Moving is a big change in your life. Just like any other change, it can be difficult and stressful since it’s forcing you to reorganize your daily routine, plan ahead, and adapt. There is a part of the moving process that is quite a pain for some people. It’s cleaning your home before moving out. If you are moving out of your own place, you will need to clean the place for sale or rent. If you are moving out of a rental, you want to be sure you will get your deposit back. Either way, a household should be left in good condition after you make your move to your next place. If not for any other reason, then out of courtesy to the new owners. So, make sure you include this task into your moving checklist. Here are some tips that might help you.
Cleaning supplies you might need when cleaning your home before moving out
Moving companies avoid transporting chemicals. Since you probably have a lot of cleaning chemicals in your home already, now would be the perfect time to use them. You can always hire professionals in your area in case you can’t do it yourself. However, if you don’t hire help, these are some of the essential supplies you will need:
- Duster
- Cleaning Cloths
- Vacuum cleaner
- Plastic bags
- Mop
- Glass cleaners
- Disinfectants
- Buckets
- Brushes
- Furniture polish
- Broom
- Mixed cleaning solution
- White vinegar
- Baking soda
- Rubber gloves
Clean one room at a time and make sure you have everything you need for your cleaning tasks. As for the exterior, don’t forget to mow the lawn, tidy the garage, and fix the paint. Cleaning your home before moving out will make a significant difference. You may hire a moving company to deal with packing/unpacking and moving so it leaves you more time to handle the cleaning.
Cleaning your rooms
One important warning before you do anything – unplug all electric devices before you start cleaning. Be sure it is safe before you decide to plug them in again. As you pack and move all your furniture out, wipe everything. Start by wiping from top to bottom. Chandeliers, ceiling fans, and blinds on the windows are the first to handle. Windows are the next thing you need to deal with. Make sure they are crystal clear for it’s one of the most noticeable things if left dirty. Replace broken panes and remember to clean edges around an open window since they are full of dust and grime. Then clean your carpets, mop hardwood floors, even skirting boards and all other hard to reach places. Check for any damage on the wooden parts. In case there is any damage, you might have to replace and polish them.
Your kitchen
The kitchen is a part of a home that everyone uses on a daily basis. Start by removing all the food from the kitchen. Pack away appliances, cutlery, and other items. Then, defrost the fridge and the freezer, clean the oven interior, as well as the stove top. It might take some time to prepare and move everything but it’s very well worth it. Some things are better to be done right away. In case you are leaving your fridge, freezer, and stove, you will need to clean it anyway before moving to your new home. The dishwasher is the most commonly used appliance in the kitchen but it is often neglected, not to mention a filter. The most simple way to clean it is with the help of hot water, white vinegar and a cup of baking soda.
The bathroom
After removing all of your toiletries from the bathroom, clean all cabinets. Inside and outside as well. Don’t forget to clean the bathroom exhaust fan. Since it is often neglected over time, it can collect lint, a lot of it. Clean your bathtub with a cleaning powder utilizing borax, kosher salt, and baking soda with a damp sponge. Equally important, replace a toilet seat with a new one. If anything, it will look good and thoughtful when selling or renting your house. Not only in a bathroom but everywhere in your home you will find places that you will need to disinfect. Places that everyone touches like doorknobs, deadbolts, and light switches. There is also a thermostat, the alarm pad, the toilet bowl, and the fridge handles. Whether they belong to you or your landlord, it will be a decent thing to clean and disinfect those areas.
Dents
You can start cleaning your home before moving out by removing all and any nails, screws, and hooks from your walls. If you’ve put small holes in the wall for pictures, make sure to fill them and then put a layer of paint over them to make things look smooth. Just like they looked on your first day. Wipe all doors and doorknobs with a wet cloth. Wipe the walls or just dust them if they are non-water resistant. In addition, repair broken blinds, replace burnt out lightbulbs, and fix chipped paint. Don’t try to push heavy furniture by yourself if you are not certain you can. Let the movers carefully do it in order to avoid any damage to your walls and doors. It is more cost efficient.
Outside of your house
In case you live in a house, the good thing to do before moving out will be to pay a little attention to the exterior. Maybe it is necessary to fix the gate or mow the lawn. Also, maybe even some garbage or leaves in your yard that you need to pick up before leaving. Clean your shed and, at last, but not least, you can use a pressure washer to clean walls and pathways.
Overall, there are plenty of places inside and outside of your home that call for your attention when you are cleaning your home before moving out. If you are selling your place, you can call an agent to check the place. Or, in case you have a landlord, you should schedule the inspection. In both situations, it’s important to do it early and at the right time, because you might need to fix up a few more things. There is one golden rule that says that you should leave your home in a clean state that you’d be happy to move into. If you have no time nor will to do it yourself, you can always call for help. There are always cleaning and moving professionals out there.