How To Clean A House Before Moving In | New Old & Rental
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Clean a house seems a very simple and regular doing job. But when you start doing it, you must realize how tough it can be. A lot of questions will arise from time to time, and you may get confused about what you should do. Well, do not think that we are trying to discourage you; we just mean that a great deal of work like house cleaning should start with a well-organized plan.
Here we will discuss in detail how to clean a new, old, and rental house before moving in. Hopefully, you will find answers to all of your questions along with some amazing house cleaning tips.
How to clean a new house before moving in
To get a great start at your new house, you just need a thorough cleaning before moving in. A long time of construction can leave plenty of debris and dust in each place of the house. So, dealing with a new build house means dealing with dirt lurks in many unexpected places.
The benefit of cleaning up your new house is that you will surely find many such things that are repairable or replaceable. You should clean the house before you bring your stuff because an empty place is quite easy to clean than a full one.
What you may need
- Rubber gloves
- Mask
- Apron
- Full sleeve outfit
- Cleaning products
- Cleaning rags or microfiber cloths
- Sponges
- Paper towels
- Scrubber
- Bucket
- Broom and dustpan
- Buster
- Vacuum
- Mop
- Step ladder
- Clean heavy dust first
Usually, newly constructed houses contain heavy dust and plenty of debris. If you do not remove them quickly, they can be a health issue for you. Take a broom and remove loose dust from the inside to the outside of your house primarily. Also, remove the piece of fallen bricks, concrete, cement, and pieces of wood.
- Start cleaning with the bathroom
You should start your cleaning process from the bathroom because who knows you may need to use it during your cleaning process. Take a broom and clean dust from the ceiling, fans, vents, corners, light fixtures, etc. Do not forget to clean the window sills along with the cover.
Check the attachments like closets, linen cabinets, and others if there are. Use a microfiber cloth to wipe down the dust from both inside and outside-scrub other bathroom fixtures like tub, shower, enclosures, etc.
Scrub also your toilet including handles, and outside. If there is a basin in your toilet, then wash down it along with the mirror and other fixtures. Do not forget to clean the bathroom floor also.
- Move on to your kitchen
The kitchen is another important part of your house that needs to clean as soon as possible. The kitchen usually has lots of closets, cabinets, and appliances. Most likely, your kitchen will take the maximum time to clean.
Clean it first, your kitchen top-dust out the ceiling, fans, vents, light fixture, etc. Sometimes electricians leave their fingerprints around the switches during installing electrical controls. Some of these stains can be stubborn to remove only cloth or water. You can take some liquid cleaners and rub them on the stain. Hopefully, the stain will disappear quickly.
- Clean kitchen cabinets and counters
If the inside of the cabinet is painted then take a microfiber cloth to clean the dust. If you found any stains, then use a mild cleaner. As you will use the cabinet to store dishes, so clean them properly. If the cabinet doors are made from wood, then use some mild wood cleaner if needed. Since your home is newly constructed, hopefully, there will not be too many stains or dirt. Clean also the top of your cabinet.
The newly-made kitchen counters do not require any special treatment. Just wipe down with a piece of cloth to remove dust if there is. Check all other kitchen fittings for stains. As all appliances and fittings are new products, they may contain some stains for unwrapping. So, check them and if needed, use a few drops of liquid dish soap to clean them properly.
- Check sink and floor
Check various parts of your sink like the basin, drain, garbage disposal, and faucet, etc. As the sink is the most useable appliance like the stove of your kitchen, you must check this properly before using it. Common sports like wrap glue, fingerprint, etc. may be in the new sink. Scrub with normal liquid dish soap to remove them. Now clean the kitchen floor using a mop or vacuum.
- Clean your floor and ceiling
Most of the attention needs to be paid to the floor cleaning of a newly built house. Though the newly made floor does not need any deep cleaning, you may have to remove plenty of dust and concrete debris. As you have already removed the heavy dust, now only wipe down will be enough.
However, depending on the type of floor, you should do your cleaning work. For example:
- If it is a wood floor, at first sweep it perfectly. Then use a mild soap (you should use wood soaps) to clean the surface and dry completely.
- If it is tile, stone, or a concrete floor then use a broom or vacuum to remove dust and debris. Then take some floor cleaner and mop the floor well.
Do not forget to clean the ceiling and windows. You should clean these before you clean the floor. Otherwise, your clean floor becomes dirty again. Take a piece of a soft cloth and clean the window sills and glass. You can use a wet cloth if needed.
- Look at walls
As it is a newly built house, most probably the walls are quite okay. You just check if the builder has painted perfectly. Besides, if you want to change any color or do any wall paint, or design then it is high time to go for it.
If it has a wall cabinet or inbuilt wooden, and cupboard wardrobe, then it may contain sawdust. Wipe them with a dry cloth or duster.
Effective tips to clean new house before moving in
- Meet with your builders or the homeowner to understand the actual situation of the house. Do not forget to re-check the document of house ownership.
