How to clean a house before moving out?

A woman ready to clean.

So, you’re moving. That’s an exciting time in your life, no matter if you’re moving to Miami or to Davie. But, maybe you’re moving from a rental and you need your deposit back. Or, maybe you’re moving out from a house you want to sell, and cleaning it will be hugely helpful. Maybe you’re just moving from your parents’ house and don’t want to be rude. Whatever the case, you need to clean. Except, this is more than just spring cleaning! If you want to clean a house before moving out, you’re going to have to roll up those sleeves and get cracking! But, it’s not nearly as daunting as it looks like at first glance. It’s just the intensity of the task at hand that seems overwhelming, but if you break it down to smaller, manageable chunks and go about it with the organization, you’re sure to prevail.

Cleaning supplies, to clean a house before moving out with.
If you want to clean a house before moving out, you’ll need the right supplies.

Clean a house before moving out with the right supplies

Of course, you can’t clean without the proper supplies! You might need to go out on a shopping spree, but you probably have all your cleaning stuff already. Besides, why would you want to haul a half-empty bottle of detergent to your new place? Make sure you have all your equipment ready and put on some music or podcasts. Cleaning can be really dull, but upbeat music can help make it a little bit better. So, grab your mops and microfiber rags, and set up your speakers.

Hipster old timey gramophone.
No, not those kinds of speakers. Although, if you love old vinyls, why not?
  • You’ll need the standard mops and buckets.
  • If you need to buy cleaning supplies, pick them up when you’re getting moving supplies to save time.
  • You can save time when you clean a house before moving out by using the shower-head vinegar trick!
  • Microfiber towels can help you with allergens!
  • Make sure to check if your vacuum is in working order.
  • Got wooden floors? Mop them!
  • Clean out your fridge – either make sure you can eat the food or donate it. Local Florida movers legally can’t transport perishables. Also, make sure to defrost your fridge in time!
  • Get grout cleaner and make sure to read the instructions.
  • Cleaning fluid can be very toxic so make sure to handle it with care and with gloves, and don’t let small children around it unattended!

How do you clean a house before moving out?

Cleaning a house before moving out is pretty different than the day-to-day cleaning you usually do. You will have to be pretty thorough, especially if you want your deposit back. But, you have to be kind to yourself. This is something you should plan for in advance, so you’re not left frantically mopping while dusting in a hurry to get everything done! You need to plan everything in advance. Maybe you’ll feel better getting one room at a time completely done – or maybe you’ll prefer to vacuum every room, then dust every room, etc etc. It depends on you and your preferences! However, make space for cleaning on your moving checklist.

A zoom-in picture of a red vacuum.
Vacuuming is an important part of cleaning a house before you move out.

Help, cleaning seems impossible!

Of course, maybe you have a problem with cleaning in an organized fashion. Many people do. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, but it’s a problem you have to account for in order to get everything done. You need to identify the core problem – is everything overwhelming? Do you get distracted? Once you’ve identified it, it’s time to start working on it.

If everything is overwhelming, make a detailed checklist and go from there, focusing only on what the first item is. You don’t need to clean the bathroom, you just need to scrub down the bathtub. Once that is done, allow yourself a break and let yourself feel happy about your progress so far. Then, focus on the next thing on the list, and only on the next thing on the list.

If you get distracted during cleaning, try to home in on one specific location of the room you’re cleaning. Be as specific as you need to be. Maybe you’re focusing on cleaning the kitchen sink today, so mentally tether yourself to the kitchen sink. Yeah, maybe you’ll realize you need to take out the trash halfway through, and you should do so, but remember always to return to the kitchen sink. You’ll get a lot of work done, even if you’re getting things done in several different places at once instead of finishing up the first thing and moving on to the next. It’s totally fine to cycle between cleaning several things at once, if you can’t focus on finishing one thing. It will get finished eventually! Getting things done at all is the important part.

What are some things people don’t focus on?

Well, depending on how nit-picky the person giving your deposit back is, you might have to focus on some serious details. There’s a lot of fine details people don’t pay attention to. For example, make sure to wipe down your windows! Make sure to dust the ceiling fixtures! Have you thought about cleaning the door knobs? What about the nail holes on the wall? Do you need to seal them up? Do you need to paint the house? It all depends on your specific lease.

Cleaning a house before moving out when you’re hiring movers

Of course, your house will see a lot of activity when it comes to moving. So, you should time your cleaning right. For example, if you’re hiring a packing service from the best Florida movers, you can save dusting for when you have all your stuff packed up and ready. You should clean a house when moving out before moving day, just to save yourself the stress!

 

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