If you want the easiest and most efficient way to have a squeaky clean place, it’s best that you learn how to clean an apartment before moving in. At that moment, the apartment is empty, there’s no furniture, and all of your items are still in boxes. It’s so much easier to scrub, dust, and wash an open space than to remove stuff from the shelves and wardrobes just to wipe the dirt. That’s why we recommend cleaning the apartment before moving in. Let’s find out what’s the best way to do it.
Let’s begin with the sanitation and washing
Why Should You Learn How to Clean an Apartment Before Moving In?
So you’ve learned how to move and how to get an apartment out of state, you brought all the first apartment essentials, and even the most commonly forgotten things to pack. But do you know how to clean an apartment before moving in? Once you arrive at the place, you can never know how clean it is. Even if it’s a brand new one, there could be some dirt on the floor and some dust inside of the closets and kitchen cabinets. The bathroom must be disinfected, and so should be the space where you cook and eat.
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How Do You Clean an Apartment for Rent?
If you’ve moved into a rented home, there’s no room for a question like Should you clean an apartment before moving in because the answer is always yes. Maybe the previous owners didn’t sanitize everything, and you surely don’t want to leave your stuff on a dirty floor and to prepare food on a greasy stove. In case you’re helping a friend move, you will wash much faster than if only one person does all the work. However, if you’re moving to another state alone and you don’t have anyone to help out, leave at least two days free to finish all the cleaning properly. Make sure you do all of this before you arrive at the place and before your belongings are there.
Knowing how to clean an apartment before moving in is very important
Here’s a List of What Do You Need to Clean an Apartment
We hope that you’ve learned how to pack your vacuum cleaner when moving because you will need one ASAP. If you wish to know how do you deep clean an apartment before moving in, make sure you have all of the following items:
- Cleaning spray – multi-purpose or specific ones for the kitchen, bathroom, glass, and wooden floors,
- Sponge,
- Vacuum cleaner,
- Mop or a Swiffer,
- A bucket for water,
- Paper towels,
- Cloths,
- Rubber gloves,
- Vinegar (optional,)
- Baking soda (optional,)
- Garbage bags.
In case you’re bringing all of this with you from the previous place, make sure you know how to pack liquids for moving in the best-sized boxes. If you have the right labels for moving boxes, you’ll learn how to unpack after a move much easier. Not labeling the boxes is one of the most common moving mistakes, so try to avoid that.
A good vacuum cleaner will come in very handy
Start the Cleaning of the New Apartment from the Top
Now that you have all the essential supplies, it’s time to finally start cleaning. The best and most efficient way to clean after cross country moving is to start from the top. The reason behind this is the gravity – all the dust you find on the tall shelves or closets will fall on the floor once you sweep it. Wipe all the lamps on the walls and the ceiling, as well as the chandeliers. They are notorious for collecting dust.
Don’t Forget to Sweep the Dust and Cobweb from the Walls and the Ceiling
Some might never think of it, but even walls can get dusty. If you have some pictures or mirrors on it – then it’s even worse. You can expect a full hand of dust on frames and other things hanging on the walls. Check all the corners in your home and see if there’s any spider web. You can vacuum it or just wipe it with a cloth.
The First Room Should Be the Kitchen
This one might even take most of your time and energy, depending on how clean it was when you arrived. Have you decided to donate old appliances? That means that the oven, fridge, and dishwasher are on your new apartment shopping list and that you don’t have to scrub the old ones. In that case, the kitchen is the least of your worries. If it happens that you find greasy and dirty appliances after the previous tenants, roll up your sleeves and start scrubbing. Baking soda is a great and cheap supply that you can use for scrubbing. You can mix it with hydrogen peroxide to get rid of stains on the stove in case the degreasing products don’t do the job.
