Start fresh in your new home by following our professional move-in cleaning checklist. Plus you'll learn how to make your home chemical and allergen-free from the beginning, and get our top tips for preventing mess build-up in living areas and the kitchen.
SHOULD YOU CLEAN YOUR HOUSE BEFORE MOVING?
Your place is brand new or freshly vacated, so it should be clean, right? Not necessarily. If the house has just been built a whole home clean is necessary to remove any remaining dust or chemical residue that comes with construction (remember also that cleaning is not disinfecting and you should do both).
If you are moving into a previously occupied space, a whole house deep clean is even more crucial. Even if the move out requirements of the property include a move out clean, you can never be sure that the space was cleaned deeply to your standard.
This is particularly important for people with allergies and chemical sensitivities. You’ll want to be sure that your new home is free from any hidden dust build-ups, and if the space was cleaned, it could have been done using synthetic chemical cleaners that can aggravate allergies.
The only way you can be sure that a fresh start in your new home is to your standard is to oversee the clean yourself.
WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL MOVE-IN CLEANING CHECKLIST?
A professional move-in cleaning checklist is useful regardless of whether you choose to clean-it-yourself or use a move-in cleaning service. By referencing a checklist, you can be sure that no crack or crevice goes uncleaned.
The move-in cleaning checklist should include a breakdown of all rooms, and what needs to be cleaned inside each room. Read through AspenClean’s professional Move-in cleaning checklist and get your printable version below.
HOW TO CLEAN A NEW BEDROOM
Cleaning bedrooms thoroughly before you move-into a new house is important as you’ll be exposed to any lingering allergens here when you sleep. As with all rooms, we would recommend working from top to bottom so you can easily keep track of what areas you have already cleaned and avoid transferring dirt to previously cleaned areas.
Pro tip: If there are multiple bedrooms in your new home, dust and clean them all and leave the floors until last. This way you can quickly move from room to room with the vacuum cleaner or mop without having to prepare your floor cleaning tools each time.
BEDROOM MOVE-IN CLEANING CHECKLIST
✔ All surfaces dusted
✔ Closet exteriors and interiors cleaned
✔ Marks on walls and baseboards cleaned
✔ Mirrors cleaned
✔ Interior windowsills and window tracks cleaned
✔ Baseboards dusted and/or wiped
✔ Doorknobs, door frames and doors wiped
✔ Light switches wiped
✔ Hard surface floors vacuumed and damp-mopped
✔ Carpet and area rugs vacuumed
CLEANING A BATHROOM BEFORE YOU MOVE-IN
Old bathrooms can be problematic to clean if the previous tenants didn’t clean regularly. It’s a good idea to closely inspect your bathroom for mold, damp areas or damage (eg. holes in grout) before you move-in as it will be easier to address these issues while the bathroom is empty.
It’s also worth remembering that conventional bathroom cleaning products tend to rely on harmful chemicals such as bleach to work. So it’s worth washing and wiping all surfaces with eco friendly bathroom cleaning products and natural cleaners to remove toxic residues left by other cleaners.
BATHROOM MOVE-IN CLEANING CHECKLIST
✔ Bathtub, shower walls and glass doors cleaned and sanitized
✔ Sink cleaned and sanitized
✔ Toilet cleaned and sanitized inside and out
✔ Mirrors cleaned
✔ Cabinet interiors and exteriors cleaned
✔ Countertops and shelves dusted and wiped
✔ All surfaces dusted
✔ Inside windowsills and window tracks cleaned
✔ Doorknobs, door frames and doors wiped
✔ Light switches wiped
✔ Baseboards dusted and wiped
✔ Marks on walls and baseboards cleaned
✔ Floor vacuumed and washed
KITCHEN CLEANING IN A NEW HOME
Kitchens are sensitive rooms as the risk of exposure to toxins and irritants isn’t just by contact, but also by ingestion of things that our food is in contact with. Therefore, it is important for kitchens to be cleaned and prepared prior to daily use.
Pro-tip: After your kitchen has been washed and wiped, you should also put in preventative measures such as drawer and cupboard lining to help minimize future mess and cleaning.
KITCHEN MOVE-IN CLEANING CHECKLIST
✔ Countertops and shelves dusted and wiped
✔ Cabinet interiors and exteriors cleaned
✔ Sinks and backsplash washed
✔ Dishes washed
✔ All surfaces dusted
✔ Inside windowsills and window tracks cleaned
✔ Baseboards dusted and wiped
✔ Doorknobs, doorframes and doors wiped
✔ Light switches wiped
✔ Marks on walls and baseboards cleaned
✔ Floor vacuumed and washed
CLEANING NEW LIVING AND COMMON AREAS
Thoroughly cleaning living rooms and dining rooms before bulky furniture is moved in will ensure you don’t cover up mess and leave dirt to fester.
It’s also a good idea to thoroughly clean hallways, entryways and landing areas as these can be easily forgotten. Starting with a deeply cleaned slate in common areas will help them stay clean for longer.
LIVING AREA MOVE-IN CLEANING CHECKLIST
✔ All surfaces dusted
✔ Mirrors cleaned
✔ Inside windowsills and window tracks cleaned
✔ Baseboards dusted and wiped
✔ Doorknobs, doorframes and doors cleaned
✔ Light switches wiped
✔ Marks on walls and baseboards cleaned
✔ Hard surface floors vacuumed and damp-mopped
✔ Carpet and area rugs vacuumed
✔ Closet fronts and insides cleaned
CLEANING TOOLS NEEDED FOR A MOVE-IN CLEAN
Your move-in cleaning toolkit should include a HEPA vacuum cleaner; cleaning sprays for the kitchen, bathroom, glass and general surfaces; a scouring powder or concentrated cleaning liquid for tough cleaning challenges; floor cleaner; plenty of microfiber cleaning cloths (they are better than regular cloths at picking up dust and absorbing liquid); a microfiber mop; scrubbing brushes; a squeegee; and protective gear such as gloves.
To minimize risk to harmful chemicals during cleaning you should use natural cleaning products. A high-quality natural solution will work as well as (or even better than) conventional cleaners without using toxic synthetic chemicals.
Pro-tip: Baking soda is an inexpensive natural deodorizer. Have some on hand while you do your move-in clean in case you come across any smelly areas. Sprinkle baking soda over the affected area and leave it to absorb the smell while you clean or even until you move-in.
HIRING A PROFESSIONAL MOVE-IN CLEANING SERVICE
The sooner your new home is cleaned, the sooner you can Move-in and enjoy it. Hiring a professional move-in cleaning service will save you time and allow you to focus on other important tasks such as packing and paperwork.
Many people move during the summer which means that move-in cleaning services can get booked out fast. To secure your preferred date, call a residential cleaning company and make a booking as soon as you know the date of your move. Make sure you arrange the booking for before you move-in.
Let AspenClean get your home move-in ready by booking our professional cleaning service. We operate in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto and specialize in move-in residential home cleaning.
Download your printable move-in / move out checklist here and call AspenClean to talk about how we can get these tasks done for you.
Book your move in cleaning service!
