The Ultimate Apartment Move Out Cleaning Checklist

You’ve packed up all your stuff and are finally ready to begin a new chapter in your life. Oh, but it seems you’ve forgotten an essential part of the move-out process, apartment move-out cleaning! 

Admittedly, cleaning the entire apartment one last time before you move out can seem like an overwhelming task. However, a clean apartment at move-out time is essential to ensure that you receive your security deposit upon your exit. 

Now you could opt for one of two options; either hire a professional apartment cleaning service in which case you could consider hiring Happy Home Helpers as your designated apartment cleaning service! Alternatively, if you're more of a do-it-yourself person, you can follow the guide down below to deep clean your apartment completely one final time. 

Tools and Materials

Cleaning Solutions:

• All-purpose cleaner
• Glass cleaner
• Disinfectant spray 
• Toilet bowl cleaner
• Floor cleaner (appropriate for your flooring type)
• Oven cleaner
• Stainless steel cleaner (if applicable)
• Baking soda
• Distilled White vinegar

Cleaning Tools:

• Microfiber cloths for dusting and wiping surfaces
• Sponges and scrub brushes for scrubbing surfaces and tough stains
• Mop and bucket for floor cleaning
• Broom and dustpan 
• Vacuum cleaner with detachable canister and attachments for carpets, upholstery and hard-to-reach areas
• Window cleaning tool or squeegee
• Dusting wand or extended duster for high and hard-to-reach areas
• Trash bags for disposing of garbage and items you no longer need

The Ultimate Apartment Move Out Cleaning Checklist

Reminder, you will only start the move-out clean once your apartment is vacant so that every area is easily accessible. Also, you’ll want to work from top to bottom as dust will fall to the floor. This ensures you will only have to clean the floors once, at the very end of the clean. 

Cleaning Out The Cobwebs

It's possible you may not have paid much attention to the ceiling during your maintenance cleans so make sure to to clear out the accumulated dust and cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling utilizing a broom or extendable duster. 

If you have a popcorn ceiling then take a clean, damp paint roller and roll it over the ceiling, it should get rid of the dust without letting flakes of the popcorn-like texture fall down.

Wash Windows 

Simply spray some window cleaner on your windows and wash it off with a damp cloth, avoid leaving any streaks by wiping quickly and in circular motions. Make sure to dust off window locks and the sliding tracks, dust heavily accumulates here.

Spot-clean your walls 

Clean any stains on your wall using a microfiber cloth and an appropriate cleaning solution for the paint. Mr. Clean magic erasers are also very useful.

Carpets

For all carpet stains you will want to use a commercial carpet cleaner. Soak the stain for a few minutes to really break down the debris then use a wet microfiber cloth to gently dab it away.

Baseboards & Floors 

Finally, make sure to scrub the baseboards and then mop and vacuum the floors. If you have pets you should keep them away from the wet floor by locking them in another room and make sure anyone living with you knows better than to walk on the floor while it's wet.

Room-by-Room Cleaning Guide: The Kitchen 

Now one out of the two most essential and difficult places to clean is the kitchen. This is where dust, dirt, and bacteria are most likely to accumulate but not to worry! If you follow these steps you're sure to be done with the task faster than you think. Just make sure to be especially meticulous.

Clean out your fridge

Make sure to clean out your fridge and get rid of any expired items from your fridge and give it a thorough wipe with one part vinegar and seven parts water, it should work like a charm. Also, keep in mind to give all the drawers and shelves equal attention.

Clean the oven and stovetop

For the oven you can choose to use the auto-cleaning function on the oven or if you would prefer to clean the oven yourself you can use a mixture of baking soda and water. Brush the inside of the oven with the solution (make sure you avoid the coils!). Once it's fully dried, spray distilled vinegar on the remaining gunk and wipe it away. 

Refresh the dishwasher

This is fairly straightforward, simply run your dishwasher through a regular dishwasher cycle with dishwashing detergent and if there's still any residue you can scrub it clean. Use a sanitary wipe to clean off any stains on its door. 

Scrub and disinfect the sink (and the garbage disposal, if you have one)

First, it's important to make sure the drain is clear, so go ahead and add some baking soda to your disposal and then add some white distilled vinegar, after letting the mixture sit for 15 minutes rinse it out with hot water. Next, you wanna clean the sink with a little dish soap and hot water and then dry it with a cloth.

Wipe down and disinfect the countertops.

Simply use an all-purpose cleaner or sanitary wipes to scrub the countertops clean. If there is leftover residue, use a paste made with vinegar and baking soda, let it sit for a couple of minutes and then wipe the surface clean with a damp cloth.

Clear out the cabinets.

Once the cabinets are totally empty, use a vacuum to get rid of any crumbs. Then wipe down the insides as well as the tops, fronts, and knobs.

Room by Room Cleaning Guide: The Bathroom

This would be your second big hurdle. As a rule, bathroom cleaning is always important even if you find it icky! Again, it would be wise to pay careful attention when cleaning out the area, especially the toilets. 

Scrub the shower

Vinegar and bathroom cleaners will work wonders for grimy tubs and showers, just be sure to wipe all surfaces clean and let the cleaning solution sit for a couple of minutes before wiping it off.

You can use a dry brush to reach in between tiles or hard-to-reach places. If your shower head has mineral deposits, soak it in vinegar for a couple of minutes and wipe it off with a dry cloth

.

Clean the sink and faucet handles

Wipe your sink clean and if the faucet has water stains wipe it clean with distilled white vinegar, spray it on top first and then wipe clean with a microfiber cloth for that clean and polished finish.

The Toilet

First, scrub the bowl thoroughly, this is the most important part!. Visible toilet rings are definitely not acceptable, get rid of them using an all-purpose cleaner. 

Once you're done wipe down both sides of the seat as well as your tank with bleach-based cleaning spray. Ventilation is important when using bleach so crack open a window or turn on the bathroom fan. 

Clear out and clean any cabinets.

This is fairly straightforward but make sure to wipe the surface clean of any gunk or residue using microfiber cloth.

And voila! Those are all the things you'll need to check off for your move-out cleaning!

Why is Move Out Cleaning So Important?

Even though move-out day can be incredibly hectic, apartment cleaning is definitely something you should keep in mind while allocating your tasks! While it may not be mandatory to do, it is at the very least common etiquette and may score you points with the landlord, which could help you get your security deposit back. 

It can also be advantageous in finding your new place as many homeowners ask for references from previous property managers and landlords. It will keep your landlords happy with you and simply help out the next tenant moving in.

Don't Want to Go Through The Hassle Yourself? Contact Happy Home Helpers Now for Fast and Efficient Move-Out Cleaning!

Move out cleaning can be extensive and time consuming for those of you wishing to simply move on to the next phase of your life. However it is financially beneficial to ensure you receive your full security deposit back and to maintain a good rapport with your landlords. 

That said, how would one make sure the apartment is clean and spotless without going through the effort themselves? By hiring Happy Home Helpers!

As an apartment move out cleaning service, we aim to satisfy our customers to the fullest. Should you choose to hire us as your designated cleaning crew, our professional team will be sure to make quick work of your entire apartment in just 3-4 hours. They arrive with all of their own equipment and supplies, meticulously cleaning every inch of your apartment to remove any trace that you ever lived there. 

To request your first quote for a move out cleaning service click this link, and allow Happy Home Helpers to help you transition stress free.