The Ultimate Cleaning Checklist
You’re all packed up and ready to move on, but there’s just one last thing to do – clean.
Leave a clean house behind and ensure you get that all-important rental bond back and the perfect tenancy reference! If you are one of those people who love to have a checklist here’s a look at our comprehensive Cleaning Checklist – with cleaning TIPS too!
Inside
- Clean walls of any marks or scuffs.
- When cleaning light fittings, remove dead insects inside covers.
- Replace any globes that are not working.
- Wipe the tops of the ceiling fans and blades.
- Polish door knobs, wipe doors and door frames down – including the top of frames and both sides especially around the handle.
- Wipe outlets an light switches to remove dust.
- Clean the windows inside and out, as well as tracks and window ledges or sills.
- Dust flyscreens and wipe security screens. Remove any animal hair.
- Clean Air conditioning filters, wipe grooves along the front lid, and the tops of air cons.
- Tip: if you have a ducted air conditioner the air intake filter and external vents need cleaning.
- Tip: Try leaving the air con covers open so that you know the air con filters have been done.
- Wash any washable curtains
- Clean any blinds or furniture. Tip: If you are unable to remove marks or dust try Amazing Clean 0419 863 848. Carpet cleaners can clean fabric furniture and mattresses.
- Dust skirting board, window ledgers, window or door tracks, curtain rods and ceiling fixtures.
- Floors – mop or wash as required.
Top Cleaning Tip: Try an Enjo (or the like) mop/squeegee with a handle to wipe the walls from top to bottom. It is so much easier than spot cleaning walls and saves from sore arms! Try sugar soap too – it removes marks easier.
Kitchen
- Empty all cabinets and drawers and wipe them clean.
- If you’re leaving behind a dishwasher, empty the filter and run a cycle with an appropriate cleaning solution to get rid of all residual food.
- Your oven / griller, racks and trays may need some serious scrubbing because high temperatures may cook marks well. Not a problem!
- Tip: Remove the shelving, drip pans, burners and try soaking them in a bath tub or spraying them with oven cleaner before scrubbing them clean. Steel wool may work well on the racks and shelving too.
- The stove top may have built up oil reside where you cannot see. Remove knobs and burners and wipe top, control display, panels.
- Tip: use some stainless steel cleaner to leave it looking shiny on stainless steel surfaces. Use Cerapol for ceramic stove tops – it bring the glass back to new with little effort!
- Clean the range hood by removing filters and cleaning underside of this appliance. Clean your filters free of any oil residue.
- Tip: don’t forget to put all bits and pieces back.
- Disinfect the benchtops.
- Wipe the sink and taps clean of all soap residue and so the stainless steel is streak free and shiny.
- If you are leaving a fridge behind, turn it off and leave doors ajar when you have finished.
Top cleaning tip: Give yourself a full day after the removalists have left to complete your cleaning.
Bathroom
- Rinse and remove soap scum or calcium build up from the bathtub, screen and shower recess and walls.
- Scrub tiles and grout. Tip: Use bleach, gumption or any other tough cleaning product with a scrubbing brush.
- Empty vanity drawers and shelves and wipe clean.
- Clean the toilet. Tip: make sure that it is clean to the back and underneath.
- Clean the exhaust fan and vacuum away any visible dust.
- Replace the shower curtain if you had one provided at the start.
- Clean any mould off affected areas.
- Don’t forget to leave the plugs.
Top Cleaning tip: Keep all of your cleaning supplies in one bucket so you can easily move from room to room without back tracking.
Laundry
- If you are leaving a washing machine behind pull the agitator apart to clean the lint filter, the internal shaft and the softener cup.
- Wipe out under the trough and don’t forget to leave the plug
Living areas and bedrooms
- Dust skirting board, window ledgers, window or door tracks, curtain rods and ceiling fixtures.
- Polish door knobs, wipe doors and door frames down – including the top of door frames and both sides of the doors especially around the handle.
- Wipe outlets an light switches to remove dust.
- Clean the windows inside and out.
- Vacuum carpets or organise a professional steam clean.
- Mop floor boards or tiles or vinyl.
Top cleaning tip: Mop from the furthest point of the room, finishing at the door way.
Outside:
- Pull any weeds, remove fronds, mow and edge the grass.
- Clean any stains or mould on decking, pathways, drive way or stairs.
- Tidy up existing garden furniture or hoses.
- Remove pet droppings and pet hair. Tip: don’t forget to remove marks on walls/posts where animals have rested.
- Fill in any dog dug holes and replace any damaged reticulation, sprinklers or flyscreens.
- Remove rubbish from bins and disinfect bins.
- Clean off any oil stains or marks.
- Clean out, dust and sweep garages and sheds
Finally, say goodbye and lock the door behind you. Done and dusted!