Cleaning when moving home

elljay

I remember ages ago, I'm sure it was on here, a thread about cleaning when moving out.  Things you might forget such as the inside of windows, the bit you only see when window is open.  And so on.  Can anyone help me find it again please?  I've searched but no luck..

Alternatively, any hints and tips for cleaning when moving out from a rental?

Thanks

cornishchick

no idea on the thread, but things I've tried to do as I've moved out are ..
clear a space, like a cupboard, then clean it and don't go back there.  move packed stuff to a central location when possible. and clean around the edges of the room systemically .. wall, skirting, door frames and windows. 

tacpot12

Work from the top of the house down, and from the top of the room down.
A long-handled soft brush is great of getting cobwebs off the ceiling.  
Microfibre cloths are better than regular cloths, especially for cleaning marks of hard surfaces. 
"Mr Muscle" Kitchen spray is a good general purpose cleaning spray and is very good at shifting grease. 
Harpic Power Plus Toilet Cleaning Tablets are good for stubborn limescale.
"Oven Pride" is the best for DIY oven cleaning, and is worth trying as the kit is only £4 from Wilko's. If the oven is heavily soiled or "Oven Pride" doesn't make much impression, a commercial oven clean can usually be had for £50. Not sure whether it will be possible to get someone to come out to clean an oven during the Pandemic though. 
HG brand products are good for specific cleaning problems such as mould or limescale around taps. 
If you want to do a thorough job, you will need a small step ladder to clean on top of wardrobes and cupboards - my mantra is "You can't clean what you can't see!"

C_J

I used to run my own company providing inventory services for rental properties, and whenever I did a check-out inspection the main things which people forgot to clean were the inside of drawers (esp cutlery drawers), the tops of doors including kitchen cupboard doors, skirting boards, and not moving furniture to vacuum the carpets properly. And there were often a few frozen peas left at the back of the freezer.

My advice is to clean each room from the very top (ie use a long handled duster to do the ceiling and light fittings) right down to the floor, moving methodically around each room. Make good any holes which may have been made by screwing things to the walls/picture hooks you added, and check everything against your original inventory.  

Imagine when you have finished all the cleaning that this is the condition you would be presented with if you were moving in (not out) - would it be acceptable, or would you complain about anything to the letting agency/landlord?