Moving into a new home is exciting and a great experience, but it involves a lot of cleaning. Do you want to ensure your new home is truly as clean as new? Then, you need to carry out an effective move-in cleaning.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few tips on how to clean a new house; don't miss any part of this crucial process!
When is the perfect time for a move-in cleaning?
Every homeowner wants to ensure their new home is spotless, so a move-in cleaning should be as thorough as possible. Since changing residence can be time-consuming, fitting this day-long cleaning session into your tight schedule can be an issue.
However, in some scenarios, knowing when is the right time to clean the property can be tricky.
For example, if you plan to do any renovation, it will create dust, and you'll have to clean everything again. Also, if your home is recently constructed, ensure the plumbing and electrical work is done before cleaning thoroughly.
On the other hand, if you won't be moving soon but want to get ahead and start cleaning, maybe you should reconsider. An uninhabited house will keep gathering dust, so you'll need to re-clean when it's time to move in.
The bottom line is always the same:
You should do the move-in cleaning just before bringing all your stuff—if it's only the day before, the better.
1. Make a schedule
It may sound cliché, but having a well-planned cleaning schedule will save you a lot of headaches during your move-in cleaning. You don't need to make an elaborate chart; it's enough to write down your task in the order you'll tackle them.
Hopefully, you'll get a few ideas after reading this post, so you can start writing down your checklist right after finishing. Also, once you know which cleaning tasks you'll carry out, get all the tools and supplies beforehand.
2. Let the air flow
An uninhabited home will surely have stale air, so opening windows to let fresh air in before starting wiping is a good idea. Besides, you might handle a lot of chemicals during the cleaning session, and good airflow will take care of removing any hazardous fumes.
3. Dust from top to bottom
Another tip you might have already heard; when cleaning your home thoroughly, start with the highest areas of the room. The reason for this is simple: gravity. All the dust will fall onto a lower surface, so it makes sense to follow this path when cleaning.
Note: When cleaning your home, it's easy to forget about ceiling fans. Now that you are dusting your new house, you should start with those hard-to-reach fixtures. You might need an extendable duster or a step ladder; be careful!
4. Wipe inside cabinets and drawers
Whether the home is fully furnished or only has a few built-in pieces of furniture, now is the best time to wipe all those empty cabinets and drawers. You can expect a light layer of dust, so the best way to clean it is with a slightly damp microfiber cloth.
5. Spot-clean large surfaces
Honestly, the floor is the only large surface in any home that gets proper attention during chores. However, walls, large pieces of furniture, baseboards, doors, and other often-overlooked surfaces also need cleaning.
Also, don't forget to clean all those spots where the furniture it's supposed to be. Depending on how thorough the previous owners were during the move-out cleaning, these areas could be dirty, and now might be your only chance to scrub the grime away.
6. Replace the toilet seat
Cleaning the toilet is usually daunting but becomes even more important during move-in cleaning. When you finally live in your new home, your peace of mind will depend on how thoroughly you've scrubbed those toilets.
However, you can save a lot of elbow grease by simply ditching the old toilet seat and replacing it with a brand-new one. This way, you can focus on disinfecting the toilet bowl and leaving your bathroom tiles sparkling clean.
7. Clean inside kitchen appliances
If your new home already has kitchen appliances, you'll need to check them and ensure everything is squeaky clean.
Look for grease stains inside the oven or spills in the fridge. Even if the previous owners do their move-out cleaning, there might be grime on hidden areas of your appliances like the fridge rubber gasket or the range hood filter.
8. Wipe the sink
Next to bathrooms, kitchens are the grimiest rooms in any home. So, if you mind disinfecting your bathtub and toilet, you should also care about cleaning your new sink.
Since the most likely scenario is that the previous owners cleaned the sink already, you'll need only to disinfect it. You can do it with almost any disinfectant of your choice, following the directions on the bottle. However, many DIY methods will get the job done; here are a few.
9. Clean windows thoroughly
You may clean the windowpanes frequently, but how often do you clean window frames and sills? Include window cleaning in your move-in cleaning checklist to ensure everything is spotless!
Even if windows seem clean, you'll find dust on the upper edge of the window frame. Pick a damp microfiber cloth and wipe from side to side. Then, do the same with the remaining edges of the window frame and the sill. Lastly, wipe the window pane in an S-pattern with a clean cloth.
10. Rely on the pros
While cleaning your new home is something you can manage, many other activities within the moving process might need your time and attention. Why do it all by yourself? Cleaning companies like Rain City Maids offer specialized packages designed to professionally clean every inch of your new home before you move in.
Get the best move-out/in cleaning services in Eastside Seattle
When you look for top-quality cleaning services in the Eastside Seattle area, there's no better choice than Rain City Maids. You can be sure our well-trained and fully vetted maids will leave the house as clean as new. Just let us know your specific needs, and we'll do our best to adapt to your schedule and budget.
