It’s the last thing anyone wants to do after moving into their new home: return to the old place and give it a deep clean. You’re looking forward to unpacking boxes and settling into your place, not scrubbing down bathrooms and cleaning baseboards. But the reality is that many landlords expect your house or apartment to be in move-in ready condition when you vacate.
Often, the guidance may stop there, leaving you unsure of where to start. This is where a great move-out cleaning checklist comes in handy, whether you’re doing it yourself or hiring a professional.
With the help of some expert cleaners, below you’ll be guided through the process of doing a move-out clean, from top to bottom, kitchen to bedroom, ensuring your bases are covered while you daydream about your new space.
Before you start move-out cleaning
The experts agree that a move-out clean can take significant time, particularly if you’re not prepared with a game plan. Here’s what to do before you get started.
Make a list. Whether you’re DIY-ing it or hiring someone, use the below checklist to jumpstart the process. “Typically a cleaning company will have their own list,” says Whitney White, a cleaning business owner based in Denver. “But as the client, you can certainly tell them exactly what you’re looking for so there are no gray areas and nothing gets missed.”
Gather your supplies. If you’re doing the move-out clean yourself, the experts we spoke to keep the following on hand, in addition to the basics: specialized cleaners for different surfaces (stainless steel cleaner for ovens/fridges, grout cleaners, floor strippers and wax), a good vacuum and an extendable duster to get hard-to-reach areas.
Empty the space. While you can clean as you go, the process will be much smoother if you’re not navigating around furniture and boxes.
Vacuum first. Using a hose attachment on your vacuum, White says to clean out the drawers, oven, cabinets, bathtub, etc. This prevents you from pushing around hair, dirt and dust while cleaning, she says.
Clean from the top down. “This will keep you from having to redo any areas that have already been cleaned,” says Shawn Grant, owner of Clear Facility Services in Minneapolis.
General move-out cleaning tasks
Each room will have different features, thus requiring their own checklist. However, here are some general things to clean in each room and hallway.
- Dust light fixtures and fans.
- Dust blinds.
- Clean windows and window sills.
- Wipe down walls, doors and door knobs, as needed.
- Vacuum and mop floors.
- Patch nail holes, if needed.
- Wipe switch plates clean.
- Dust baseboards.
- Clean vents and air intakes.
- Dust away cobwebs.
- Remove any trash.
Kitchen move-out cleaning checklist
With potentially months or years of built up splatters and smells if you or your cleaner don’t deep-clean it regularly, the kitchen can be a time-consuming project. Here, a heavy degreaser — such as Dawn’s heavy duty degreaser spray — can come in handy if the clean is particularly overdue, says White.
Appliances
- Clean exteriors of all appliances.
- Scrub down the oven interior, including the door and racks.
- Clean the stove top, including grates and burners.
- Deep-clean the range hood.
- Clean the dishwasher, including the filter.
- Clean the fridge and freezer interiors, including drawers and doors.
- Wipe down the top of the fridge.
- Defrost the freezer, if needed.
- Clean microwave interior and exterior.
Cabinets and surfaces
- Clean cabinet fronts (and tops, if applicable).
- Wipe down inside drawers and cabinets.
- Clean and sanitize drawer handles.
- Clean and sanitize countertops and shelves, paying attention to corners.
Sink and fixtures
- Scrub and disinfect sinks.
- Clean garbage disposal.
Bathroom move-out cleaning checklist
When it comes to the final walkthrough, bathrooms and other high-traffic areas are a key place to focus. Here, White recommends a wet pumice stone for removing hard water stains inside your toilet (and adds that this trick can be used in the kitchen, as well).
- Scrub and disinfect tubs and/or showers.
- Clean and disinfect toilets.
- Clean and sanitize countertops and shelves, paying attention to corners.
- Wipe down inside drawers and cabinets.
- Clean cabinet fronts.
- Clean and sanitize drawer handles.
- Clean mirrors.
“Personally, I recommend hiring a cleaner if you can afford to do it. Moving is so very stressful, and going back to clean when your new home is full of boxes that need unpacking is the last thing you feel like doing.”
— Stephanie Willing, author and audiobook narrator
Living area and bedroom move-out cleaning checklist
In addition to the general cleaning tasks listed above, here are some areas you may need to pay attention to in your living areas and bedrooms.
- Clean surfaces in closets.
- Vacuum and/or mop stairs.
- Clean behind and under any remaining furniture.
- Steam clean carpets or spot treat stains, if necessary.
- Clean mirrors.
Move-out cleaning checklists for additional areas
Some homes or apartments may not have these areas, or you may not be responsible for cleaning them when you move out. If they are included in your rental agreement, here are some areas you should clean as part of your move-out process.
Laundry room
- Clean and disinfect any surfaces.
- Wipe down and disinfect the exterior of machines.
- Remove and clean the washing machine filter.
- Remove and clean the dryer lint trap.
Garage
- Sweep clean.
- Clean up oil or other spills.
- Remove trash and personal belongings.
Patio
- Sweep clean.
- Wipe down railings.
- Remove any decorations.
- Remove trash and personal belongings.
The final walkthrough
Once you’ve finished cleaning, it’s time to do a final walk-through, either solo or with your landlord or super. And there is a clear consensus amongst the experts: Take photos.
If it looks “pretty and marketable” in the photos, “it is likely satisfactory,” says Kurt Westfield, managing partner at WC Equity Group in Tampa, Florida. “If you notice defects in your own photos, a landlord will too.”
White goes so far as to recommend doing a full walkthrough video to ensure nothing is forgotten, and to serve as a record. She advises beginning at the entrance to the home, panning each room, opening appliances to show they have been cleaned, pulling back shower curtains and lifting toilet seats, as well as showing any external areas, such as patios.
“Cleaning can take a lot of time if you’re not prepared, so come with a plan. Clean top-to-bottom, use the right equipment and pay attention to details.”
— Shawn Grant, owner, Clear Facility Services
When to hire a pro for your move-out clean
Find a professional cleaner.
Cleaning after (or while) you move can be stressful and unpleasant, especially if you haven’t previously made deep-cleaning a priority. So if your funds allow, you might consider hiring someone to do the move-out clean for you, which is exactly what Stephanie Willing, author and audiobook narrator in Bloomfield, New Jersey, did when she and her family moved out of New York.
“I knew that after living in the apartment for five years — two pregnancies, two adults working from home, the pandemic — that underneath all the furniture was going to be a ton of filth,” she says. “I tried to clean as I packed, but there was no way I could get everything done in time.”
And, while Westfield states that there is a statutory expectation that normal wear and tear won’t be deducted from the deposit, it might also give you peace of mind to outsource the cleaning. Willing found a cleaner who offered move out cleanings to save herself a headache and thinks others should do the same in certain situations. For example, depending on how far you move, it might not even be possible to get back to clean later, adding another level of complication.
“Personally, I recommend hiring a cleaner if you can afford to do it,” she says. “Moving is so very stressful, and going back to the apartment or house to clean when your new home is full of boxes that need unpacking is the last thing you feel like doing.”
A final word on move-out cleaning
Cleaning your old home is not something you typically look forward to when moving to a new place. Instead, you’re likely looking forward to settling in, exploring your new city and building community in your neighborhood.
But, as a necessary evil, a move-out cleaning checklist can make it a little bit easier. As Grant reiterates, “Cleaning can take a lot of time if you’re not prepared, so come with a plan. Clean top-to-bottom, use the right equipment and pay attention to details.”