Disinfecting All the Surfaces Is Crucial for Your Health
Since you’ll be cooking and keeping food in this area, it’s important to know that all the leftovers are gone and that there’s nothing that will attract uninvited guests such as ants or roaches. Disinfect all the surfaces, including the shelves inside of the cabinets and in the fridge. Clean them from the outside as well, including the handles. This area should always be tidy so that you avoid bad smells and pests, but also to know that you’re cooking on a clean surface. Since you’ve learned how to pack kitchen items for moving and how to pack pots and pans, now you can unpack them and put them inside of the nice and cleansed kitchen cabinets.
Sanitizing Your Fridge Is a Big Part of Learning How to Clean an Apartment Before Moving In
If you open the refrigerator and realize that it smells bad or that it has some stains from leftovers, take a look at the following video to learn how to properly sanitize your fridge. It’s also recommended to do it regularly every few months.
Your New Bathroom Will Also Need a Thorough Scrubbing
Even if it seems good at the first sight, the bathroom always needs a scrub since the previous tenants used it. It doesn’t mean that you have to spend ten minutes scrubbing every single tile, just make sure that everything you’ll touch is disinfected and clean. Get rid of all the germs on the sink, bathtub or a shower, floor, and toilet. Sanitize all the handles, light switches, toilet paper holder for the toothbrushes and toothpaste. Check if there’s any mold on the walls and tiles, and if there is any, use a brush to scrub it and rinse with hot water thoroughly.
You Might Want to Change Some Old Pieces Instead of Cleaning Them
If it happens that you haven’t brought any smaller bathroom pieces with you and you find an old shower curtain or some plastic pieces such as the toilet brush, it’s better to get new ones than to wash them. It isn’t worth the time, and it’s also more hygienic. Getting a new toilet seat could also be a good idea.
Remove all the germs before you begin using the bathroom
Your Bedroom Should Be Dust-Free
This is the room where you’ll spend most of your time, so it’s important that you’re not inhaling dusty air during the night. Make sure you vacuum the room and dust all the surfaces including the shelves and corners inside of the closet. The dust easily accumulates inside of the wardrobes because of the small fiber that falls off the clothes. You probably learned how to pack clothes for moving, and now you can hang or fold them in a neat and tidy closet.
If you didn’t want to deal with learning how to move a mattress and you plan on using the one that’s already in the room, it would be smart to deep-clean it. Baking soda can help you with this one – vacuum the mattress first, sprinkle baking soda all over it, vacuum it again, and then flip it. If you spot any stains on it, put some stain remover on them.
Wash the Sheets and Curtains in the Room You Sleep In
A lot of dust catches on the curtains, especially the big and thick ones. You can vacuum them or take them down and wash them according to the instructions on the tag. As for the sheets, it would be best if you washed them before long-distance moving so that now you can use fresh ones. In case you haven’t, wash them now, and you can sleep on clean sheets.
A tidy bedroom will guarantee you a better sleep
Finish With Cleaning the Floors, but Start from the Farthest Point
A good method for wiping the floors is starting from the most distant point from the entryway of your home. Before you begin, pay attention to whether you have a laminate or hardwood since they require different cleaners. Natural wood can be cleaned with half a cup of vinegar dissolved in a gallon of lukewarm water. Laminate, on the other hand, can be cleaned with any product for the cleaning of floors. Vacuum the whole surface of your home, and make sure all the carpets are clean. In case you’re moving in winter and the movers will walk on the floor with wet shoes, be sure you know how to protect the carpet when moving.
If you have hardwood floors, use proper washing techniques
You’ll Be Less Tired of Learning How Do You Clean Before Moving in If You Have Help from Long Distance Movers
In case you decide to hire a professional cross-country moving company, you will have much more strength and time to deal with all the tasks that go with moving, including the sanitation of your new home. A reputable long-distance moving company can provide you with all the cross-country moving services such as long-distance moving and auto transport, but also with moving insurance and a storage unit.
Other long-distance moving services like packing service with high-quality boxes and packing supplies can also ease your move since it’s done by professional cross-country movers who excel at this. They will load and unload the truck and take all of your belongings inside of your home. When they do, the place will already be clean, and you can just arrange your stuff the way you like it.
