
Finally, it’s time to tackle the most crucial area in any home – the bathroom and toilet. Those are the places bacteria usually form and spread all over the house.
Start by cleaning the toilet, using a toilet cleaner and a brush to scrub away any stains or buildup. Then, move on to the sink and shower, using a mild cleaner and a sponge to wipe down each surface.
Don’t forget to clean the mirror and any other fixtures in the bathroom, such as towel racks or shelves.
Finally, sweep the bathroom floor using a cleaner and a mop.
Vacuum and deep clean the floors right before moving out
Finally, before leaving your apartment, you must ensure all floors are sparkling clean. This can be done only by deep-cleaning them.
Start by thoroughly sweeping or vacuuming each room, removing any loose dirt or debris. Then, move on to deep cleaning the floors, using a cleaner and a mop to scrub away any stains or buildup.
Pay special attention to high-traffic areas, such as entryways and hallways, as these are likely to accumulate more dirt and grime over time. Don’t forget to clean any carpets or rugs, using a vacuum cleaner or carpet cleaner to remove any dirt or stains.
It’s time to move out
When you are finally good and done, it’s time to move out.
Yes, cleaning your home to a professional standard is not easy, but with the right mindset, you can do it within a week without putting too much stress on yourself and your family and friends.
Still, if you are not up for the challenge, you can always sacrifice about 10% of your deposit and hire a professional cleaning crew.
It’s all up to you.
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