You’ve finally got the keys to your new home. Boxes line the floors as you envision how to transform each room. But before you start decorating and unpacking, it’s wise to give your new space a deep clean. A move-in cleaning sets the foundation for a fresh start in your home.
This new home cleaning checklist guides you through cleaning when moving into a new house. We’ve also included helpful cleaning tips to efficiently sanitise your new property. With this home cleaning routine, you can feel at ease in your clean new dwelling. You can also get to know some post-move cleaning essentials as you follow it.
Table of Contents
Why Deep Clean When Moving In?
When moving into a previously lived-in home, you don’t know how well the past residents cleaned. Prior owners may have had pets, smoked indoors, or left grime in forgotten corners. Even brand-new construction can harbour dust and debris from the building process.
Thoroughly cleaning when moving in removes any lingering dirt, germs, or allergens. This protects you from potential health hazards lurking in your untidy abode. Deep cleaning of empty rooms is also much easier without furniture and belongings in your way.
By properly disinfecting before move-in day, you start with a blank slate. Getting grimy jobs out of the way now means you’ll only need to spot clean as you settle into your roomy residence.
Supplies You’ll Need
For move-in cleaning, you will need to get some cleaning supplies. Ensure you have the following before starting the welcome home cleaning routine.
- All-Purpose Cleaner
- Disinfecting Wipes
- Baking Soda
- Distilled White Vinegar
- Scrub Brushes
- Vacuum Cleaner
- Mop and Bucket
- Rubber Gloves
- Dust Mask
- Rags
Preparing for a Clean Sweep
Plan to spend an entire day tackling your move-in cleaning checklist. Enlist help from family or friends so no dusty corner gets overlooked. Gather all your cleaning supplies in advance. Consider buying new tools like a vacuum with HEPA filtration to trap allergens effectively. For safety, open windows to circulate fresh air while cleaning. Put on protective gear like gloves and a dust mask. Thoroughly wash your hands afterwards.
Make It Shine: Room-by-Room Guide
Follow these tips to leave every room clean enough to eat off of floors:
Kitchen
✓Clean Inside Appliances
Wipe down refrigerator shelves, drawers, and interior walls. Double-check for mold. Give the oven and range hood filters a deep cleaning. This is one of the housewarming cleaning tips that most people forget. The cleanliness of your appliances reflects the overall cleanliness of the house. That’s why you shouldn’t ignore it.
✓Disinfect Countertops
Clear all countertops before sanitizing the surface. Pay special attention to areas around the sink and stove.
✓Clean Cabinets and Drawers
Remove everything from cabinets and drawers. Wash all shelves, knobs, and surfaces.
✓Scrub the Sink
Use baking soda and vinegar to remove stains and odours from stainless steel.
✓Mop the Floors
Sweep away any debris before mopping floor tiles. Clean the grout lines and allow floors to fully dry.
✓Shine the Faucet
Remove hard water spots and limescale from metallic finishes using distilled white vinegar. When you buy cleaning supplies for the new house, you don’t have to get chemicals. Vinegar can offer much-needed help to clean and sanitise new spaces.
✓Take Out the Trash
Empty bins and disinfect using wipes. This is something you must do during apartment move-in cleaning.
Living Areas
✓Dust All Surfaces
Wipe ceiling fans, baseboards, windowsills, and lighting. You should also dust furnishings to remove dust before it spreads.
✓Clean Walls and Paintings
Spot clean walls and artwork where needed using warm water and a mild soap solution.
✓Shampoo the Carpets
Rent a carpet cleaner to pre-treat high-traffic areas and suction up lingering allergens.
✓Vacuum and Mop Flooring
Go over all floors including inside closets before restocking your stuff.
✓Wash Windows and Doors
Use glass cleaner on windows inside and out, sliding doors and mirrored walls for maximum sparkle.
Bathrooms
✓Disinfect All Fixtures
Thoroughly clean toilet bowls, sinks, faucets, tubs, and showers using an EPA-approved disinfectant.
✓Remove Grime and Gunk
Spray down soap scum, mildew and limescale so grout sparkles.
✓Take Out Trash
Remember to sanitize waste bins and replace any liners. This is one of the move-in day cleaning tips to keep in mind.
✓Wash Walls and Floors
Scrub tile, vinyl and linoleum flooring using brushes or grout cleaning tools. This indicates why home cleaning before unpacking is necessary. It will help you to unpack your stuff with peace of mind.
Bedrooms
✓Vacuum and Shampoo Carpets
Give carpets extra passes for high foot traffic areas and to pick up dust.
✓Wipe Down Walls and Ceilings
Remove any mystery stains or spots with gentle cleansers. Use plain water for painted areas.
✓Clean Closets
Vacuum floors and wipe down shelves and hanger rods before unpacking clothes.
Utility and Storage Areas
✓Sweep Away Cobwebs
Use an extendable duster to remove webs and dust piles from ceilings and corners.
✓Scrub the Garage Floor
Clear oil drippings, loose paint flakes and debris. Allow floors to fully dry after mopping.
✓Clean Closets, Pantries and Basements
Clear out forgotten items and thoroughly vacuum and wipe down all shelves and surfaces.
Your Move-In Cleaning Checklist
Print out this checklist so no corner gets missed on cleaning day. This cleaning checklist for new residents can help you make sure not to miss out on anything. You just need to follow it.
Kitchen
- Wash interior appliances
- Disinfect countertops
- Clean inside cabinets
- Scrub sinks
- Mop floors
- Clean the faucet
- Empty and wipe down bins
Living Areas
- Dust all furniture and fixtures
- Spot clean walls
- Shampoo carpets
- Vacuum and mop floors
- Wash windows and doors
Bathrooms
- Disinfect fixtures
- Remove grime and soap scum
- Clean out trash receptacles
- Scrub floors and grout
- Wash walls
Bedrooms
- Vacuum and clean carpets
- Wipe down walls and ceilings
- Clean closets and baseboards
Other Areas
- Remove cobwebs
- Sweep garage
- Clean closets and basements
Mopping Up After Moving In
Completing your entire move-in cleaning checklist leaves your new home smelling fresh. Along with that, you will have gleaming surfaces as well. But don’t forget maintenance cleaning to prevent dirt buildup and stains over time. Continue vacuuming high-traffic areas while unpacking boxes. Stay on top of dusting and regularly clean bathrooms and the kitchen.
With gritty deep cleaning now finished, you can focus on arranging furnishings. Make sure that you don’t forget to decorate the house as well. Then relax and enjoy your clean new living spaces with peace of mind. No need to worry about mystery germs or previous owners’ dirt haunting your new abode. Get comfy knowing that moving forward only spot cleaning will be required as you fill your clean house with memories.
Contact Experts If You Need Help
As you go through this move-in cleaning checklist, you will figure out that it is not something you can manage on your own. This is where you need the help of an expert. If you are in Parramatta, you are in luck for that. You just need to contact Affordable Cleaning and Gardening Services. Their experts will follow the steps in this fresh start cleaning guide and do the cleaning for you. Feel free to visit the website and give them a call today.
