Essential Move-Out Cleaning Checklist for a Stress-Free Exit

Introduction to Apartment Move-Out Cleaning

Moving by itself is stressful, and there's a lot to coordinate when moving out of an apartment. Finding a new place, budgeting, packing, arranging for movers, or doing it yourself—the list goes on and on. Then there's cleaning and remedying minor damage to the apartment to take care of, especially when cleaning and security deposits are at stake.

Most leasing companies and landlords reserve your initial deposit for cleaning and repair fees after you move out. By cleaning it yourself, you save them money and time while returning the cash you put down in the first place! It's a win-win situation for you, the manager, and the next tenant. A thorough move-out cleaning is essential to ensure a smooth transition and recover your security deposit. That's why you must incorporate a cleaning checklist into your move-out checklist to ensure a proper cleaning. You can download this checklist to speed up or continue reading.

Planning

As soon as you've given notice to move out and have your lease end date, start planning the tasks necessary to provide yourself with the best chance of getting your cleaning and security deposit back. We would recommend doing the following first:

1. Do as much as possible to declutter your apartment. This will not only perform some of the cleaning functions but also save money and time packing and moving unnecessary and unwanted personal items to your new home. For more tips, check out our blog post on decluttering for your move.

2. Review your lease agreement to understand the move-out cleaning requirements.

3. Survey the inside of the apartment, noting any minor damage that needs fixing (fixing holes where you may have hung pictures comes to mind).

4. Contact your building manager to ask if they have small amounts of touch-up paint that match the original paint color, and purchase a small tube or container of spackling paste.

5. Create a cleaning checklist to stay organized and focused on the tasks. You can download our recommended list.

6. Using your move-out date, work backwards and prioritize small fixes and cleaning tasks that you'll tackle from first to last.

7. If possible, coordinate your move-out date to be 1-2 days before your lease officially ends. This will allow you to perform the final clean without a lot of personal belongings in the way. An empty place makes for quicker cleaning.

Pre-Cleaning Preparation

Once you've game-planned your move-out, understand cleaning requirements, and have decluttered your apartment. You can begin preparing for necessary cleaning tasks. Start by:

1. Gather all necessary cleaning supplies, including a vacuum, broom, mop, microfiber cloth, damp cloth, scouring powder, concentrated cleaning liquid, glass cleaner, oven cleaner, bathroom sanitizer, scrub pads, and paper towels.

2. It will be easier to do a deep clean if you remove all personal belongings and trash from the apartment.

3. Take photos of the apartment before cleaning to document its condition.

4. Determine which room or rooms get used the least, and start your process there.

5. If you have carpeted areas, focus on those last, as you will need to have carpets professionally cleaned or rent a cleaner. It's best to leave this until after your move-out to prevent high foot traffic from soiling it again.

Deep Cleaning Tasks

Once you've determined your move-out date, you can then focus on the deep cleaning checklist tasks, including which rooms to do in what order, focusing on:

1. Doing one room at a time to avoid distractions that may cause you to miss cleaning something.

2. Focus on hard-to-reach spots, ceiling fans, light fixtures, trim work, and windows in each room.

3. Remove stains, dust, and dirt from all surfaces, including shelves, floors, cabinets, and glass.

4. Use micro-fiber or high-quality paper towels for windows and reflective surfaces to reduce streaking.

Cleaning the Kitchen

Due to the high-use space and depending on how close your move-out date is, you may want to clean the kitchen or bathroom last, but regardless of when you do, use these activities as your checklist:

1. Clean the refrigerator, oven, and range hood to remove grease and food residue on the exterior. If the appliances are stainless steel, use a cleaner specifically for that surface.

2. Pull the glass shelves and plastic bins out of the refrigerator and clean with soapy water, or if you have space, run them through the dishwasher for a thorough cleaning.

3. Use oven cleaner to remove any baked-on food inside the oven. If the oven has a clean cycle, check for any limitations on what cleaners can be used.

4. Wipe down all cabinets and drawers. You may also want to vacuum dust and dirt from the cabinet interiors.

5. Vacuum or sweep and mop floors to remove dirt and stains.

6. Clean the sink and dishwasher to remove soap scum and food particles.

7. If your apartment has a garbage disposal, pour dish soap or scented cleaner down while running.

PRO TIP: Open all drawers in the kitchen as a visual cue that each one needs to be inspected and cleaned, closing each one after you've completed it. Doing so will prevent misses.

Cleaning the Bathroom

As another high-traffic room in the apartment, consider the timing of when you'll deep clean the bathroom, but focus on the following areas using a bleach-based cleaner, a mineral dissolver such as CLR, and any other necessary supplies:

1. Clean the shower walls, pan, and/or bathtub with a light-duty scouring powder.

2. Use CLR to clean glass shower doors, walls, and fixtures with hard water stains, ensuring you use the bathroom fan for ventilation.

3. Use window cleaner and a micro-fiber towel or quality paper towels on mirrors to both clean and prevent streaking.

4. To leave the bathroom clean, wipe down all surfaces, including the sink and light switches, with a scented, bleach-based cleaning solution.

