Moving homes can be a stressful task, especially if you’re nearing the end of your lease period. As a tenant, you have a responsibility to return the apartment or a house that you were renting in the same pristine condition in which you found it. It’s important to understand that this is not a last-minute chore that you can do whenever you feel like it. On the contrary, you’ll need lots of planning and management skills to organize everything. And that’s what this end-of-lease cleaning guide is all about – helping you get all tasks done on time.
Know that you’ll have to put in some serious effort if you want to secure your entire bond amount. Of course, you can always hire a reliable cleaning company to do your move-out cleaning for you. Professionals always use high-end tools and technologies to ensure everything is as clean as it can be.
However, if your budget is low, you might decide to do it yourself. And that also can be a valid option. As we already mentioned, it’s not an easy task, but it’s doable. So, here’s what you need to know to make your job easier.
Do your preparations well in advance
Before jumping into the process, you must make sure that you have all the needed tools and products. We advise you to make a cleaning checklist and note everything mentioned here as necessary. Here is what is required to have:
- Vacuum cleaner
- Broom
- Sponges
- Clean cloths
- Rags
- Baking soda or white vinegar
- Bleach
- Bucket
- Gloves
The biggest advice we can give you in our end-of-lease cleaning guide is to take your time and plan everything thoroughly. Alt tag: Person following the end-of-lease cleaning guide by making a checklist.
Try to pick only cleaners and sanitizers that are chemical-free as these don’t harm the environment or humans. After you’ve gathered all the supplies you need, make a checklist consisting of all the things and places you have to clean. It should include all the commonly overlooked areas during the regular house cleaning chores.
In essence, it’s the best idea to prioritize your cleaning needs. Make sure to leave enough time to deal with the areas that need special attention. Here we mean the laundry room, garage, balcony, and patio areas.
It’s even better to get these done first. You can use them as storage space for all your packed belongings while cleaning the rest of the house. Later, when the movers from smallworldmoving.com arrive to pick up your stuff, they can just empty the garage.
The house is untouched after cleaning, and therefore, spotless for an inspection. It’s simply the best way of managing lease cleaning without using professional services.
Start from the top
When it comes to the cleaning process itself, it’s best to start from the top. So, it would be best if you tackled all high spots such as ceiling walls, fans, air vents, light fixtures, and high windows first. The idea behind this is to collect all the cobwebs, dust, and grime from the ceilings. Some of it will, inevitably, fall on the ground. But, that you’ll deal with when the time comes for the floors.
The inspection will reveal imperfections, as the house will be empty. So, it’s not a bad idea to pay attention to all the things you may not think to clean but should. And while you’re up there, change all the lightbulbs and filters as well.
Ceiling fans and high windows are where you want to start your cleaning.
Get rid of stains, grease, and mold.
This is probably the part of the end-of-lease cleaning guide that most readers will be glued to. We all have that one thing that bothers us in a rented apartment. Whether that is a tough stain on the carpet or mold on tile grout, it doesn’t matter. Both have to be removed before the landlord comes. Luckily, there are many homemade solutions to these problems.
In this case, baking soda is your best friend. Make a thick paste out of baking soda and water and scrub the affected area. After that, gently rub the paste and leave it for half an hour. When the time has passed, wash it with hot water. You can repeat this method as many times as it is necessary.
This certainly takes more time than calling in professionals to deal with it. However, if you do it yourself, you’ll have more money to spend on reliable movers. And that’s very important if you have a lot of valuable belongings. So, in essence, you’re going to make the relocation process simple by cleaning.
Focus on cleaning major appliances.
As it turns out, not many people clean kitchen appliances such as microwaves, refrigerators, or dishwashers thoroughly. If you have these, make sure to give them a good wipe and clean during the end-of-lease cleaning process. Below are some useful tips on how to clean them properly.
When it comes to the refrigerator, things are simple. To be able to clean your freezer, you need to defrost it. But, make sure to take all the food out first. When all the ice melts, wipe down all interior surfaces with baking soda and white vinegar solution.
The oven and microwave are cleaned in the same way. First, you need to remove all your detachable racks from the oven. The same combination of vinegar and baking soda will work in this instance, but be sure to add a bit of water to it. Scrub both the inside walls of the oven and racks to get rid of grease and chard pieces.
If there are any soap scum or food residues accumulated on the bottom of your dishwasher, the solution we clean everything with will get it sorted. When you’re done with it, thoroughly wipe your dishwasher with a microfiber cloth in and out.
All your appliances should be in a spotless condition when your landlord arrives for an inspection. Alt tag: A clean oven.
Conclusion
Cleaning a property like a professional crew isn’t easy. Besides time, you’ll also need a fair bit of cleaning skills. But, if you have both of those, our end-of-lease cleaning guide will get you through it without any problems.
