A new house or a new apartment is an exciting new opportunity in life. Just imagine all the wonderful things that await in your new place and you shouldn’t have a problem feeling excitement, as opposed to stress! However, before you can start enjoying your house to the fullest, you first have to tackle one very big obstacle – cleaning. For that reason, we have composed post-relocation cleaning guidelines that should help you decide which things to focus on first.
If you don’t want to have to clean your house on short notice, we suggest you clean it before transporting your belongings. Of course, that might not always be possible due to many reasons. Still, there’s no excuse to skip cleaning altogether – especially not when you have our tips that should make your cleaning spree a breeze.
Tackle the highest surfaces first
The goal of your post-move cleaning spree should be to tackle it as quickly as possible so that you can move on to the unpacking part without wasting time. That’s the reason why you need to work smart and be efficient. To do that, you don’t want to start with the floors only to end up spreading dust all over it once you start wiping your countertops.
The golden rule of cleaning is to start with the highest surfaces first and then move on to the lower ones. Ceiling fans, lighting fixtures, and shelves are all surfaces that accumulate quite a lot of dust over a period of time. Even if you clean them on a regular basis (which you can’t be sure the previous owners did), they are still going to be full of dust.
Once you finish with the highest surfaces, work your way to the lower ones until you get to your floors. Of course, you can always hire a professional cleaning service but, if you don’t do it, then make sure you follow these post-move cleanup guidelines.
For more information on home dusting, refer to this resource from Clayton and Clayton.
The first thing on your post-relocation cleaning checklist should be cleaning your fridge
There are many things you can put off cleaning after you move in – but the fridge is certainly not one of them. After all, you might not have to cook the same day after your movers drop off your items, but you will certainly have to do some grocery shopping the next day. That’s why we suggest you start by sanitizing your fridge before anything else.
Simply remove the shelves and drawers and clean them individually with warm water and soap. And for the inside of your fridge, make a solution of water and white vinegar and use it to clean any stuck-on gunk. The best part is that if you cleaned your fridge before the move (which is always advisable), it shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes to sanitize the fridge once again.
Move on to the rest of your kitchen
A lot of people know that the kitchen is the most difficult room to pack. And if you don’t believe us, just ask the movers you have hired. As a matter of fact, Dallas has to offer great movers, all of which will tell you that the kitchen has so many items, appliances, and utensils that it makes this room somewhat of a nightmare to pack. But this is also the room that will be needed the most on a daily basis, which is why you should ensure it’s functional early on.
Like previously mentioned, start by cleaning the highest surfaces first, such as the lighting fixtures and the tops of the cabinets. Then move on to cabinets and appliances next, leaving the floors for the very end.
If you encounter any stubborn stains, try using hydrogen peroxide and baking soda as a stain-fighting combination. This mix has been a long-time favorite of so many people worldwide.
The bathrooms should be your next stop
When it comes to the bathrooms, you won’t have a lot of decluttering to do. But you will have a lot of sanitizing in front of you. That’s the whole point of bathroom cleaning – to kill off any leftover germs and sanitize the place.
Besides cleaning the bathroom elements with bleach and chemicals of your choice, we would like to remind you to clean those easily overlooked places, such as the toilet paper holder.
You shouldn’t bother putting cleaning the toilet seat on your post-relocation cleaning checklist. Just go ahead and replace it. This will be a small expense and it will save you a lot of trouble. And when it comes to relocation, you should definitely work on sparing yourself any additional stress. Besides checking out websites like evolutionmovingdfw.com for reliable movers, you should also partake in as many relaxing activities as you can. Bonus points if cleaning relaxes you.
The rest is easy
With the kitchen and the bathroom out of the way, it will be fairly easy to finish your cleaning spree. After all, you got the hardest part out of the way. Instead of going room by room from now on, you could try tackling the work ahead of you one item at a time.
Just remember to always start with the highest surfaces and work your way to the floors. When we say to leave your floors for the very end, we really mean it. You should even clean your baseboards before moving on to the floors.
When it comes to the floors, finish up by vacuuming those surfaces designed for it and mopping the ones that aren’t meant for vacuuming. You will want to ensure you use a product that was designed for the surface you have in your home since the last thing you need is to damage your floors. And voila – you are done. If you have followed our post-relocation cleaning guidelines, you have probably finished this task in a matter of a day – maybe two. Now you have all the freedom to enjoy your brand new house or apartment to the fullest! Lucky you!
Valet Maids is your Dallas maid service that lets you check cleaning off your to-do list. Book online at valetmaids.com or give us a call at 214-438-4804.
