Moving out cleaning checklist

Whether it’s your first time moving out of a house or apartment or you’re seasoned at the art of relocating, it’s never a bad idea to get organized about leaving your old place behind in good order.

No matter if you’ve been renting or you’re selling, ensuring that your previous place of residence is left clean and in good repair will reap rewards — particularly in terms of getting your security deposit back or the successful sale of your property.

Before you say so long to the place you’re leaving, grab your cleaning supplies and a good playlist. They’ll be good to pair with a thorough cleaning checklist (and/or the one your landlord provided) and some elbow grease to tackle this necessary move out step.

Assessing your Cleaning Supplies List

As you roll up your sleeves and prepare to get sudsy, you’ll want to make sure you have the right tools for the job. You may already have a number of these on hand for your regular cleaning sessions. If you don’t, assess what you might need and pick them up before you get started, such as:

• Glass cleaner
• Spackling paste, sandpaper, and putty knife or scraper (for small repairs)
• Screwdriver, pliers, or hammer to remove screws and nails
• Duster
• Mop and bucket
• Broom and dustpan
• Trashbags
• Vacuum
• Carpet cleaner
• Toilet and bathroom cleaner
• Dish Soap
• Rags and sponges
• Batteries
• Light bulbs
• Floor cleaner for tiles, hardwood floors, or both
• Cleaning gloves

What to Include in Your Cleaning Checklist

After you’ve moved the majority of your belongings out of the way, it’s a good idea to pay attention to the following rooms, spots, and tasks, including:

Floors:

• Sweep hard floor surfaces with broom to remove larger debris
• Use a mop and appropriate cleaners to remove dirt and grime from tiles and hardwood floors
• Remove stains from carpets or other flooring
• Repair damage to carpets, tiles, or hardwood floors if needed
• Shampoo high traffic areas on carpets if necessary
• Vacuum clean carpets

Windows

• Wipe down the sill, frame, tracks, and blinds of all windows to remove dust, dirt, and cobwebs
• Use glass cleaner and wipe down the window panes
• Repair any broken components of the window, curtains, or blinds

Walls and Doors:

• Remove any hooks or shelves that were not originally in the apartment or home
• Remove any screws or nails
• Fill in any holes in walls or doors
• Wipe off any dirt, dust, or smudges from walls throughout, paying attention to vents and baseboards
• Wipe down doors and door frame to remove dirt, smudges, and dust
• Wipe down switch plates
• Repaint walls if necessary
• Repair any hinges, handles or locks on doors

Bathroom

• Clear out any clogs in the bathroom sink or drain in the shower or tub
• Wash out and sanitize the tub, shower stall, toilet, countertop, and sink
• Wipe down mirror with glass cleaner
• Clean out the vanity cabinet and wipe down shelves, if needed
• Clean out the cabinets, remove any drawer liners, and wipe down the surfaces
• Sweep the floor and mop afterwards as the last step

Kitchen

• Remove shelves and drawers from the refrigerator and wash
• Wipe down inside of refrigerator to remove any food spills and debris and replace the clean shelves and drawers
• Scrub the stovetop and clean the oven
• Clean any removable parts from the stove, such as burners, drip pans, oven racks, and drawers and then put them back
• Scrub out exhaust fan and overhead stove light, if necessary
• Wipe down dishwasher inside and out if you have one
• Clean out cabinets and remove any liners from shelves and drawers
• Wipe down cabinets, shelves, and drawers inside and out
• Clear out any clogs in kitchen sink
• Wipe out and clean the faucet and sink
• Sweep the floors and mop afterwards as last step

Outside and additional tasks:

• Remove any items and furniture from the patio, balcony, or lawn areas, if necessary
• Clean the patio or balcony area if you have one
• Change out any dead batteries in fire and carbon monoxide detectors
• Replace any light bulbs that have burnt out
• Wipe down any light fixtures and ceiling fans
• Take out any remaining trash to the dumpster or trash area

If you’re renting, you may have a particular checklist your landlord has given to you to share notes on the condition of the space prior to your move-out. Whether you rent or are selling, a final walkthrough may be scheduled with you as a part of the move-out or closing procedure.

After all is wiped, scrubbed, swept, and sanitized, Piece of Cake Moving and Storage is ready and waiting to move your belongings to their next destination. We’ve got a full range of services to help a little or a lot. We can assist with moving supplies or plastic packing bin rental if you’re packing on your own. Or, we can exercise our expertise fully with the packing, heavy lifting, unpacking, and even furniture assembly services for your move. Plus, if you can’t fit it all in your new space or aren’t sure where some items are going just yet, we can store it for you. Call us to make a clean break from where you’re moving from, so you can have a fresh start at your new address.