Moving to a new place can be both exciting and daunting. You have the opportunity to start fresh, but the cleaning task ahead of you is overwhelming. It’s important to have a checklist of what to clean before moving out, so you don’t miss any essential tasks. You don’t want to leave any trace of your past home behind!
Here’s a guide to every task that you should complete before you move.
Contents
Clearing Out Clutter:
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Ridding your home of clutter and unneeded items is an important step in the moving process for many reasons. Not only home cleaning before move leaves your space looking nicer and more organized before it’s put on the market, but it will also save you time and energy when you move. The less stuff you have to transport to your new residence, the easier and less expensive your move will be.
Here are some tips on how to reduce clutter before you move:
- Sell items you no longer need or want – hold a garage salef, list items on an online marketplace, or donate them to charity.
- Discard old documents or papers that are no longer necessary – shred confidential documents for extra security.
- Pack up out-of-season clothing and household items into labeled boxes and store them until they’re needed again – this could even be at your new residence!
- Downsize or donate electronics, furniture, kitchenware, or other possessions that may not fit in your new home.
- Give away small decorative items such as knickknacks, posters, or artwork that may not reflect the look of your new place.
- Add color-coded labels to all boxes for ease of transitioning into the new house; this will keep you organized!
Cleaning Floors:
Floors are an often-neglected but essential element of a deep clean when moving out. To ensure that all types of flooring are thoroughly cleaned before you move, you should complete the following tasks:
- Vacuum all carpeted areas to remove dirt, dust, and debris.
- Mop hard floors with a quality cleaner to pick up any lingering bits of dirt.
- Rinse mop heads in white vinegar to dissolve soap residue and return floors to their original shine.
- Do a final spot cleaning if necessary, using a product designed for your particular flooring material.
- Buff and polish hardwood floors to bring out the natural beauty in the wood grain before you move out and make them gleam in your new home!
Walls
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For painted walls, using a damp cloth with gentle soap and water should do the trick. As you clean, keep in mind that prevention is key! Keep furniture away from walls to reduce grime accumulation. For sleek surfaces such as glass or mirrors, use glass cleaners or other products specifically formulated for those materials. On tile and wallpaper surfaces, consider a specialized cleaner designed for those materials.
Finally, don’t forget countertops, windowsills, and other high dust-catching areas when wiping down your walls! These hard-to-reach spots should be cleaned last but should never be skipped.
Windows and Doors
Before you begin the process of cleaning windows and doors, make sure that you have all the necessary materials. These items typically include a window or door squeegee, a ladder, paper towels, glass cleaner, cloths or sponges, a brush to remove dirt and debris from crevices around the frames, and rubber gloves.
Start by using your brush to get rid of any cobwebs and other dirt that have built up in the corners of your windows and doors. Once you’ve done this step, use damp cloths or sponges and your glass cleaner to wipe down the surfaces of your windows and doors. If needed, use a ladder (or someone to assist) to reach the high-up areas of the frames that are out of reach.
After all the surfaces have been cleaned with damp cloths or sponges and glass cleaner, use a window or door squeegee for stubborn spots on outside-facing surfaces. You can use pieces of paper towel as necessary when cleaning off stubborn spots on interior-facing surfaces. Start from the top left corner for each window or door pane you clean – this will help ensure better coverage before moving on to the next pane. Maintain an even pressure as you scrape towards the show edge before adjusting grip evenness for the next stroke.
Once all the dust has been wiped away from each surface area inside and outside your windows/doors (and their frames), it’s time for final touchups to leave them shining brighter than ever before!
Cleaning Appliances:
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With the bustling activities involved in relocating, it can be easy to forget about cleaning appliances. But taking care of your appliances before you move is essential for ensuring that both their performance and life are preserved for years to come. Some tasks may need to be completed well before the actual move, while others can be done during the home preparation phase. Here’s a breakdown of what needs to get done so that your appliances arrive safely and ready to use in your new home.
Refrigerator
Before moving day, unplug and defrost your refrigerator at least 24 hours ahead of time. If possible, clean out all food items and discard them beforehand; leaving even just a small amount of food in your fridge is sure to lead to unpleasant odors when turned on again after the move. Set a timer or plan an alert so you remember to turn off the ice maker several hours before loading it onto the truck. If you’re able, prop open both doors for ventilation during transit; alternatively use absorbent material like towels between them.
Dishwasher
Avoid packing excessive amounts of dishes or small kitchen items into dishwashers as this can cause them to malfunction along the way or later on during setup at their new location — 16-20 dishes should do just fine for padding against impacts associated with transportation. If possible, leave the dishwasher open during transit as this will help prevent any evaporated water from accumulating inside the door seal which could cause it not to close properly.
Range/Stove/Oven
Prior to moving day turn off gas valves (or transfer safety switch, if present), then remove knobs and detached all loose parts such as drip pans and burner heads found within stoves or ovens — make sure they’re packed safely within boxes! Clean off any grease buildup beneath burners with a damp cloth and double-check that surfaces are dry prior to loading onto trucks; moisture buildup often results in rusting of stovetop elements and other damage leading up to installation in its new spot!
Conclusion
Moving is a huge undertaking and it can be overwhelming to make sure you have everything in order. But by following this cleaning checklist of essential tasks, you can rest assured that your move will go smoothly. Not only will you feel better knowing that the home is clean and organized, but your future tenants or buyers will also appreciate the effort put into taking care of the space before they arrive. So, take a deep breath and get ready to tackle these essential cleaning tasks on your way out!