5. Scrub the toilet and floor around the bathroom with a toilet bowl cleaner and bleach-based solution.

6. Vacuum the bathroom floors and vents to remove dirt and dust.

7. Wet mop the floor with a scented bathroom cleaner to sanitize and leave a fresh scent.

8. Use a bleach-based cleaner to remove mildew from caulking.

Cleaning Living Areas and Common Areas

Fortunately, living areas and bedrooms aren't as intensive to clean as the kitchen and bath. However, you'll still want to make sure that you're focused on each room at a time and checking off the following:

1. Dust and vacuum all living areas, including the living room, hallways, and bedrooms.

2. Broom clean dust from baseboards.

3. Wipe down all surfaces, including door knobs, door frames, light switches, and baseboards.

4. Clean all windows and glass doors to remove dirt and stains.

5. Close the window blinds and dust. Wipe down after dusting for any remaining dirt/stains.

6. If your apartment has a laundry room, vacuum the floor to remove dust and lint. In addition, check the lint trap in the dryer.

7. Organize all common areas, including storage areas.

8. Rent a carpet cleaner or have the carpets professionally cleaned. Save this step for the absolute last task, preferably after you've moved your belongings out of the apartment. Doing so will ensure that you won't have to spend time moving heavy objects around to clean everything.

Cleaning Fixtures and Windows

As you move from room to room performing deep cleaning tasks, don't forget to do the following for each room. Typically, window panes and mirrors are easy to remember, but don't forget the following:

1. Clean all light fixtures, including ceiling fans and lamps. Remove glass fixture covers and clean out dust and bugs inside each one.

2. Wipe down all window tracks and sills to remove dirt and stains. For a better result, use a damp sponge to get into the tracks.

3. Clean all glass doors and windows to remove dirt and stains, using window cleaner and quality paper towels.

4. Remember to use a glass cleaner, not another surface cleaner, to prevent streaks from forming after cleaning.

Final Cleaning Tasks

If you've done your deep cleaning checklist tasks prior to moving out, great. But don't forget that you still need to do one final pass through and clean up any last-minute details.

1. Take out the trash and recycle to leave the apartment clean and tidy.

2. Clean the garage and other storage areas to remove dirt and stains.

3. Wipe down all surfaces, including door knobs and light switches.

4. Clean windows one more time.

5. Use a broom to sweep all floors and remove dirt and debris.

6. Make one final pass, opening all cabinet doors and drawers to check for personal items or anything not cleaned.

Lastly, don't forget to look at the easily missed spaces. The top places most people forget to clean before moving out are:

1. Top shelves in closets

2. Bathroom drawers, shelves, and medicine cabinets 

3. The warming drawer at the bottom of your oven (which often doubles as extra kitchen storage)

Except for the bathroom drawers, these areas also tend to gather the most dust, and—for those with pets—hair, as well. It's essential to check them not only so you don't leave anything behind when moving, but also to clean any grime accumulated over the long term.

Final Inspection and Documentation

Conduct a final inspection to ensure all areas are clean and tidy, making sure to do the following checks against the work you've done:

1. After cleaning, take photos of the apartment to document its condition, ensuring your phone or camera has the date stamp function turned on. This will help protect you in case of a dispute.

2. Review the cleaning checklist to ensure all tasks are complete.

3. Use the photos and checklist as proof of a thorough cleaning.

Thoughts on Cleaning Products and Supplies

There is a fine balance between what's great for cleaning, what's good for the environment, and what could damage your apartment's surfaces. Be sure that you're using care when selecting your cleaning supplies. Consider the following:

• Use eco-friendly cleaning products to minimize environmental impact whenever and wherever possible.

• Choose cleaning supplies that are effective and efficient but won't damage surfaces. Some scouring powders can damage glass-top stoves, so be sure that you're using appropriate cleaners for each surface.

• Make full use of any attachments you have for your vacuum for cleaning edges and hard-to-reach spaces.

• If you use a mop, change out the water and cleaning solution often to prevent streaking or a haze from forming on hardwoods or tile.

• Use a microfiber cloth to clean all surfaces, including floors and walls.

• Use a damp cloth to wipe down all surfaces and remove dirt and stains.

Move-Out Cleaning Tips

In order to do the best possible job, here are some tips to help you navigate cleaning before your move.

• Create a cleaning schedule to stay organized and focused on the tasks at hand.

• Prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency.

• Set aside time for each task to ensure a thorough cleaning.

• Use the right cleaning tools for each job.

• Use a cleaning checklist to stay on track and ensure a smooth transition.

• Start cleaning early to avoid last-minute stress.

• Use a thorough cleaning approach to ensure a deep clean.

• Focus on hard-to-reach spots, light fixtures, and areas that are prone to dirt and stains.

• Take breaks to avoid burnout and maintain energy levels.

• Hire a cleaning service if you lack time and skill.

Hiring Professional Cleaning Services

Okay, so now you have a moving-out cleaning checklist, but what if you don't have time to perform such a deep clean? You have a couple of options: Forfeit your deposits, or if you have the budget (and maybe getting your deposit back offsets it), hire a professional move-out cleaning service to come in and do the job. When looking into hiring a pro to do the work, make sure you:

• Choose a reputable cleaning company with experience in move-out cleaning. Use Google ratings, Better Business Bureau listings, and friends' referrals to compare and make a decision.

• Get a quote and schedule a cleaning service to coincide with the needed schedule for move-out.

• Still, declutter your apartment for ease of service.

Wrapping Up

Now that you've got some quick tips and a on the best ways to perform a thorough cleaning of your apartment, you'll be ready to move in no time, while leaving a thoroughly cleaned apartment for the next tenant! Get your full security deposit back by following the checklist and tips, getting you on your way to a smooth move to your new home.