10 Secrets Only Professional Cleaners Know About End of Lease Cleaning

Exit cleaning is a challenging task when changing rental properties in Sydney. You have to restore the property almost to its previous form to satisfy the landlord. Otherwise, you will lose a good part of your bond money. 

Thankfully, you have professionals to do the work for you. They will take care of this end of lease cleaning to make your transition swift, smooth, and happy. However, many people want to do it on their own and often end up in a mess. 

Let’s have a look at the secrets of professionals for spotless cleaning. If you think you can carry them out, then go on. But if they seem too complicated, you always have the option to call professionals.

End-of-Lease Cleaning Secrets for Spotless Exit 

A thorough bond cleaning is not easy, and you must have patience while working. The following time-saving tips will save you from deposit deductions. 

1. Prepare A Cleaning Checklist

This might sound silly, but most people don’t do it during their move out from rental properties. Remember that if any issue is found in the rental inspection, property managers may disagree with repaying your bond. It’s not rare to miss one or two spaces during the cleaning mission. 

That’s why you need to take some time to make a list of the things you have to do. List down by categories for convenience. This way, you can complete a thorough cleaning without missing any specific areas to clean. Check the table below for some ideas. 

Kitchen	Inside the House	Bathroom	Outside
Cooking areas	Walls	Mirrors	Yard
Oven	Windows and mirrors	Toilet bowl, seat, lid	Bins
Extractor fan	Ledges	Countertop shower	Patios
Dishwasher	Fly screens	Tub-shower	Windows
Sinks	Lights	Shower door or curtain	Pets
Refrigerator	Floors	Bathroom drain	Garage
Cupboards	Carpet	Basin
	Staircase	Tile walls
	Bedroom	Grout lines
	Entryways and Air vents, etc.	fan, etc.

It’s better to make a list of cleaning tools and products you may need during the cleaning process. This way, you will have everything near at hand during the work. You may need different cleaning supplies based on stain types like grease, mould, pet stains, etc. The most common tools and products you will need are:

• Mop and vacuum cleaner
• Microfiber cloths, disinfectant wipes
• Glass cleaner, dish soap, baking soda, and white vinegar
• Rubber gloves
• Garbage bags
• Bucket and sponge
• Scrub brush, toilet brushes, and bowl cleaners
• Lemon, sugar, and salt

2. The Top To Bottom Technique

Many people tend to start from the floor, especially in the living room. This often leads to double labour as you will have to clean the bottom space again. Start your cleaning mission from high surfaces. It will prevent dust and dirt from settling on already-cleaned areas. This way, you only clean each spot once. 

Once the roof and higher surfaces of the walls are cleaned, focus on the furniture. The floor should be at the bottom of your cleaning list. 

3. Use Chalk on Tough Stains

One of the common professional cleaning hacks is using chalks on tough stains, especially greasy ones. Being made of calcium carbonate, chalk can absorb oil from fabric and other surfaces. Unlike harsh chemicals, these earthy limestones are safe to use on delicate fabrics. Sprinkle chalk on greasy oven spills or drawer tracks before scrubbing for oil-free cleaning.

4. Secret for Shiny Windows

Now, it’s time to focus on the windows. You can use cornstarch, a powdery substance extracted from corn kernels. It’s primarily used as a thickening agent in cooking and backing. You can also use it for a streak-free window shine. Here is how to use it:

• Prepare a solution using equal parts of cornstarch and water to create a paste.
• Apply the paste to the windowpane in a thin layer.
• Wait till the paste dries on the window. The cornstarch will absorb dirt and grime.
• Buff the paste off with a dry microfiber cloth or a sponge. Your windows will be left sparkling clean!

For heavy dirt, cornstarch may not be strong enough. You need to clean them with a store-bought window cleaner or vinegar. Avoid using cornstarch on your windows if they are heavily textured. The paste can get lodged in grooves and be difficult to remove completely. 

Also, make sure to buff the window properly so that no residue remains. Cornstarch can leave a slight starchy residue.  

