Tidying a flat... .

Looli

I have never managed to get my deposit back on rented properties...even tho at my last house i had people go in and clean carpets etc...still i learnt! Gonna stand up for myself in future!

David333

One further question if anyone can help please:-

Without repainting, is there any way of making my ceiling sparkle...? I've scrubbed the mould off, but it looks very much like I've spread it from a small patch over my whole ceiling. It looks very smeared... . Cleaner but not sparkling... . Can anyone help please...?

jackieb

Honestly? You would be just as well repainting it. It will probably take more effort trying to get it clean than painting it. And if the bathroom is anything similar in size to mine, you won't have much surface to paint.

tw1nklestar

sugar soap is good for washing down painted surfaces and gets them clean

m00head

http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-an-Apartment-Before-Moving-Out

Slinky

One tip when they do come round is make sure the seat AND lid are down on the toilet WILL HELP THE BATHROOM LOOK TIDIER (SORRY ABOUT CAPS< THEYVE JAMMED ON)

never_enough

I always put chair covers back on whilst they're still wet, that way they seem to have the extra stretch needed to get them zipped up again.
Sugar soap is good for really dodgy painted woodwork. Make the solution quite dilute & wear gloves though.
Tesco sell value scrubby sponges for about 14p a pack of 5. They're the ones with sponge one side & green scourer on the other, you can use them for everything.
Soda crystals cost about 65p a bag from Tesco & will clean just about anything (I'm sure you'd find other threads about them if you searched) They may be ok for your woodwork, less full-on than sugar soap.
Bathroom & kitchen need to be super clean. Also don't be surprised if they look into cupboards so don't hide your washing up or stinky clothes somewhere they may look. [A friend did this when selling her last place & a viewing was sprung on her, her dishwasher was full so she put washing up in the integrated fridge!!! She laughs about it now, but was hysterical when it happened.]
Plenty of fresh air, especially if using bleach or mould killer. Don't use any of those room fragrancer plug-in, whirly or flashing disco light things, they smell horrid & can make you wonder what they're supposed to be masking... If you really need something like that a couple of drops of essential oil such as lemon, bergamot or rosemary will make a room smell nice. Or do that old house selling cliche of freshly brewed coffee & home baked bread.
Good luck!

janaltus

I know you didn't want to paint but ... if your bathroom ceiling is left looking stained (after you have removed the mould) try painting it with "one coat" gloss paint.

If your painted wooden window frames (external) are grubby and you want to clean them yet avoid tearing off all the fragile and flaky paintwork (and without having to repaint them) - gently dab them with a soapy sponge then rinse off with a hose pipe or watering can (very gently).

Another thing to have handy: the phone number for your local Citizens Advice Centre or Law Centre if the said landlord gets shirty about giving you back your deposit!

Good luck!

ixwood

I'm confused... if it was your flat and you were selling I'd understand. As it is, I'd have a quick tidy round and clean, but nothing major. You're not the caretaker!!

Money_saving_Martyn

janaltus wrote: »

Another thing to have handy: the phone number for your local Citizens Advice Centre or Law Centre if the said landlord gets shirty about giving you back your deposit!

I agree. In think the student forum has a lot about getting deposits back as student's landlords can be mean - normally because students' money is taken from their parents and they expect not to see it again anyway. I have a friend who is staying is the same rented house as last year, and has been told to pay another £1000 deposit/bond for her second year..... and she'll get the first year's back in a few months' time...... ring any alarm bells? Citizen advice might (only might) be able to help you pester your old landlords too. Not sure on the laws covering it, but can they all prove that the flat was left in an unsatisfactory state? By whose standards........?

As for the mold, I'd always thought that that was a landlord’s problem. Obviously, not if it's on food stuck behind the fridge but in the bathroom and other rooms it could be due to poor ventilation or damp in the walls. Mould can be a dangerous health hazard and, again, it might be worth mentioning to citizen's advice or even environmental health.

Sorry none of this helps you clean, but I hope the information is helpful to you.

And if you don't get time to read anything else - take photos of the flat when you leave to prove it was clean (with the day's newspaper to prove the date - somehow) then you have proof it was clean if he tries to keep your bond!

Good luck!