The Ultimate Move in / Move Out Cleaning Checklist

Whether you’re moving in or out, make your home sparkle with our cleaning checklist and tips.

Whether you’re moving out or moving in, there are a couple of tasks you’ll want to make sure to check off in every room:

1. Repair any damaged clothing racks, lighting fixtures, or other permanent wall furniture.
2. Dust each room with a focus on corners, windows, doors, blinds, baseboards, ceiling fans, and light fixtures. A helpful tip is using microfiber towels. They can cut down on allergens.
3. Make sure to vacuum every room.
4. For wood or tile, take the extra step and mop the floors as well and do a deep carpet clean
5. Remove nails, screws, hooks, and other hardware from the walls and ceilings. Fill remaining holes with putty, then paint.

Once these larger tasks are taken care of, it’s time for you to go room to room and make sure that everything is clean and tidy. Here is are our room-to-room checklist you’ll want to have on hand!

Cleaning Bedrooms, Living Room, Libraries, Gaming rooms

1. After everything has been dusted, use an all-purpose cleaner to wipe down window sills and frames, ceiling fans, lighting elements, and any other built-in furniture like shelves or cabinets.
2. Use glass cleaner and newspapers to clean the windows.
3. If the home has a fireplace, make sure to clean out all the ashes!
4. Don’t forget about the air vents and replace filters.
5. Finish up by vacuuming and spot cleaning carpet stains or better yet get a deep carpet clean.

Bathrooms

1. Our tip is to clean exhaust fans first, since its likely to make a mess.
2. Clean out drawers and medicine cabinets. Don’t forget to toss old liners!
3. Use an all-purpose cleaner for walls, doors, towel racks, light fixtures — but not the toilet, mirrors, and tub.
4. Scrub the toilet with a specialized cleaner. Don’t miss the base, where dust often collects.
5. Make sure to use a specialized cleaner for bathtubs.
6. Don’t forget the shower rack and soap dishes.
7. Clean the vanity countertop, scrub the sink, and shine the faucets.
8. Don’t miss built-in soap dishes and toothbrush holders.
9. Vacuum the floor, then mop it.
10. Apply grout cleaner early so it has time to sit.
11. Last, don’t forget to clean the mirror!

The Kitchen

1. If your oven has a self-cleaning option, use it. Then clean the hood and exhaust fan.
2. Clean the inside of the fridge and freezer then move to the exterior. Repeat the same process for the microwave and move both appliances, so you’re able to clean behind and below them.
3. Next, clean the outside of the other appliances like the dishwasher then the stove.
4. Clean out drawers, cabinets, and shelves. Don’t forget to toss old liners and don’t forget about the outside cabinet.
5. Empty the garbage disposal and all trash.
6. Scrub countertops starting with the area surrounding the stove, as it’s typically the messiest and needs more scrubbing. Then clean the faucet and sink. Don’t forget to give the inside of the sink a thorough cleaning as well.
7. Vacuum then mop the floors with a specialized cleaner for wood or tile.

Cleaning Entry and Exit Ways

1. Move any debris by hand, paper towel or with a leaf blower. Make sure you don’t miss the cobwebs and those sticky corners!
2. Sweep or blow away any extra dirt.
3. Clean the outdoor windows. If accessible, a hose is very helpful.
4. Scrub out any stains on the walkway on the house itself.
5. Make sure grass, bushes, and trees aren’t overgrown and weeds are taken out.
6. If outdoor trash or recycling bins are dirty, clean them and put them in their designated area.
7. If applicable, paint the patches or stains outside your home.

Garage Car Cleaning

1. Make sure the garage is empty to make the cleaning process easier.
2. Repair any damaged clothing racks, lighting fixtures, or other permanent wall furniture.
3. After you’ve dusted, use an all-purpose cleaner to wipe down window sills and frames, ceiling fans, lighting elements, and any other built-in furniture like shelves or cabinets.
4. Vacuum or sweep out the area after it has been cleaned.
5. If your cement garage floor has stains, you can scrub using a stiff brush, detergent and degreaser.
6. Throw away old rugs.

Consider Hiring a Cleaning Service

Even though this checklist is helpful in organizing your cleaning tasks, oftentimes during a big move, many find themselves too busy and overwhelmed with packing and physically moving that they rather not clean and end up losing their deposit or paying more money. If you’re in the same boat, you might want to hire a professional house cleaning service, that can not only clean go through this list quickly but deep clean as well in difficult areas.

Download our Move in and out cleaning list here!