5. Steam Cleaning for Carpets

Carpets pose a great cleaning challenge. They may contain different types of stains and bacteria. It’s quite hard work to take your carpets to the washroom. How do professionals clean the carpets, then? Well, they opt for carpet steam cleaning. 

Steam blasts hot water deep into carpet fibres. The dirt, dust, and allergens trapped in the carpet get loosened. Additionally, hot steam kills germs, bacteria, and odour. In other words, you are offering a clean and hygienic carpet for the next tenant. 

You don’t necessarily have to purchase a steam cleaner for one-time use. Instead, you can rent a steam cleaner for a day. It’s better to leave the task to professionals if you are not confident about using the machine. 

6. Pumice Stone to Scrub off Toilet Stains

You surely don’t want to leave any stains on the toilet to be seen by the next tenant, do you? It’s going to be embarrassing, even if you no longer stay here. A pumice stone can come in handy when removing toilet stains. These are lightweight volcanic rocks with rough textures. 

Use a stone to scrub the toilet bowl. Be gentle with the scrub to avoid any damage to the porcelain. Pumice stones are natural sandpapers and work better than toxic chemicals. Once the cleaning is done, pour some bleach to remove any discolouration. 

7. Wall Stains Cleaning Tricks

Did your children draw on the walls? Well, you have to remove them now since you are moving out. But the problem is, the ink marks usually don’t go away so easily. There is a solution, though. 

Magic erasers can do wonders to remove wall stains. Before applying to remove stains, always test on a hidden spot to see if the paint lifts. You should use a damp magic eraser, not soaking wet. Rub them lightly in a small circular motion. 

These magic erasers are usually made of melamine resin foam. Though they are not exactly harmful, they are not very healthy either. Don’t forget to wash your hands after using these erasers to prevent ingesting. 

8. Waste Disposal Cleaning Shortcuts

End of lease cleaners not only clean inside the house, but also the outside, including waste disposal. These waste disposals are also going to be checked during the move-out inspection. So you have to clean them as well. It will impress the landlords if you make the waste disposal clean and smelling nice. 

Cleaning waste disposal may not be as difficult as keeping them smell nice. Professionals can make them look and smell as good as new. What do they use? It’s not anything rare, just lemon and sugar. Put some lemon slices and sugar in the garbage disposal and wait for a few minutes. 

The combination of sugar and lemon removes stuck food waste and foul odour. You can also try some baking soda and white vinegar. They are natural germ killers and odour removers. 

9. Fingerprints Cleaning Tricks 

Over time, you must have left many fingerprints here and there in your apartment. They can be on the windows, in the basin, and in other places. You must not leave them there before the inspection. It can be tricky to remove fingerprints using regular cleaning products. Nonetheless, it is not impossible to do. 

In fact, the solution is quite simple but a secret of the professionals. Experts use olive oil to wipe down fingerprints from stainless steel. While removing fingerprints on the glass, use a microfibre cloth. It traps oil without scratching. For stubborn streaks, use a damp cloth with a touch of white vinegar. Don’t use olive oil in the glass. 

10. Slowly Pull the Vacuum Cleaner

Though you may have used vacuum cleaners many times, experts know how to use them better. You may usually use the cleaner by pushing it forward. It’s easy to move this way, but not the best way to remove dust. You may miss hidden dirt by rushing through with a push. 

Pulling slowly allows the agitator brush more time to rate and dislodge dust and debris trapped deep within the carpet fibres and others. Besides, a slower pull creates a stronger suction at the nozzle. This ensures more dirt gets sucked up into the vacuum cleaner instead of just being pushed around. 

Final Thought

End of lease cleaning requires you to pay attention to every corner of the house for deep cleaning. With proper preparation and caution, it won’t be very difficult. Follow the above-mentioned cleaning tips and tricks, and the final result will be as good as professionals. You won’t have to compromise with the security deposit refund, either. Your transition from your current house to the next one will be swift and smooth.