How To Do a Moving Cleaning Just Right (A Detailed Guide)

To clean a home for a move, work top-down and back-to-front — dust high fixtures, fans, and vents first, wipe down walls, baseboards, and built-ins, then clean floors last so you’re not dropping dust onto a freshly cleaned floor. Pay special attention to the spots that don’t get cleaned regularly (tops of doors, ceiling fans, inside appliances), since those are the first places a landlord or new owner inspects. If you’re moving in, start with the fridge so you can store perishables while you unpack. The detailed room-by-room checklists below cover everything.

Moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do. Whether you’re renting and want your security deposit back, or selling and want the place spotless for the new owners, leaving the property clean is an important part of the move.

This guide works whether you’re moving into or out of a property. It’ll help you manage your time during the transition and gives you a checklist so nothing gets forgotten. A thorough clean leaves your old place in good condition, and a deep clean before you unpack helps you settle comfortably into the new one. (If you’d rather hand it off, Pro Housekeepers offers dedicated move-in and move-out cleaning.)

Before you start

The best approach to a full-house deep clean depends on whether you’re moving in or out. If you’re moving out, it’s easiest to tackle the same chore across the whole house before moving on to the next.

Always work top-down, starting at the point farthest from the front door and working toward it. Clean each room the same way — start high, finish low — so you’re not brushing ceiling-fan dust onto an already-vacuumed carpet.

If you’re cleaning a new home after moving in, start with the fridge. It’s easy to clean while empty, and then you can store perishables safely while you unpack everything else — plus you’ll appreciate a cool drink when you take a break.

All rooms

When your home is empty, each room is a blank canvas. Take advantage of that to get it really clean before you unpack or leave for the last time.

Checklist

• Remove nails, pins, and tacks from walls
• Dust light fittings and fixtures, ceiling fans, HVAC vents, corners, and ceilings
• Wipe down baseboards, door tops and frames, window sills, and light switches
• Wash walls and windows
• Clean curtain poles and/or wipe down blinds
• Wipe down built-in fixtures and shelves
• Deep clean carpet or vacuum thoroughly
• Sweep and mop wooden, tile, or laminate floors
• Clean sliding door tracks

When you’re vacating a property, pay special attention to places that don’t get cleaned regularly — they’re the first spots a landlord or new owner will inspect. Look around each room for high, flat surfaces out of your normal line of sight; the tops of doors and ceiling fans are notorious dust collectors.

Some chores are especially worthwhile when moving in because they make the property more efficient. Cleaning HVAC vents and changing filters helps your heating and cooling system run its best and may even lower your bills.

Top tip: put an old pillowcase over each ceiling-fan blade before dusting, so you brush the dust into the case instead of onto the floor. Just discard the case when you’re done.

Think about how you move through a house as you clean it. In high-traffic areas, look for scuffmarks on walls, doors, and baseboards — they usually scrub clean with a mild solution like dish soap or a paste of baking soda and warm water.

Bathrooms

If there’s one room you really want to leave clean for new residents (or make spotless before you use it), it’s the bathroom. Deep cleaning one can seem daunting, but this moving checklist makes it manageable.

Checklist

• Dust light fittings and fixtures, vents, corners, and ceilings
• Wipe down baseboards, door tops and frames, window sills, and light switches
• Clean faucets, door and cupboard handles, and toilet-roll holders
• Wash walls, windows, and mirrors
• Clean curtain poles and/or wipe down blinds
• Wipe down built-in fixtures and shelves
• Scrub the toilet, including under the seat and around the base
• Clean grout, seals, and shower door tracks
• Clean plugholes and pipes
• Soak the showerhead
• Clean and disinfect the floor
• Leave behind a roll of toilet paper for new residents

You don’t need to spend a fortune to get a bathroom gleaming — common household items work well. Pour baking soda into plugholes and follow with white vinegar to clear drains. Cut a lemon in half, cover it liberally with salt, and use it to scrub faucets clean and fresh-smelling.

Tie a bag of white vinegar over the showerhead to soak overnight, and use a mix of two parts baking soda to one part hydrogen peroxide on tile grout — let it sit ten minutes, then wipe clean with a sponge and warm water.

Top tip: steam is a great cleaner, and your shower makes it for free. Spray the surfaces with an all-purpose cleaner, run the shower as hot as it will go, and close the door. Twenty minutes later the bathroom is steam-cleaned and you just wipe everything down with a microfiber cloth.

As a final touch, use a light coat of disinfectant spray to make sure the whole bathroom is clean and sanitized.

Kitchen

Deep cleaning the kitchen before or after a move is always worthwhile — it’s where you prepare food, so any dirt can have real health consequences. When you’re moving, the kitchen should be the focal point of your fresh start.

Checklist

• Dust light fittings and fixtures, vents, corners, and ceilings
• Wipe down cupboards and countertops, baseboards, door frames, window sills, and light switches
• Clean inside cupboards and install new shelf paper
• Wipe down faucets and door and cupboard handles
• Wash walls and windows
• Clean curtain poles and/or wipe down blinds
• Clean grout and seals
• Clean plugholes, pipes, and garbage disposals
• Dust the cooling coils on your refrigerator
• Sanitize the dishwasher
• Clean beneath, behind, and inside large appliances including the oven and fridge
• Change the cooker-hood filter
• Clean and disinfect the floor
• Check smoke-alarm and carbon-monoxide-detector batteries

Even if you’re not a keen cook, the kitchen is the heart of many homes and important to keep clean. Before bringing food into a new house, think about storage — line cupboards with paper to keep them stain-free and easier to clean later, and clean cooling vents and coils so appliances run efficiently.

It’s just as important to leave the kitchen gleaming when moving out. Kitchens collect dirt and grease that can jeopardize your deposit or make moving in unpleasant for the new owners. A pre- or post-move deep clean is also a good time to check smoke-alarm and carbon-monoxide-detector batteries.

Top tip: always sweep and vacuum before mopping or washing. Dust clings to damp surfaces, so remove as much as you can before anything gets wet.

At Pro Housekeepers, we know a thing or two about deep cleaning a home before or after a move, and this checklist should help you get everything done.

We also know the extra stress of cleaning can be too much alongside contracts, paperwork, packing, and maybe a new job or school district — all on a tight schedule. That’s why our cleaning Pros can handle it for you. Pre-book your move cleaning before or after your move and relax, knowing it’s one more thing checked off. We even offer same-day service, so if you need help in a pinch, give Pro Housekeepers a call.

Recommended: 7 Places Landlords Always Check When You Move Out