Easy Checklist for Move-out Cleaning. Moving out of your old apartment? Chances are you want to get it clean before you pack everything up and call it a day, but even small projects can feel overwhelming if you’re not sure where to start.
Whether you’re moving into an entirely new apartment or just switching roommates, this move-out cleaning checklist will help you make sure your old place looks as nice as it did when you moved in, so you don’t have to worry about letting the landlord down when you turn in your keys.
Checklist
1. Dust the Ceiling Fans
The last thing you want to do is leave dust bunnies, but you don’t want dust throughout your entire apartment either. To make sure the house isn’t full of dust, dust the ceiling fans in each room one by one, from top to bottom.
If all of your ceiling fans are made of wood, there might be some residue left on the blades. You can take a damp cloth and wipe it down if it gets too thick, or just let things dry naturally before cleaning them a second time.
2. Remove Any Nails or Screws From the Walls
If you have nails or screws in the walls, you need to get them out before you turn the apartment over, because they’re potential safety hazards. Just take a hammer and hammer in any loose nails until the head comes right off and then use pliers to yank them right out.
If any of the screws are still in the wall, just back them all out with your screwdriver. The goal here is to take care of any potential injuries, so it’s best to just go through and make sure they’re all out.
The next thing you want to do is wipe down all the walls, including the baseboards and mirrors. To be extra thorough, you can use a rag and some hot water with soap or perhaps a cleaning spray that will get off any grease or grime and wash it away.
3. Wipe Down Walls and Molding
You can use a rag or sponge with water, soap, or a cleaning solution to wipe down all the walls, including the molding. Simply take your time and get into all the corners where dust tends to build up.
The best thing you can do is to use paper towels or throw some old towels in the washing machine to wash your rags every once in a while so they’re always clean and fresh.
4. Clean the Windows and Wipe Window Ledges
You can use a squeegee to clear off all the windows in your old apartment from top to bottom so they’re completely clean.
Once that’s done, you can wipe down the window ledges and even the track where the window slides open. Just make sure you don’t spray any cleaning solution directly on the glass or you might end up with streaks when it dries.
5. Wash the Doors
You should be able to get any dirt off the outside of your apartment’s doors with a rag and some water and soap.
You can also use a cleaning solution if you have one, but be careful not to get it on the wood or other decorative pieces. Once that’s done, you can even grab a clean rag or sponge and wipe down any handles on the inside doors as well so they’re nice and clean.
6. Sweep and Vacuum, Then Mop the Floors
When you’re moving out of an apartment, it’s important to vacuum and sweep up all the dust and dirt on the floors. You should also take a mop over each floor to make sure that it looks nice, especially in places where people walk often.
You can mop it up best with a damp cloth or maybe even a cleaning solution, but make sure to be careful around any baseboards and molding.
7. Dust Any Vents or Exhaust Fans
Most vents and exhaust fans in your old apartment can be cleaned with a towel that has some soapy water. You’ll want to make sure you don’t get the water or soap directly on the fan itself. Instead, just use the towel with a little bit of water and wipe it down until the dust is gone.
In addition to dusting, you should also clean any grates or other places where dirt can build up over time on anything open to airflow. Take a rag and dampen it with some water or a cleaning solution, then wipe off all the dust and dirt that you can find.
8. Dust Blinds or Window Treatments
Once you’ve cleaned all the windows, you can go back and use a rag or a crevice tool attachment to get in between any blinds or window treatments.
To prevent dust from building up, even more, turn off the heat and let them dry by themselves. The amount of time this takes depends on the size of the apartment, but it shouldn’t be too long before they’re completely dry.
9. Open and Close All Doors and Cabinets
You don’t want to leave your old apartment open to any potential burglars, so you need to make sure everything is locked.
To do that, go through all the doors in the house and close them one by one. If there are cabinets that you can close, make sure you do so as well.
Easy Checklist for Move-out Cleaning – Conclusion
Easy Checklist for Move-out Cleaning. The above tips will help you make sure your apartment is clean and ready for the next tenant.
When you move out of an apartment, it’s important to leave it in good condition for the next tenant, so that they have a nicer place to live than you did when you moved in.
Remember to have a certified inspector come by and do an inspection once you’re done cleaning.
