Cleaning is one of the most important parts of our life. It determines our health and everyone want’s to live in a clean and well-maintained house. But in the current scenario, cleaning is being used a lot along with move-outs. Even when you move into a new apartment or a house then there will be a clause for the end-of-lease cleaning on an agreement. Hence, when you move out of that apartment you need to take care of cleaning jobs. Generally, this job can be accomplished by following either of the two options mentioned below,
- Clean yourself.
- Hire end-of-lease cleaning experts in Sydney or the place you live in because you definitely want your bond back.
Hiring trained cleaners may increase your expenses, if you aren’t allergic to dust or fabrics, or smells, you can prefer cleaning yourself. But the jobs are not so easy. First, you should have enough time and obviously, enough energy as well.
Before cleaning, it’s better to illustrate the old condition of the place. You can also ask your landlord to come and inspect the place so that you won’t be blamed later. And of course, make the checklist so that you come up with the final requirements.
You need to clean the following areas at the minimum if you want to get clean chit on final inspection:
End-of-lease cleaning tips and tricks
Kitchen
The first part of the house that needs to be cleaned is the Kitchen. You probably will wonder how to clean the stuff that’s placed in the kitchen. You might be thinking of taking out all the things and then cleaning thoroughly, but sorry to say this will just lead to a mess. Instead of that, it’s better to clean them one by one.
Cupboard and Refrigerator
For the cupboard, you can just take out the utensils of one cupboard, placed them in a safe place which might be on the floor or on the table, then clean up the cupboard thoroughly. You can use vinegar or some other liquid for cleaning. Leave the cupboard open for some time unless you are done with the utensils. For the utensils, use a dry cloth and clean them thoroughly, one at a time. After completing you can store them back.
You can repeat this to all the cupboards and after completing it, another important place in the kitchen is the refrigerator.
Like with the cupboard, first, empty the fridge and clean the fridge with a dry cloth. Clean the appliances, and then put them back.
Now it turns to cleaning the refrigerator and cupboards from the outside as well. If there isn’t anything in the refrigerator then it’s better to turn it off the refrigerator.
Oven
It’s an important appliance in our kitchen. Even if it doesn’t smell bad, you need to clean it well. It might be a nasty job but believe me, it’s the first place for inspection, so you can’t take the risk. Remember oven must be sparkling clean and the same goes with switches, hob, burners, racks, baking trays, handles, switches, and all other surfaces. For cleaning, you can use vinegar, and after that clean the area with dry clothes.
After cleaning major parts of the kitchen now it turns to clean Basin. Basin must be also sparkling clean and it’s a good idea to change the soap. You don’t want to forget other appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines.
Now, it’s the turn for windows and doors. (We will be discussing these areas in the latter part of the article.) After cleaning them, you want to clean the floor. For the floor, you want to scrub it if required with soapy water. After you clean the floor, you are done with your kitchen.
Living room
Like you did in the kitchen, it’s better to clean one by one in the living room as well. Believe me, patience is the key. You can start with cupboards. If there is stuff, take them out clean using a dry cloth, and wipe out cobwebs or other marks. Clean the stuff and then place them back.
If there is a bookshelf, take out the books, clean the shelf, and wipe them in and out. Wipe the books, arrange them, and put them back in the same order. Clean everything over there- TV set, tables, etc.
As this is the place where we take a rest and is a relaxing place you need to clean it thoroughly and obviously vacuum the carpet and surrounding as well.
Bathroom
According to the nature of the bathrooms, they might be big lavishly or small but sweet. Whatever the size may be, all bathrooms do have tiles, mirrors, and cupboards to store necessary things for bathing (such as towels, soap, shampoo) showers, taps, etc. So, we need to clean them all. Along with that, you need to clean the drain as well. It’s better to use vinegar to clear the passage of drains.
Walls
For walls, wiping with a dry cloth only might not be the solution. If there are marks, you can paint the affected area as well but remember to use the same color. If there is no option for paint, place the drawer before it. It is a very bad idea to hang anything before it, as your landlord might not want holes in his house.
Windows
When we think about windows, our mind fills up with glass, of course, crystal clear glass. So, windows must be cleaned from both sides- Inside and outside.
Inside you can do it by yourself. But for outside, be sure to take safety. If you are afraid then ask help from a professional to clean the window. It won’t be expensive and after all, we don’t want to risk our life. For cleaning glasses, alcohol or vinegar would be an easier and better option. If cracks have to be mended, then do it. Don’t take the option.
Furniture
Wooden furniture can be scrubbed with the scrub paper that you can easily find in the market and for the finishing, you can either polish it with wooden polish or with lemon oil or paint it again. Just doing this is not enough, you need to vacuum it as well.
Curtains and Blinds
You can either wash the curtains or send them to the dry cleaners. If you are washing then wash it properly with the washing detergent. Clean the rods as well.
Clean thoroughly both sides of the blinds. You need to repair any damage or replace the blinds if they are unusable.
Staircase and hallways
These are the areas which we use most. So, they need to be cleaned more seriously. You need to steam clean to get all the dirt if there’s carpet in the hallway. If you find it hard to do the cleaning then it’s better to ask the professionals for carpet steam cleaning because they have the machine and they can take care of the carpets as well.
Garden and exterior
The gardens and the outer part of our house are equally important to us. If your house has a garden, clean it by sweeping, trimming the leaves, put the flower beds in good order, If you think and can find the gate not in proper form when you moved in, make a record of it on the inventory, otherwise you will be held responsible for it.
Finally, you are done with your cleaning. Remember that you need to buy the necessary accessories before cleaning or else it will be a pain for you. After completion, check thoroughly and tick things off your list as you go, take photographs when complete, and ask a witness to sign these before the final inventory check and handing over the keys. Remember cleaning jobs is time-consuming and need lots of effort. So, in case you find it hard you can always take help from end-of-lease cleaners.
For more detailed guides on specific cleaning tasks, check out our articles:
Removing Stains and Spills: Clean your way to a fresh Move-out.
Kitchen Cleaning Hacks for Sydney’s busy residents during lease end.
Remember, a thorough cleaning job, along with proper documentation, enhances the chances of receiving your bond back without any issues.
Happy cleaning. Cheers!
Note: If you are confused about acquiring a bond back then you shouldn’t miss this guide, Guidelines for Tenants: How to get the bond back? for acquiring your bond without any issues.
Still confused about why we need to do the cleaning at the lease’s end, please go through this article to learn more: End of lease cleaning: An Introduction