Top 8 Cleaning Tips to Follow When Moving Out

It’s getting down to the moving wire for a lot of people, and they’re starting to enter crunch time for packing and moving out of their current home or apartment. When moving out of your current home or apartment, especially one you’re currently leasing or renting, you’re going to want to leave the place clean and clear in order to get your deposit back. For those moving out of a house they previously owned, you’ll want to live it clean as a courtesy to the new owners of your property. Cleaning can quite literally be the last thing on your mind when it comes to moving, but it’s one of the most important aspects of the moving process, especially for renters.

When moving, you should always incorporate a moving checklist into your timeline to make sure you’ve got the best timeline and process lined up for your relocation, but you should also incorporate some cleaning tips into your process to make sure you’re not only leaving your place looking as good as you found it, but also so that you’re not left frantically cleaning at the last second while also trying to move your things.

Best Cleaning Tips for Renters

Though you’d hope that your landlord would give you back your entire deposit despite leaving some dust here and there or a scuff on a random wall, it’s unfortunately not the case for most buildings or individual owners to give you that kind of courtesy, especially if your apartment is owned by a firm of some sort. So how do you clean before you move out in a way that will ensure you get your deposit, but without stressing yourself out or overwhelming yourself in the process?

1. Patch Walls

The first thing you’ll want to do in your cleaning process as a renter is to take down all of your wall decors as one first thing during your packing and moving process. Wall decor is pretty easy to take down, and will go the extra mile in letting you think that you’ve packed more than you have since they tend to take up much room.

Additionally, wall hangings are usually the cause of damage or holes being put in your walls, or are put up to cover up scuffs, holes, and more in your walls.

Taking them down as the first step in your packing timeline will let you properly take stock of where you need to patch your walls, and will let you remove nails from your walls and patch up holes or any damage done by hangings. You’ll also want to take down things you might’ve added to the place that you might not even think of, including towel hooks, coat or hat racks, TV racks and mounts, and more so you have plenty of time to fill in holes.

2. Repaint

Though your landlord will most likely repaint anyway after you leave, if you’ve changed the color of the walls of your place during your residency there or have left the walls pretty scuffed up, you’ll want to repaint before you head out of your place to keep your security deposit intact.

A lot of leases have it as a requirement to change the color of the walls back to their original color before you move out (if you’ve switched up the paint), so this would be a sure knock to your security deposit if you otherwise don’t repaint your walls before you go.

3. Wipe Down Doors & Baseboards

A surprising part of your home that acquires a lot more dust and dirt than you’d think are your doors and your baseboards. These small nooks and crannies are often forgotten or overlooked during routine cleaning, but you can still be knocked for it when it comes to getting your deposit back. Having clean doors and baseboards also just gives your former house a more sparkling and shining appeal.

4. Clean Windows

One of the things that makes a big difference in how your home looks to those inspecting it or going through it are having dirty windows vs. freshly cleaned ones. The same goes for mirrors as well. Having a dirty mirror when you walk into someone’s bathroom is a sure sign of uncleanliness in other areas, and can just make your space look worse overall. Additionally, cleaning windows and mirrors will brighten up your entire space!

5. Clean Out Cupboards and Cabinets

When moving out, it can be easy to forget stray items in your cupboards, cabinets, and even your dishwasher. Though some landlords or new tenants will just throw out what you’ve accidentally left behind with not much thought left to it, others might charge you for having to do so. Be thorough and check your cabinets thoroughly for anything you might’ve forgotten or missed while packing your pantry up.

On top of storage areas in your kitchen, make sure to also go through storage spaces and cupboards and cabinets alike in your bathroom and other areas. You never know what you might accidentally forget or leave behind.

6. Deep Clean the Bathroom

One of the biggest things you’ll need to take care of (and something your landlord will check for), is how clean the bathroom of your place is. Deep clean the shower, tub, sink, faucets, and especially the toilets until all of your surfaces are left shining and beautiful. Don’t just do a perfunctory wipe, either – make sure you’re being detailed and thorough in your process!

7. Vacuum & Clean Floors

This aspect is going to come at the very end of your cleaning process and is one of the most important parts of your entire cleaning process. Though a lot may think that just sweeping might be enough to appease your landlords, it’s probably not.

Sweep, vacuum, and mop or wash your floors in some way before heading out to leave them shiny and new-looking. Especially if you have pets, you’d be surprised at how much more a vacuum gets than a broom, and what can even be left behind and picked up by your mop or Swiffer when going over areas you’ve cleaned.

8. Take Out the Trash

Don’t forget to throw out the remaining trash you have from cleaning your home and clearing things out. Try to throw out as much as possible on the last trash day before you move, but if there’s a good amount of time in between your trash day and moving day, you might have to bring some trash with you to dispose of. It’ll be worth it though, as many landlords will charge you for any trash left behind. Come up with a plan or a place you’ll be able to dispose of your trash without worry!

Now that you’ve successfully cleaned and cleared out your home, it’s time to start on your relocation with one of the moving companies you’ve thoroughly researched and vetted. You’ve hopefully gone beyond just searching for “movers near me” and going with the first search result for your relocation, and have instead chosen to work with Carey Moving & Storage, which is one of the best moving companies in Greenville!

Carey Moving & Storage are the best full-service movers who will provide you with the best service and best pricing for your relocation. See what we can do for you and your move today!