House Cleaning Your New Home: Moving Checklist
3 pros!
Make the most of your fresh start: How to get your new home clean, sanitized and move-in ready.
Congratulations — you've already gotten through the most stressful part of moving: Finding your new home.
RELATED: Should I Get New Keys When I Move in to My New House?
While you may be tempted to move in as soon as possible, your moving checklist should include dedicating some time to house cleaning.
Take full advantage of your fresh start while your new house or apartment is completely empty; you will likely never have the opportunity to clean your home again while it's void of all of your belongings.
Here's how to get started and get your new home ready for moving day.
Start with the bathroom
Since you will be spending a day or so in your new home house cleaning, you may want to begin in the bathroom.
Previous residents surely cleaned the bathroom, but there is no harm in scrubbing away your own way as this room can be one of the more germ-filled places in the house.
MORE: Germs and Bacteria Hide in Dirty Bathrooms
A quick and easy way to instantaneously freshen the bathroom is to replace the toilet seat and cover, especially since toilet seats are inexpensive and easy to install.
Be sure to clean behind the toilet and, if possible, pull the vanity/sink away from the wall to do the same.
Thoroughly clean the shelves inside of the medicine cabinet while they're empty, as this is a place that was likely missed by whoever last cleaned it.
Spend extra time cleaning inside of the bathtub/shower with a soap-scum remover, especially hard-to-reach places like the walls, grout, shower head and shower door.
Get the kitchen clean
Now that you have a bathroom that is safe to use and germ-free, move onto the kitchen. Begin by removing all the stove-top parts, including grates and knobs, and take the shelves and drawers out of the refrigerator.
In a large tub filled with soap and water, let these parts soak while you clean the easy surfaces of kitchen appliances, counter tops and inside of the refrigerator.
Most ovens have a self-cleaning feature; turn it on, although you will have to scrub the oven glass to remove all the grease and food residue that has built up.
Be sure to pull all the kitchen appliances away from the wall, especially the oven and the refrigerator, and thoroughly clean behind them.
The insides of all cabinets and drawers were most likely ignored by the previous tenants or homeowners. While they are empty, wipe all the shelves and drawers with a lightly dampened cloth to remove dust/dirt. If you are considering using shelving/drawer liner before placing down your own belongings, this is the time to lay it down.
RELATED: 7 Tips for Maximum Kitchen Organization and Efficiency
Tackle the rest of the house
In all rooms, pay close attention to the walls, doors, windows, light fixtures and floors.
Many people do not think to wash the walls, so to find out if they need cleaning, take a clean cloth to the wall and see if you come up with dirt. In most cases you may only need to dust the walls, but if you are going to tackle washing your walls, make sure you use a cleaner safe for its particular surface. Do not ignore the molding along the corners and ceiling although they are hard to reach.
Dust the top of the doors and disinfect all doorknobs. Doorknobs are easy to forget, but they are so heavily touched that they are guaranteed to be filled with germs.
When washing windows, don't neglect the space between the window pane and the screens, an area notorious for collecting dirt from outside.
MORE: How to Clean Windows Perfectly in 6 Steps
Light fixtures are some of the easiest things to forget or ignore, but they are certain to be filled with dirt, dust, and possibly some unlucky critters.
Finally, tackle the floors. A clean floor can make the difference between feeling like you're living in filth or cleanliness. Sweeping and mopping are key, but if you have a carpet, you may want to invest some time in shampooing with your own machine, or by renting a machine. If the previous owner or tenant ensures you that they already shampooed the carpet, simply vacuuming will do the trick.
Consider house cleaning services
Oftentimes during a big move, people find themselves too busy and overwhelmed with packing and physically moving that they skimp on house cleaning.
If you're willing to hire a professional house cleaning service, make sure you speak with them thoroughly about your cleaning checklist.
Professional cleaning services may charge between $20-30 an hour, so the final cost will depend on the size of the home and the meticulousness of the cleaning.
