Moving into a New House - Cleaning Tips

One way to tackle the problem would be to hire a cleaning company, but if that is not within your budget then the next logical option is to make arrangements to spend some time cleaning it yourself before you move in. Begin by making arrangements to pick up the key a few days in advance of the day you actually plan to move in.

Where to Begin?

Which room should you tackle first? For the most part, you will usually find that the kitchen is the best place to clean first. New neighbors will certainly understand if the living areas of the home are not in tip top shape, but you certainly want to make sure that you have a clean place for preparing meals. In addition, cooking odors tend to linger so you will want to make sure you clean up any left over mess in the kitchen first. Make sure you check areas such as inside the oven, the refrigerator and the microwave if the home comes with one. Of course, you also will want to make sure that you give the cabinets a thorough wipe down, inside and out, as well as the counters. For the sink; plan to let it soak in some chlorine free bleach and then rinse it out well.

The area that you tackle next is up to your personal preference, but many people find they want to ensure the bathrooms are spotlessly clean before moving into a new place. Make sure that you clean out the tub, give the toilet a good scrubbing and wipe down the sink.

Wall to Wall Clean

Whether you clean the walls or not may depend upon who lived in the home or apartment prior to your move in. If the occupants smoked and you do not then cleaning the walls and help to eradicate the yellow staining that sometimes occurs as well as the smell. A mild soap and warm water mixture will usually get the job done.

Finally, make sure that the floors are clean. This is particularly important if you have small children that tend to spend a lot of time crawling around or playing on the floors, If the home has carpet, it can be worth the investment to just hire a professional carpet cleaning company to come out and steam clean the carpets. Be sure you make arrangements to have this done before you plan to move in and allow time for the carpets to dry. In some cases that might not be possible, due to either time or budget constraints. In such situations, make sure you plan to give them a through vacuuming. For hardwood floors, begin by sweeping well and then use a mild soap to clean the surface.