Cleaning your apartment before moving out of it is a necessary, yet not always pleasant, task. Not only is it courteous to the next tenants, it’s often essential in order to keep your security deposit. Here are some tips for a more thorough, and easier, clean-up!
- De-clutter: Moving out is a great time to get rid of excess clutter! By giving away or disposing of items you no longer need, you’ll make lessen your workload when it comes to packing and moving. Depending how much excess clutter you have, you may find it useful to rent a disposal bin. Contact us with questions about our services! For items like clothing a furniture, look into charities that take donations. Many of these have pick-up services as well.
- Clean the walls: We often personalize our apartments or homes by hanging pictures, posters, etc on the walls. Once these are packed up, it’s important to repair holes and clean dirt they may have left. You can spackle over any large holes, and use a cleaning product such as a Magic Eraser to remove any dirt, stains, or scuffs.
- Clean the floors: You may be surprised by all of the dust, dirt, scrapes, and scuffs you can see once all your furniture is out of the house! Once you vacuum every corner, give the floors a thorough mopping. The cleaning products you use will depend on what kind of floors you have; for example, Murphy’s Oil is a good option for hardwood floors. Clean, sparkling floors will leave your landlords happy, and make a good impression on the next tenants.
- Scrub the tub: Bathtubs and sinks can accumulate a lot of dirt and grime. Give your bathroom a deep clean with a powerful bleach-based cleaner to cut through dirt and soap scum. Scrub every nook and cranny in the sink and tub to get the whole place looking like new!
- Clean out the fridge: Leaving any food behind in the fridge is definitely not a good move, especially if the electricity will be turned off after you leave! Check out the smaller compartments in the fridge to make sure you haven’t left anything behind. Once it’s all empty—including the freezer— you can wipe down the shelves surfaces with an antibacterial cleaner.
- Don’t forget the oven: Lots of debris can accumulate in the oven over time, which can even be a fire hazard. Follow the directions on a can of oven cleaner to thoroughly get all crumbs, and other food residue out of the oven.
Once every surface is dusted, wiped and/or mopped, you should be feeling pretty good about your cleaning skills! Remember to pay attention to detail and get all the little nooks and crannies, and you’ll have your security deposit back in no time!
