Leaving your old home and starting a life in a new one is an exciting period of time. However, moving all of your old stuff can become quite the chore. We all tend to accumulate way more possessions than we actually need.
Additionally, moving to a new home is all about a new start. That can be hard to accomplish if you drag all the same clutter with you.
Moving into a new place is the perfect time to declutter as you clean the old one out. Here’s a move out cleaning checklist sure to leave your current place spotless and make sure your new home is free of unnecessary clutter!
Your Move Out Cleaning Checklist
Each area of the house requires different kinds of cleaning before moving out. Some spaces need a little more elbow grease, while some need a large garbage bin! Make sure you’re giving each space what it needs, especially if you’re moving out of a rental and hoping to get your deposit back.
1. Kitchen
Your kitchen will likely need some of the most cleaning because of the mold and bacteria that can hide here.
- Clean out cupboards and drawers and wipe clean. Replace the liners if necessary.
- Use a disinfectant on the interior and exterior of the refrigerator to make sure all food debris and bacteria is gone.
- Give special attention to the stove, and make sure both the burners and interior are free of cooked-on food.
- Wipe sinks, counters and floors clean, and double-check grout and baseboards to make sure no grease remains.
2. Living
The living areas include bedrooms, living rooms and hallways.
- Clean out old and unnecessary items.
- Vacuum rugs and carpets and shine hardwood and linoleum floors.
- Clean baseboards and windows, dust window ledges and built-in furniture, and free heating and cooling ducts and ceiling fans of built-up dust.
3. Bathroom
Your bathroom needs the most attention to make sure it’s clean and bacteria free for its next resident.
- Disinfect the tub, shower, toilet and sink.
- Scrape mould and soapscum from all surfaces.
- Use a toothbrush to clean grout and silicone around the edges of the tub and toilet.
4. Garage
For many people, a garage is a catch-all for all manner of debris and storage items. Take this chance to declutter as you clean.
- Get rid of unused and unwanted items.
- Scrub down surfaces, and use products made to remove any grease or spills caused by car fluids.
5. Yard
Don’t forget to clean the outside! Remember, curb appeal is everything, and if you’re selling the home you want it to present its best face forward.
- Mow the yard and prune hedges.
- Remove yard debris and old landscaping items. Consider getting a disposal bin to make removal easier.
- Spray down and clean walkways and driveways.
Don’t Just Clean, Declutter!
Moving can be the perfect time to get rid of items you no longer want or need instead of hauling them to the next home. Design a system as you pack up to make sure you’re only taking what you need with you.
- Use three boxes in every room – toss, donate, and take. Use your judgement to fill each accordingly.
- Set up a system for yourself to help you make decisions. For instance, a timeline (when was the last time I used this?) or scale (one to ten of how much do I love/need it).
- Organize as you go. Take this opportunity as you box up to organize items that will be in storage into appropriate bins and boxes that make them easy to store and identify.
Make Your Move Easier
Moving can be a hugely stressful time for most people. There are so many details to organize and tasks to accomplish from start to finish.
Take steps to make it less of a hassle for yourself. Recruit friends and family to help with the cleaning and moving, organize ahead of time so you know what needs to be done, print our move out cleaning checklist, and hire companies that can help you complete the tedious tasks so you can focus on moving out and moving on!
Miller Bins can help you with that by hauling away everything you’ve managed to clear out! Call Miller Bins today to see how we can help make your moving process easier.