The Ultimate Moving Out Cleaning Checklist

When moving out of a home, most of your focus will be on getting all of your belongings to your new home safely and conveniently. Given how hectic moving can be, this is only natural. There are so many pressing issues to deal with during a house move and very little time to do them. The last thing you want is to concern yourself with anything not directly connected to your packing.

But you should not let yourself get so caught up in the frenzy of getting to your new home that you neglect to clean your current home.  Even if you have terminated the lease on your present home, there is one small item that still ties you to the home: the security deposit. How much of the security deposit you get back depends on the state of the home after your departure.

Your lease agreement will normally contain guidelines explaining how the home should be cleaned upon the expiration of the lease. There may also be a visual record of the condition of the house before you moved in. This is the state you are expected to return the home to. If you meet the requirements of the lease agreement, you may lose some or all of your security deposit.

Follow our ultimate moving out cleaning checklist to ensure you don’t lose your security deposit!

Moving Out Cleaning Checklist Tips

• Always start from the top – When cleaning a room, start with the features and surfaces at the top of the room. Or you may have to clean the items at the bottom of the room twice.
• Break your work into stages – Just like packing your belongings, you should not try to do all the cleaning at once. To keep from getting overwhelmed, create a schedule.
• Expect to do last minute cleaning – No matter how careful you are on move-out day, you will have to do some final cleaning to leave the home sparkling.
• Use microfiber cloth – These will wipe surfaces efficiently without leaving any streaks.
• Don’t neglect switches and power outlets – Dirt can hang on the edges of light switches and sockets, so make sure to clean these areas well.

 Living Area and Bedrooms

 Clean all upholstery and use fabric or leather protector, where necessary. If you’re unable to Then, follow these moving out cleaning checklist tasks –

• Dust throw pillows and wash the rugs.
• Clean and polish all the wood surfaces.
• Inspect the walls for nails, screws, or other hardware. Remove them, apply putty to the holes, and paint over. Do the same for any hang-up shelves you put on the walls.
• Dust surfaces and wipe down walls and do not forget ceiling fans, molding, baseboards, and blinds.
• Pay special attention to corners and crevices.
• Clean the outside and inside closet and drawer surfaces. Use a vacuum to pick up all the small dirt.
• Clean the windowsills, ledges, glass panel (use window cleaning liquid on glass), and casings
• Wipe down air ducts and vents and get rid of dust inside them.
• Sweep or vacuum and mop floors. Do not wet mop hardwood floors.
• Wash the doors and wipe doorknobs.

Kitchen

• Sweep or vacuum and mop the floors.
• Clean the garbage disposal and remember to turn the fuse off before doing this.
• Empty out and thoroughly clean the fridge, freezer, stove, oven, microwave, and all kitchen appliances; on the outside and inside. Also, clean the areas behind and under the appliances.
• Empty out cabinets and drawers and vacuum out all crumbs and dirt inside them. Afterward, clean with a sponge and cleaning agent.
• Use glass cleaner to clean all glass surfaces.
• Wash countertops with warm soapy water and disinfect them (you may use white vinegar for this).*

*Woodard can also help in cleaning and polishing your marble countertops and/or floors!

Bathroom

• Scrub and wipe down faucets, light fixtures, toilet roll holder, and towel racks.
• Scrub and disinfect the sink.
• Scrub the toilet bowl (you will need a toilet cleaner) and wipe it down on the outside. Do not forget the tank.
• With a disinfectant, scrub the tub, and shower.
• Apply grout cleaner and leave it on for some time.*
• Empty out the drawers and cabinets. Discard old liners.
• Clean all glass surfaces, including the mirror, with a glass-cleaning product.
• Clean and dust exhaust fans.
• Clean tiles with a bleach-based cleaner.
• Vacuum and mop the floors.

* If you need help cleaning your tile & grout, the professionals at Woodard can help!

Garage and laundry room

• Remove trash and all personal items from the garage.
• If the garage has a concrete floor, scrub with water and detergent to remove stains.
• Dust and wipe down shelves.
• Deodorize the washing machine.
• Clean the outside and inside of the washer and dryer.

Outside

• Mow the lawn and haul away grass clipping.
• Weed flowerbeds and trim their edges.
• If you have a compost bin, empty it out.
• Sweep all paved, wood, or tiled surfaces; patio, porch, stairs, veranda, driveway, and walkway.
• Dust and wipe down eaves and walls.
• Clean windows using a glass-cleaning product.
• Clear out debris from roof gutters.
• Give the letterbox a good scrubbing.
• Clean out the trash bin and recycling containers.
• Wipe down all outdoor lighting fixtures.

There you have it, the ultimate moving out cleaning checklist. However, if you want to make sure the job is well done and to save yourself some time, consider hiring the professionals to do the cleaning part for you.

About Woodard Cleaning & Restoration

Woodard was founded in 1946 by Earl and Nancy Woodard. Today, their grandson, Justin Woodard, is the third-generation president and CEO. Located in St. Louis, Missouri, Woodard began as a cleaning company and expanded to offer fire and water mitigation, mold remediation and reconstruction, as well as board-up, smoke restoration and hard surface cleaning. Woodard has the most capable employees in the industry! With a mission of Helping People Get Back to Their Lives, Woodard serves both residential and commercial clients in the greater metro area. Woodard takes pride in investing in their employees and is recognized by the St. Louis Post Dispatch as a Top Workplace. For information or questions submit a form online or call us at (314) 227-3932.

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Updated 10/29/2021