You might be thinking that as soon as your cross-country movers arrive and pack up your belongings, you are free to leave your keys and move to another location. But, before movers even arrive, you should organize a move-out cleaning day. Leaving a spotless home is key to executing a stress-free move. Follow our instructions on how to leave your home tidy and clean.
Clean your home before the movers arrive
Regardless if you are relocating for the first time or the third, you should know how to avoid common relocation mistakes. What will ensure that you don’t miss a thing while packing your belongings is a move-out house cleaning. Categorizing your items and thoroughly scrubbing and polishing every part of your home can help people not lose track of their relocation essentials. So, if you have saved money for the move, purchase all of the products required for getting your place cleaned and polished.
Should You Organize Just a Move Out Cleaning Day?
You might ask yourself – should I only tidy up my apartment before relocation? The answer is no. It is quite difficult to plan and organize a relocation, let alone clean the entire house before filling your home with cardboard boxes and bubble wrap. Still, you need to know that a home free from clutter and dirt is easier to pack up.
What is more, you will have time to do a final walkthrough and see if anything is left behind or missing. Having everything cleaned and in its place is going to make you deal with relocation stress easier.
But, it doesn’t end here. A housecleaning after moving in is also required. You should take a chance while the new apartment or house is still empty because it will be more convenient to move around the space. If you do this, less dirt and dust will accumulate when you start unpacking after the move and placing your items where they belong.
What Products Should You Use?
If you are going to do everything on your own, it would be for the best to have some most essential products on your moving-out list. To make a place spotless, you will require dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent, hardwood floor cleaner spray, bath, and kitchen foaming cleaner, as well as cleaners to remove anything sticky like candle wax and tape residue.
Also, purchase a glass cleaner for windows and mirrors and a cleaner for wood furniture that is efficient at removing water rings and marks. If you own furniture made out of leather, use a leather cleaner that can get rid of dirt and grime.
Check if there are crayons on walls or dried-out refrigerator spills, as well as scratches on the wooden floor. Ensure that all of the products you purchase are good enough to erase any smudges on the floors or the walls.
Do You Have Some Tools For House Move Out Cleaning?
Some tools are required to leave hard surfaces like wood, linoleum, and tile spotless. For other surfaces, such as the windows and carpets, you will need separate tools. So if you don’t have something from the following checklist, ensure that you get them before relocating to a new state:
- A good sponge,
- A vacuum cleaner,
- A dustpan and a broom,
- A mop,
- A squeegee,
- A bucket.
These tools are essential for ensuring every inch of your place doesn’t have any markings, mildew, or mold. If you don’t want to drain your savings, check if the Craigslist website has some free tools.
With the right tools, your household will get cleaned in no time
Declutter Before You Start to Clean
Before you contact your long-distance moving company, the first thing you want to do is move everything unnecessary out of the way. Maybe you have a big clutter in your closet, or your bathroom is full of empty bottles. You might even have some old items in your basement that have been collecting dust for years. All of these things will make it harder to clean the space you live in. Therefore, decide what you want to keep when relocating and what you can get rid of. When it comes to relocating furniture, don’t prioritize taking old-fashioned lamps and couches with broken strings with you. Of course, if there is no obvious reason to move something, you don’t have to throw it away if it’s in decent condition. You can donate unwanted items or recycle some old paper and plastic.
Here is a video of how you can declutter before the apartment move-out cleaning day.
Tips For House Cleaning After Moving Out
There are several strategies and tips we can share with you so that you don’t have to worry if you’re gonna get the security deposit back. There is a chance you might put your apartment on the market, and people will come to the open house. Having a cleaned place is your priority. That is why you should implement some of our tips.
Start From the Top
A genius relocation hack for getting your place cleansed is to first remove any dust or cobwebs from the chandeliers and ceiling fans. Use a step ladder or improvise by placing a rag over your mop and securing it with some ordinary rubber band so you can reach any area that is a little bit higher. The next step is ensuring your walls get cleaned. Dust them from the top all the way to the bottom. You can wipe across the walls with warm water and a soft sponge.
Bear in mind that you always have to change a dirty sponge or mop with a clean one. In case there is a crayon on the wall or some oil stain, use a damp cloth and try to rub gently so that you don’t remove the paint or damage the wall.
