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Move Out Cleaning Checklist

You may have recently found a better home in the Asheville area and are close to moving into it. You may also have taken a job nationwide and will soon be vacating your apartment. Or maybe your business is moving out of the commercial property it rents for a better location.

In each case, the stress of packing everything you own, transferring your address and utilities, and moving into your new home or office space can be overwhelming.

Now that the rooms are empty, it is time to get your home, apartment, or office to look better than before you moved in. Many office or residential rental contracts only require a basic cleaning, whereas others require a thorough cleaning.

Before you start the move-out cleaning process, take the time to inspect the rental contract to see the minimum requirements that you are obligated to do before moving. This article provides a simple move-out cleaning checklist and discusses the move-out cleaning process in more depth.

Checklist For Move-Out Cleaning

If you are looking for a company to handle the move-out cleaning and are in the greater Asheville area, you are in luck. Greenlife Professional Cleaning can do the move-out cleaning for you so you can proceed with your new life in the new location.

What if, for some reason, you wish to tackle this job yourself? Here is a simple checklist to get you started:

Standard move-out cleaning checklist:

  • Dust (everything)
  • Clean kitchen appliances
  • Clean out cabinets
  • Clean sinks and countertops
  • Scrub toilets
  • Scrub shower and bathtub
  • Wipe down baseboards
  • Vacuum and sweep all floors

This checklist will get you started; however, to ensure that all the specific requirements of the lease contract are followed, make sure to read the fine print first. 

A Thorough Move Out Checklist To Ensure The Job Is Done Right

While a clean home can mean different things to different people, there are still some standard spots you’ll want to address when performing a move-out cleaning. Move-out cleaning involves a comprehensive and deep cleaning of your entire rental property. To make things easy on you, use this cleaning list to make your rental look spic and span in no time.

1. Remove All Nails From The Walls And Patch The Holes.

Every time you put up a picture or attach a television or bookshelf to the wall, you create a hole in the wall or scrape the paint away. Now that you have removed everything, all of those blemishes on the wall are very evident. You will need to fill in all those holes, repair any damage to the sheetrock or other wall surfaces, and then touch up the paint.

2. Repaint, If Needed.

Most rentals use standard, neutral paint colors in their units, so if you’ve changed the paint colors to suit your color preferences, the lease contract may require you to restore the original colors to get your deposit back.

You may have damaged the paint in some areas, so you must also repaint those areas. You can ask the landlord if they are okay with the color change, but get something in writing to avoid any miscommunication.

3. Wipe Down All Doors And Door Frames.

Doors are household items that often get neglected in routine cleanings. However, simply wiping down the doors and their frames greatly impacts the final inspection. This goes for the kitchen, bathroom, and other permanent fixture cabinet doors. 

4. Dust The Ceiling Fans.

Dust will accumulate on top of all ceiling fans, which are often not cleaned regularly. Make sure to dust all ceiling fans during your move-out cleaning process. Attach your duster with tape to something with a long handle, like a broom, so you do not need to use a ladder.

5. Clean Windows And Mirrors.

It’s such a small detail, but lean windows and mirrors give any place a new vibe. Remember to dust any blinds, clean the sills first, and use newspaper to get a streak-free finish.

6. Clean Out All The Cupboards And Cabinets.

Empty every cupboard and cabinet in the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room, and closets. Remove any crumbs or gunk and wipe them down. Remember to remove any pest bait, sticky traps, or air fresheners.

7. Deep Clean Any Sinks, Tubs, Showers And Toilets.

You should certainly deep clean the showers, tubs, and toilets., removing as much muck in the grout and drains as possible, and scrub down the sinks, including the faucets, until they shine. Toilet bowls should be scrubbed, lids lifted and cleaned, and the outside wiped down.

8. Make Your Appliances Look Like New.

Ensure that the appliances you leave look as shiny and new as possible. Remove everything from the refrigerator, and clean accumulated grime from the stove and microwave.

9. Dust And Clean Baseboards And Trim.

Run a wet rag or duster along all the baseboards and trim. You’d be surprised how neglected these areas can become and how much of a difference a little cleaning can make for the final look.

10. Sweep, Vacuum, And Mop Floors

Most move-out cleaning checklists might tell you to leave your floors in “broom clean” condition, which means you just sweep, and that is it. To ensure the floors are clean, vacuum and mop instead of just sweeping.

11. Take Out The Trash.  

The last thing you should do is take out all of the garbage from inside the house or apartment and take it to where it will be picked up.

Hire A Professional Service To Do A One Time Move Out Cleaning

Thoroughly cleaning a house, apartment, or business after moving out can be costly and time-consuming if you decide to do the project yourself. While you should be unpacking your belongings in your new space, you will be cleaning empty rooms to fulfill the lease agreement's contract or, in the case of home ownership, prepping the area to show prospective buyers.

Hiring a professional cleaning service will save valuable time and benefit from the company's experience in doing the job right. Although hiring a cleaning company is expensive, your time and effort are also worth the money. And when you buy the cleaning supplies needed and factor in your own time, the cleaning company could actually be the cheaper option.

Greenlife Professional Cleaning specializes in residential cleaning. 

  • We are Asheville local.
  • We are licensed, bonded, and insured.
  • The cleaning staff must pass a thorough background check.
  • We offer 100% satisfaction guaranteed every time.

Greenlife Professional Cleaning Services knows your time is valuable. We clean your home regularly, saving you time for other matters. Our staff is trained and wears a uniform. We bring all the cleaning supplies needed and work in teams for the greatest efficiency. We offer weekly, biweekly, and triweekly cleaning services that fit your schedule.

If you are in the Asheville area, Greenlife Professional Cleaning can meet all of your cleaning needs. We cannot only do the move-out cleaning but also thoroughly clean your new space before or after you move in.