Moving into a new home can be like starting all over with a blank slate that offers many possibilities. Unfortunately, this doesn't always mean moving into a clean environment. Ideally, you'll want to take care of more involved cleaning tasks before you officially move in to a new home you are buying, leasing, or renting. Keep reading to learn how to deep clean a house before moving in.
Go Room By Room
It may be tempting to try to tackle everything at once, but you'll just end up overlooking things if you try to clean this way. Instead, go room by room so you can thoroughly clean your home as you get ready to move in. This will also give you an opportunity to really focus on each room.
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Clean from High to Low
Ceiling fans and other high things in a home usually don't get all that much attention. So, clean from high to low as you work your way through each room. This will also prevent accumulated dust from lighting fixtures, tops of window frames, sconces, and higher shelves from getting on floors you've already cleaned.
Use Pillow Cases on Ceiling Fans
Fans hanging from ceilings can be difficult to clean since there's the potential for dust to go everywhere. One way to deal with this problem is to slip an old pillowcase over each fan blade. Then wipe away from the center so most of the dust is collected in the pillowcase, which can be tossed in the washer when you're done.
Thoroughly Clean Your Fridge
Before you start stocking the fridge in your new place, take some time to really clean it, especially if it's an older fridge or one that was clearly well-used. A thorough fridge cleaning involves:
- Removing shelves and drawers
- Using a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar to clean shelves you removed from your fridge
- Using a vinegar/water mixture and a clean rag or cloth to scrub down the inside of the fridge
- Putting the shelves and drawers back and repeating this process for the freezer
Tackle the Rest of Your Kitchen
After cleaning the high stuff in your kitchen, wipe down the countertops, cabinets, and sink. Also pay attention to the stove and oven, dishwasher, and any other appliances already in place. A mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide is excellent for handling stubborn surface stains.
Sanitize Your Bathroom(s)
Disinfecting is especially important in bathrooms. Use dish soap and water for your initial cleaning efforts. After you’re done with that, use an antibacterial spray to get rid of any lingering germs from vanity counters, showers, and other surfaces. Try some fresh lemon juice if you have issues with hard water stains.
Work Your Way through the Rest of Your Home
For the rest of your home, follow the same top-to-bottom guidelines. With dusting, be mindful of surfaces that are sometimes overlooked, like light switches and light fixtures, closet shelves, and window treatments. When you're all done with the dusting, vacuum all carpeting surfaces and use your attachments to clean draperies and stairs.
Lastly, do the floors. With wood, tile, and linoleum, use the vacuum attachment for floors to get dirt and debris in corners and along the edges. A mop solution of white vinegar and warm water will thoroughly clean your floors. Steam clean your carpets to get dirt that's down deep within carpet fibers. Steam cleaning also minimizes issues with allergens.
