Apartment Move-In Cleaning: What to Clean Before You Unpack

That Cleaning Girl · Apartment Cleaning

You have the keys, the truck is on the way and you just want to start unpacking. But the best time to clean a new apartment is right now, while it is empty. In How to Clean Before an Apartment Lease Inspection we talked about getting ready for a mid-lease check. Moving in is your chance to start the lease on a clean slate, and to make sure you are not living with the last tenant's crumbs.

Take photos before you clean

Before you wipe a single surface, walk through the apartment and take photos and a short video of every room. Open the oven, the fridge, the cabinets and the closets. Get close-ups of any stains, scratches, holes or damage. Many properties give you a move-in condition form, so fill it out carefully and keep a copy. These records can be helpful when you move out later. Save them in a folder with the date so you can find them a year or two from now. Note small things too, like a chip in the tub or a sticky drawer, since they are easy to forget by the time you move out.

Why clean if the property already cleaned?

Most apartment communities clean units between tenants, and many do a good job. But turnovers happen fast, and some spots get missed, especially inside cabinets and drawers, behind the appliances and in the bathroom. A quick clean of your own means you know exactly what is touching your dishes, your clothes and your toothbrush.

It is also simply easier now. Once the couch is in and the boxes are stacked, you will never again have such clear access to the floors, the closets and the inside of every cabinet. A few hours now saves you working around furniture later.

Inside the kitchen cabinets and drawers

This is the most important move-in job. You are about to put your plates and food in there.

• Vacuum crumbs and dust from every shelf and drawer.
• Wipe the inside, the shelves and the doors with warm soapy water or an all-purpose cleaner.
• Let them dry fully with the doors open before you unpack.
• Add shelf liner if you want an easy-to-clean surface for the rest of the lease.

While you are in there, look for droppings or other signs of pests. If you see anything, let maintenance know right away, before you move food in.

The fridge, oven and microwave

Wipe the inside of the fridge and freezer, including the drawers and door shelves. Check the oven for leftover grease or burnt bits and wipe the microwave inside. Wipe the dishwasher door edges and check the filter at the bottom, which can hold food from the last tenant. Running the dishwasher empty with a cup of white vinegar on the top rack freshens it up. Wipe the stovetop and lift the drip pans or grates, and check the range hood filter, which may not have been cleaned in years. Wipe the cabinet fronts and handles too, since those get touched by everyone who has lived there.

The bathroom

Give the bathroom a full clean before your towels and toiletries go in.

• Scrub the toilet, including under the seat and around the base.
• Clean the tub, shower walls and fixtures.
• Wipe the vanity inside and out, and the medicine cabinet.
• Clean the mirror and the light fixture.
• Wipe the exhaust fan cover.
• Mop the floor.

Closets and storage

Wipe closet shelves and rods and vacuum the closet floor before you hang anything up. Check corners for cobwebs. In the linen closet, wipe the shelves before you stack towels. If your unit has a storage closet on the balcony, sweep it out and check for wasp nests, which are common in North Texas summers.

Floors, last

Vacuum carpet thoroughly, edge to edge. Mop hard floors. Vacuum the air return vent cover and the baseboards. Doing floors last, before the furniture comes in, is the only time all lease long that you will be able to reach every inch. If the carpet looks or smells bad, mention it to the office in writing.

Plan the timing

If you can, get the keys a day early and clean before moving day. If not, clean the kitchen and bathroom first, then unpack those rooms, and work on the rest while the boxes sit in the living room. Many people moving into apartments around Waxahachie, Midlothian and Red Oak book a move-in clean for the morning they get the keys, so the place is ready when the truck shows up.

Once you are moved in, start your regular routine right away. It is much easier to keep a clean apartment clean than to catch up later.

See more about how we clean apartments of every size on our apartment cleaning page. Next, we turn to the furry roommates: pet hair in small spaces.