How to Clean an Apartment Before Moving Out
Walk through the apartment again with the landlord or property manager to confirm what needs to be cleaned or repaired in order for you to get your deposit back and avoid damage or cleaning fees. Write down what the person specifies and have him/her sign off on it to verify that what you wrote down is all you’re responsible for and so you don’t get any surprises when you hand in your keys.
Repair the walls. Remove all staples and nails you have stuck into the walls, ceilings, or doors of the apartment. Fill the holes with hole filler (drywall or wood filler depending on which material you need to fill). For tiny holes, you can also use white toothpaste (NOT GEL). Let the filler dry (while you work on other areas of the house). Lightly sand the filled holes so that they’re flush against the surface before you vacuum or mop the room. Using the magic eraser, go through each room and remove any scuff marks on the walls, floors, or doors. If you will be painting or priming, forgo the magic eraser and prime and paint instead.
Clean the kitchen. Fill the sink with warm water and add dish detergent to the water.
The refrigerator – Remove all of the shelves and drawers from the refrigerator and freezer and place them in the dishwasher or wash them by hand. Dip a sponge into the dishwater and wipe down the interior of the refrigerator and freezer, being certain to remove any food build-up. Don’t forget the little compartments where you kept the butter and eggs! Then wipe down all of the shelves, dry the shelves, and place them back in the refrigerator.
The oven – While you can set the oven to self-clean if that option is available, the better way would be to use one to two cans (depending on whether you EVER cleaned the oven while you lived in the apartment) of the best oven cleaner to get the oven really clean. (Try Easy Off Heavy Duty.) Read the safety directions carefully, many oven cleaners require protective equipment (gloves & goggles) and strong ventilation. Do not ignore the directions on the can. Place newspaper in front of the oven, slightly underneath the door or drawer and extended out to protect your floor from dripping cleaner. Evenly apply both cans to the inside of the oven, the grates, the broiler sheets, etc. Throw the drip pans from the stove in there and coat them too. Let sit for 24 hours. Do not turn on oven! Using a sponge and paper towels, wipe down all surfaces. Rinse with clean water. Clean the vent above the stove and be certain that the light bulb in the overhead hood is in working condition.
The cabinets – Using a multi-purpose cleaner that is safe to use on your cabinets, wipe down the interior and the exterior of the cabinets.
The light fixtures – You should then check to make sure the light fixtures are clean and do not have any dead insects in them. If there are glass fixture covers, give them a wipe. Think twice before throwing them into the dishwasher, because thermal stresses and harsh detergents may damage the glass.
The surfaces – Make sure you wipe down the exterior of the refrigerator, the stove range (including underneath the drip bowls), and all of the counter tops. Also, wipe down the exterior and interior of the dishwasher, microwave, and any other appliance provided by your apartment complex (including the surface of any washer or dryer).
The sink – Drain the water from the sink and clean the sink and wipe down the faucet. If the sink is stainless steel or porcelain, Comet works great! An old toothbrush or other small brush can be very useful for scrubbing around the edges of fixtures and the sink.
The floor – Sweep and then mop the floor. To do a really good job, you should pull out the stove
Sweep and clean the exterior (including any balcony, patio, and doors) and remove any remaining garbage bags from the apartment. Be sure that outside lights are working. Put garbage cans on curb, if appropriate, for pickup.
Take pictures of the apartment and keep for your records in case the apartment complex says you damaged the place. Send the photos and a written description to the landlord or property manager and ask them to sign off on it. Send one to yourself at the same time and leave the package unopened. If the landlord or property manager won’t sign off, the postmark on the envelope may help prove the date of the cleanliness of the apartment upon leaving.
Go to your move-out inspection. Be sure to get a copy of the move-out inspection for your records.
Return your keys.
