The New Home Deep Clean: What to Clean When You Move
A new house or apartment presents so many possibilities. Bare walls, an uncluttered space, and a bare canvas upon which to make yourself a home. But before you get started on the fun parts of moving to a new place, you have to take care of the basics. Namely, the new home deep clean
Whether you’re renting or buying, move in cleaning (or pre-move in cleaning, if you’ve got some lee-way with your timing) is a big necessity. The person or people who lived there before you, no matter how well-intentioned, inevitably left behind some dirt, grime, and dust that you’ll want to take care of before you really settle in. Unless you’ve just moved in to brand new construction, that blank slate isn’t quite as blank as it looks
Cleaning a house before you move in is the ideal way to go, since you won’t have the added difficulty of needing to work around a bunch of furniture and boxes. But if you have to wait until after you move that’s fine – just don’t skip the clean entirely. The same goes for if a cleaning crew came through prior to you getting the keys. This is one corner you just don’t want to cut.
Clean high before you clean low
Dust isn’t relegated to floors and countertops. Ceiling fans, overhead lighting fixtures, shelving, and other features close to the ceiling are just as prone to getting grimy, but they (a) don’t get cleaned as often, and (b) tend to sprinkle dirt and dust onto the space below them when they finally do get a scrub down. Since cleaning these high up features will inevitably lead to the area below them getting a little bit filthy too, start at the top in each room and then work your way down.
Pro tip: Ceiling fan blades are notorious for raining down dust. To minimize the collateral damage, slip an old pillow case over each blade and wipe away from the center of the fixture using the inside of the pillow case’s top layer. Most of the escaping dust will get collected in the case, which you can just clean or toss once you’re done
Move In Cleaning Ready Checklist
When most people move, they’re so wrapped up with packing and move-out cleaning that they forget their future house or apartment needs to be cleaned, too. However, you want your new home to be comfortable and tidy, so it’s important to do some move-in cleaning before you unpack all your boxes
Keep Cleaning Supplies Handy
It’s crucial that you’re able to find your cleaning products and tools when you arrive at your new home. Keep them separate from your other packing by putting them in your car rather than loading them on the moving truck. At the very least, make sure they’re in a clearly labeled box and are one of the first things you unload. Then, put them in a place where they won’t blend in with the rest of your boxes, such as under your kitchen sink or even in a bathtub. That way, when you’re ready to start your move-in cleaning, you know exactly where your supplies are
Have a Game Plan
Move-in cleaning is much easier when you’ve decided which rooms you’ll address first. For the best results, clean one room at a time. Start with essential rooms, such as the bathroom, kitchen and main bedrooms. To make this easier, consider placing all your boxes in common areas, such as living rooms or dining rooms. That way, you can do a thorough cleaning job in your essential rooms without having to work around crates and piles of boxes
Organize as You Unpack
Hopefully, you’ve already taken the time to dust and wash items before packing them away. Keep in mind that some things — like dishes — may need to be cleaned again before you use them. As you unpack your boxes, take the time to organize areas that are prone to chaos, such as closets, pantries, and so forth. When you do this up front, you don’t have to worry about coming back at a later date to more or less tackle the same chore again
How to Clean a New Home
Giving your new house a thorough cleaning before you move in your belongings will get you off to a great start. New construction can leave dust and debris in unexpected places while buying an established home will mean that dirt can lurk in many places. In the cleaning process, you might identify some things that need to be repaired or replaced. Even if you’re moving to another state or another country, you should always clean before your stuff arrives.
How to Clean the Bathroom
The bathrooms are a good place to start because you are likely to need to use one during the cleaning process
Clean the Kitchen
Once the bathrooms are in order, move on to the kitchen. The kitchen tends to be where icky and sticky things collect, and you’ll want to get rid of the former tenant’s cooking smells
How to Clean the Stove
You may need to use a heavy-duty cleaner for the oven, and may need an appliance cleaner, such as a wax or paste. Baking soda and water work well, too, along with sponges or a heavy-duty cloth.
How to Clean the Refrigerator
Now, tackle the refrigerator. It’s always a good idea to clean it well. Unplug the fridge and let it warm up before cleaning it. It will make it easier to clean. Use a soft cloth as anything harsher will scratch the surface.
Ultimate Moving House Cleaning Checklist
If moving house tops the list of stressful experiences people go through in life and cleaning house tops the list of loathsome experiences people face on a daily basis, then cleaning for moving should be a truly nightmarish experience indeed. The mere idea of scrubbing floors and washing windows after the long weeks of laborious moving preparations and exhausting moving tasks may be enough to put you in panic – after all, you have only just finished organizing the myriad details of the relocation process, putting all the required paperwork in order and packing all your earthly possessions, so you are highly unlikely to have any energy left to spare
you will want to leave your old home in top-notch condition in order to be able to get your security deposit back or to make your property more desirable for potential buyers
So, no matter how tired and how impatient to close the relocation chapter of your life you may be, you need to take the time and the effort to clean your old property before moving out and your new one before moving in. Luckily, the task may not be as difficult as it seems at first – especially if you follow our simple, yet highly efficient cleaning tips for moving house
Get hold of appropriate moving cleaning supplies and keep them at hand
There are certain cleaning supplies you can’t do without when preparing your home for moving – disinfecting cleaners, glass cleaners, baking soda, white vinegar, cleaning cloths, dusting cloths, plastic or nylon bristled soft scrubbers, different kinds of brushes, furniture polish, fabric protectors, a mop, a vacuum cleaner, a broom and a dustpan, a bucket, a step stool, rubber gloves, etc. Make sure these items don’t get accidentally loaded on the moving truck with the rest of your possessions – you’re going to need them when the movers depart from your old home and then again, before they arrive in your new property
Prepare and clean the items you are going to take with you as early as possible.
You will certainly want to give your household items a good cleaning after the move, but this doesn’t make cleaning them before the move redundant – you probably don’t want to take all the accumulated dust and dirt, stains and grime, bacteria and germs to your new home, do you? Besides, wiping your items clean before the move will make your job much easier afterwards, when unpacking and arranging your new place. So, make sure you empty and clean all the furniture pieces and household appliances you intend to relocate several days before moving day and get them properly packed and ready for shipment by the time your movers arrive
Good cleaning strategies before Moving Out
A move can be full of chaos and stress. But, if we have some tips for cleaning and organization, you will be able to carry out in an effective way
Do you need cleaning strategies before moving? We know that when we have to move from our apartment or house we suffer a lot of stress and anxiety. This feeling takes ahold of our nerves and everything seems chaotic and disorganized.
Step by step and from top to bottom
Use boxes to organize the contents of your rooms. Making sure to label them with the corresponding room. This will make it easier to unpack and find your items.
Boxes with labels
If there is one thing common to all removals, it is the feeling of uncertainty and disorder. Where will that lamp be? Where have we kept those documents? So, if you don’t want to get upset for losing something, use labelled boxes for each group of belongings
Cleaning up Memories
A move is also a time to get rid of the old and focus on the present moment