The Only Move Out Cleaning Checklist You Need

Moving is something that most of us don’t love to do. It’s a pain, right? In addition to needing to pack all your things and move them, you also need to leave your space in good shape: clean, tidy, and looking as brand-new as possible.

When you’ve sold your home or you’re moving out of a rental, it’s helpful to have some guidelines. We’ve put together this move out cleaning checklist to serve as your companion whether you’re a renter or homeowner planning to DIY move out cleaning, looking to hire a cleaner, or someone who’s planning to start their own cleaning business.

Why Do You Need a Move Out Cleaning Checklist?

Let’s start with some of the reasons that you really need a checklist to help you work your way through the cleaning process. Here are the benefits.

• Moving can be overwhelming and it’s easy to forget things if you’re not organized with a checklist ahead of time.
• If you’re a tenant, doing a good job with cleaning before you move out can mean the difference between getting your deposit back and losing it.
• If you’re a landlord, the apartments you rent need to be clean and in good order before a new tenant moves in.
• Cleaning ensures you don’t forget any belongings. Let’s face it, if you don’t open every door to every cabinet, you might miss something!

Using our checklist will help you stay on task, move through each cleaning step in an orderly fashion, and ensure that you get everything done.

Cleaning Supplies and Products to Have on Hand

Cleaning an entire house or apartment is a big job. Here are the most important cleaning products and supplies to have on hand.

Depending on how much cleaning you need to do, you may add other specific products or supplies to your list.

Move Out Cleaning Checklist

Before we get into some specific areas of cleaning, here’s our master cleaning checklist broken down by room.

There may be other specific areas that you need to clean depending upon where you live, but most of the main areas listed here will apply to those, too. For example, if you’ve got a dining room, the list would be nearly identical to the one for the living room.

Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

Kitchens need a lot of cleaning. Cooking can leave things greasy and you’ll probably need some elbow grease to get everything looking like new. Here are the steps to follow.

Step 1: We suggest starting with surfaces and cleaning them off first. That means removing everything from your countertops, cabinets, and appliances. You’ll want to start cleaning with an empty kitchen to make things easy on yourself and get the best results.

Step 2: Clean appliance interiors thoroughly. Appliances to clean may include:

• Stove
• Oven
• Refrigerator
• Freezer
• Microwave
• Dishwasher

This may include microwaving a bowl of water and lemon juice, then wiping down the interior and exterior of the microwave; removing all shelves and drawers from the refrigerator and freezer and using either a DIY mixture of water, vinegar, and baking soda or an all-purpose cleaner to scrub everything and remove all stains. Both the stovetop and oven may need some serious scrubbing. You can clean the oven with a specialized cleaner or apply a paste of baking soda and water to remove baked-on grease. You should also run a cleaning cycle with an empty dishwasher. 

Step 3: Clean the counters. Any surface area may be harboring germs and grime. We suggest either the same DIY mixture we mentioned in the previous step or an all-purpose cleaner. If it’s been a while since you cleaned, you may need a kitchen cleaner with some grease-cutting ability.

Step 4: Open up all cabinets and wipe down the shelves. At the same time, clean the exteriors, paying special attention to handles and other areas where there may be some accumulated grime.

Step 5: Get up on a stepladder and clean areas such as the top of the refrigerator that may be out of sight.

Step 6: Use a duster to remove dust from the baseboards. Here again, you may need something to cut through grease.

Step 7: Wash the sink and faucets. Glass cleaner with ammonia may be a good choice for these areas. Make sure to rinse and dry to prevent spots from forming.

Step 8: Sweep the floor, then use floor cleaner and water to mop the floor and leave it looking its best.

Bathroom Cleaning Checklist

Like kitchens, bathrooms need a lot of attention when you move out.

Step 1: Clean the countertops. An all-purpose cleaner will work nicely for this task, or you can use equal parts white vinegar and water.

Step 2: Clean and sanitize the toilet. If you have stains in your toilet or hard water, you may want to drop a couple of antacid tablets in there to loosen things up before scrubbing. Make sure to scrub under the rim of the toilet seat, and to dust the top of the tank and clean the seat.

Step 3: Clean and sanitize the bathroom sink. We suggest checking the drain and cleaning out any hair or other debris that may have accumulated there. Glass cleaner will do a nice job of cleaning the faucets and fixtures.

Step 4: Clean and sanitize the tub. Check the drain, and make sure to clean the faucets and any shelves or towel rods inside the tub or shower.

Step 5: Wipe out all cabinets and under the sink. 

Step 6: Clean the mirrors. A smudgy mirror can make the whole bathroom look bad. Regular glass cleaner will get the job done.

Step 7: Sweep and mop the floor.

Living Areas Cleaning Checklist

When we refer to living areas, we mean any other area of the house where you spend time, including your living room, den, dining room, and bedrooms.

Step 1: Use a broom to dust the ceiling and ceiling fan. If it’s been a while since you cleaned your ceiling fan, you may need to employ some all-purpose cleaner to get the blades clean.

Step 2: Dust the windowsills. If you have blinds, make sure to clean those, too. 

Step 3: Clean the windows, inside and out. If you have old newspapers around, using those to wipe the glass will prevent streaks.

Step 4: Wash the walls and baseboards. Pay special attention to areas of the wall where stains can accumulate, such as the areas around light switches and outlets.

Step 5: Wipe out the insides of any cabinets, closets, or shelves.

Step 6: Remove and clean all light fixtures.

Step 7: Vacuum the floors. If you have wooden floors, you may want to sweep first, then vacuum, then go over them with a wood cleaner. For carpets, this is the time to vacuum and then use a steam cleaner.

Move Out Cleaning FAQs

What if I can’t clean certain things?

• There may be certain things you simply can’t clean. For example, if you live in a high-rise apartment building, it’s not reasonable for any landlord to expect you to clean the outside of your windows. You may also be unable to clean or dust high ceilings. Make sure to document everything, take pictures, and communicate with your landlord.

Will I get my deposit back? (Tenants)

• You should get your deposit back if you do a good job with your move-out cleaning and didn’t damage anything during your tenancy. We suggest taking pictures to document the condition of your apartment when you move out.

Can I keep their deposit? (Landlords)

• That depends. If a tenant has damaged something in the apartment, you may be within your rights to keep their deposit. Check your state’s laws and tenants’ rights. Make sure to document everything if you intend to keep a deposit. 

Should I just hire a move-out cleaning company?

• Maybe! If you have physical conditions that prevent you from doing a thorough job or you just don’t feel like dealing with a major cleaning spree, it may be less stressful to simply hire pros to take care of the cleaning for you.

Conclusion

Moving out of any apartment or house can be time-consuming, but it’s essential to do a good job cleaning. This checklist will ensure you don’t miss anything, and of course, you always have the option of hiring a pro cleaner if you don’t want to do the job yourself!