First, handle the ceiling and the walls before taking on other places
Next Step – Clean Your Windows, Doorframes, and Kitchen Counters
Take a detergent and put a few drops into warm water. Use a soft cloth, dip in the solution, and polish all the window frames, glass panes, and ledges. Wipe them thoroughly so that there are no smudges or any markings left. Next, you can use a window cleaner which will improve the effectiveness of the solution. Doorframes can be handled in the same way. Once you finish wiping everything, you can take a vacuum cleaner and remove any dust that has fallen on the ground during this process.
The same method can be applied when wiping kitchen counters and cabinets. Still, you should go for a deep cleanse of the whole kitchen. You can take a foaming cleaner and use it to wipe every nick and cranny of the room. Since here people spend time cooking and frying, you will come by some stubborn stains, so use an antibacterial cleaner that can cut through grease. Your landlords will be extremely satisfied if you get your kitchen smelling good and windows smudges-free.
Vacuum or Sweep the Entire Place
Perhaps the most exhausting but essential part of deep cleansing is vacuuming or sweeping. The best way to do this is to vacuum the entire place at once. In this way, not a speck of dust will be transferred into areas that have been taken care of earlier. You can opt for vacuuming every room first and leaving mopping for last. This will leave your carpets and floors sparkling. Bear in mind that you should try to vacuum wall-to-wall and repeat the same process a couple of times.
Leave an entire day just for vacuuming your place
The Best Way to Polish Your Bathroom
Mopping and polishing your bathroom should be last on your checklist. You and your family members will have to use the bathroom all the way until the day of the move. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that you will leave this room for the end. Take a dry cloth or a soft sponge and polish the mirrors and the tub. The floortiles should be mopped and wiped several times because they easily get dirty.
Use a bathroom foaming spray on the faucets and the sink and wipe with a clean cloth. Don’t forget to check if the toilet has any buildup. You can spray some bath cleaner and scrub with a toilet scrub so it can be pristine.
Taking care of your bathroom should be the last step of a deep cleansing
Another Option is to Invest in Professional Cleaning Services
When scheduling cross-country moving services, you can opt for hiring professional cleaners, as they can provide you with an expert cleanup. Their service includes everything from dusting and mopping to vacuuming and scrubbing. After professional cleanings, any place is spick and span. You can be sure that they disinfect and thoroughly dust all surfaces. The disinfectants they use will kill all viruses, which is vital since you are relocating during the coronavirus. With every service, their tools get washed and disinfected. Also, they try to keep the client safe and protected, so they wear face masks, gloves, shoe covers, and PPE. All in all, there are two types of cleanings you can choose.
Classic Home Move Out Cleanup
This type of service is considered a general type of cleanup and is suitable for clients who are relocating on a tight relocation budget. They might require only basic cleanup, which would be enough to meet the standards for sale or a lease. Some, on the other hand, have kept their place well maintained but require a just better cleanup for the relocation. If you need to ensure that you will get your security deposit back or sell the house, you will be satisfied with basic cleanup services.
Second Option – Premium Cleanup
In cases where people are relocating last minute but have neglected their homes and caused a lot of dust and dirt to accumulate in every room, premium cleanup services are the best way to go. Are your floors unrecognizable? Have the couch cushions lost their original color? Or maybe you have splatters and shoe prints everywhere? In this situation, you won’t have an opportunity to host open houses or photoshoots. You are in dire need of a premium cleanup service. This type includes deep cleanings of every corner and hard-to-reach areas. You won’t be able to recognize your place after this deep cleanup.
If you want your home to look brand new, invest in premium cleanup services
Mistakes People Make During the Cleanup
A crucial mistake a lot of people tend to make is starting their cleanup right before their long-distance movers arrive. They don’t give themselves enough time to complete the task, so they end up packing and wrapping up the furniture at the same time as dusting and mopping. This can just bring chaos and mess into the whole process. Ensure you’re relocating stress-free and follow the best relocation day tip – to start your cleanings at least two weeks in advance.
Another mistake is not consulting your household inventory list and checking if you have prepared your cleaning supplies for the move. Some chemicals are among the items movers won’t move, so you will not be able to get your supplies and products moved to a new home. This means that you won’t have enough products for the move-in cleanup. Therefore, check if your products can be transported by your cross-country moving company.
You Won’t Miss If You Do it Yourself or Get Professional Service
It’s quite easy to have your household polished and scrubbed the right way if you have all the necessary things on your checklist. Still, in case you require a deep and thorough cleanup, hiring professional cleaners would be the right choice. Bear in mind that when you invest in long-distance moving services, it is your responsibility to take care of the new and the old household. If you want to achieve a successful sale or lease, don’t forget to either clean the place yourself or get professional help.