The Ultimate Professional Move-Out Cleaning Checklist
Moving is stressful, and cleaning your entire house can be a lot of work. So when faced with the task of house cleaning before you move out, it can be overwhelming— especially if a damage deposit is on the line.
With all the packing, planning, and paperwork, it's easy to move cleaning to the bottom of your list. To bring this essential task back into the fold, we’ve created an easy Move-Out Cleaning Checklist to use for cleaning an empty house while moving.
Top tip: the home should be empty. Cleaning will be much easier and more efficient if there are no boxes or furniture to clean around.
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN A MOVE-OUT CLEANING?
It’s important to know what needs to be cleaned for a move-out, whether you are doing it yourself or using a professional move-out cleaning company.
The best reference point is your rental or purchase agreement. Realtors often require certain levels of cleanliness to be met. If they aren’t specified, it’s best to ask to avoid having to re-clean areas or losing part of your deposit. Our professional Move-Out Cleaning Checklist is a great place to start.
CLEANING BEDROOMS FOR A MOVE-OUT
The most efficient approach to cleaning is to work your way through tasks from top to bottom. This rule applies if you’re cleaning a single room or cleaning your entire home. If you are working with two stories, start from the rooms on the second floor and move to the first, working on every room from top to bottom.
BEDROOM MOVE-OUT 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, doorframes, and doors wiped
✔ Light switches wiped
✔ Garbage emptied
✔ Hard surface floors vacuumed and damp-mopped
✔ Carpet and area rugs vacuumed
MOVE-OUT CLEANING FOR BATHROOMS
Cleaning a bathroom when it is empty is much easier than routine cleaning because you don’t have to work around linens or personal products. This means you can lay some old towels at the door and give your entire bathroom a thorough clean.
If any mess requires products to sit and develop, place products onto these areas first and let the cleaner do its work while you move on to other tasks.
BATHROOM MOVE-OUT 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, doorframes, and doors wiped
✔ Light switches wiped
✔ Garbage emptied
✔ Baseboards dusted and wiped
✔ Marks on walls and baseboards cleaned
✔ Floor vacuumed and washed
MOVE-OUT CLEANING FOR KITCHENS
Cleaning the kitchen can be difficult, especially in older homes, as you’ll likely encounter smells, splatters, and stains. Start by applying cleaning solutions to tough messes (such as the oven) before you work on other areas to maximize your time.
KITCHEN MOVE-OUT CLEANING CHECKLIST
✔ Appliance interiors and exteriors cleaned (stovetop, oven, range hood, fridge, microwave, dishwasher)
✔ Small appliances wiped (microwave, toaster, coffee maker)
✔ 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
✔ Garbage emptied
✔ Floor vacuumed and washed
MOVE-OUT CLEANING TIPS FOR LIVING AREAS
All common areas (entryways, hallways, stairs) and living areas (dining and lounge rooms) should also be thoroughly cleaned for a move. Here you should look for marks in areas that were previously covered by furniture and take a close look at high-traffic areas that weren’t regularly cleaned (for example, walls in hallways).
LIVING AREA MOVE-OUT 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
✔ Garbage emptied
✔ Carpet and area rugs vacuumed
✔ Closet fronts and insides cleaned
CLEANING TOOLS FOR MOVING
Good planning is key to a smooth move, and being prepared is just as important. Nothing stops the momentum of a clean like having to restock on cleaning supplies. Make sure you have all the right house cleaning products you’ll need before you begin.
This 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; some garbage bags; and protective gear such as gloves. You can opt to get a house cleaning kit that includes all the necessary cleaning products and supplies.
You’ll be doing a lot of cleaning, which means you could be exposed to many harmful chemicals. To minimize risk, use natural cleaning products. Good quality natural cleaners are better for your health and home, while still working as well as (if not better than) conventional cleaners.
HIRING A PROFESSIONAL MOVE-OUT CLEANING COMPANY
If you’d rather let the experts tick all these boxes for you, be sure you don’t leave your booking to the last minute. Summer is the moving season, which means that move-out services get booked up fast. To secure your preferred date, call a residential cleaning company and make a booking as soon as you know your availability. Ensure you arrange the booking for after you have moved out.
Let AspenClean take the stress out of your move by booking our professional cleaning service. Book your Vancouver move-out cleaning services, Calgary professional move-out cleaning, and Toronto move-out cleaning services. You can book your carpet cleaning service in Vancouver as well.
Download your printable move-in / move-out checklist and get in touch with AspenClean to talk about how we can help make your cleaning easy.