- Make a complete plan before you start your cleaning. Because if you start working in an unorganized way, it will take excess time, and you will get tired soon as well.
- At first, arrange all cleaning products and instruments and store them in a separate area like a lawn or garage.
- Wear a full sleeve outfit and shoes which can provide you with complete protection.
- Inspect each room and the outside area of the house so that you can correctly identify where you should start your cleaning work.
- If it needs to use any cleaning agent, then do not forget to read the user’s instructions to avoid damage.
- Remember that, your safety is first. So bring all of your safety items like rubber gloves, glasses, musk, etc.
- Remove all cleaning supplies from the house. Now your newly constructed house is ready to move in.
How to clean an old house before moving in
Cleaning an old house is quite tough than a new one. It contains plenty of damage, along with accumulated dirt and the deterioration of overall construction, which can make you hopeless. Moreover, if you are moving to an older house, then you may have to face dampness and mold as an additional problem.
All of these are such kinds of problems that there is no way to take them lightly. If you do not eliminate them at the beginning, they can even cause health problems. Here we will guide you on how to clean an old house before moving in. Let us see.
- Inspect the overall condition before cleaning a house
As it is an old house, surely you have to give plenty of services there. So, before you start cleaning, you should inspect the overall condition of the house. Like this, you get an approximate idea of your next work. It also helps you to make an effective plan. So visit each room, lawn, garage, or even basement to understand their actual condition. Now make a list of work that you have to implement.
- Make an effective plan
To clean the house fast and easily, you just need an effective plan. Decide where you should start your work and which instruments are you going to use. As you may have to do plenty of work to clean a house (older house), you should ask for someone to assist you.
- Take preparation
Arrange all cleaning supplies like a cleaning product, equipment, safety instrument, folding ladder, etc. Select an area to store all these things. It will be better if you select any outside area like a garage. Your safety is most important, so wear musk, rubber shoes, a full sleeve outfit, glasses, and gloves.
- Clean the kitchen
The kitchen may be the dirtiest place in an old house. You should be ready to deal with broken tiles, stoves, and faucets along with dark grout, grime, and even mold also. An older home is likely to be damp. If it is unused for a long time, the chances of damping are increased due to lack of ventilation, water leakage, etc.
Besides, spoiled and leftover food, rotten fruits, or spilled milk undoubtedly invite cockroaches, flies, and even fire ants. To deal with all of them is quite tough.
For your safety purpose, if there is any appliance, unplug it.
Take some strong disinfectant and clean the kitchen sink, countertop, and floor. Use a clean cloth to wipe the table, cabinets, and outside of appliances and remove accumulated dirt, grime, and mold. Clean the ceiling of the kitchen and top corner using a folding ladder. Wash all cookware, kitchen utensils, and other useable things. Finally, mop or vacuum the kitchen floor with an appropriate floor cleaner and let it dry completely.
- Clean cabinets
Most of the kitchen cabinets, wall cabinets, and built-in wardrobes are made of either wood or a cupboard. The problem is that the dampness of the old home allows mold to grow on the wooden surface. At first clean loose dirt with a cloth. Now you need a wood cleaner or some liquid dish cleaner and a soft sponge to clean grime and mold. Immediate after, use a dry cloth to dry the wooden surface completely.
- Clean bathroom
It is another dirtiest area of an old house. The bathroom itself is humid, and if left unused for a long time, mold can grow by trapping moisture in large quantities. At first, check which fittings need to be removed or repaired and install the new one. Use strong disinfectant to clean the tub, tiles, and sink. You may need to use a brush to clean accumulated dirt, grime, or mold perfectly.
Take some automatic dishwasher with a gallon of warm water. Pour the mixture over the wet surface of the walls of the shower. Let the mixture sit for at least 15 minutes. Take a nylon scrubber and scrub the walls. Wash out with clean water, you can repeat the process if needed. Finally, spray an air freshener to remove the bad smell there is.
- Clean bedrooms and living room
If the house is still furnished, you may have to pay some extra attention to cleaning. Longtime unused cloth contains plenty of dust. So, remove the curtain, bed sheets, pillow covers, and seat covers at first. Now sweep the room to remove loose dust. Do not forget to clean the windows.
Do not leave the ceiling and floor unclean. Use a folding ladder to clean grime and dust from ceilings and unreachable corners. Take one-fourth cup of apple cider vinegar and mix with one gallon of warm water. Scrub the floor with this mixture using a nylon scrubber. Now take some floor cleaner and mop or vacuum the floor for a deep clean. Dry the floor quickly because the wood floor can damage if it is wet for a long time.
- Clean front yard and garage
There is also some cleaning work on the exterior of an old house. If the interior of the house is clean perfectly, you should get ready to clean your front yard, and garage. At first, use a lawnmower to cut the grass. Remove clutter from the garage and throw away the unusable things. Now your front yard and garage might look organized.
Essential tips for cleaning an old house before moving in
- After completing your entire cleaning work, you may accumulate plenty of trash. So do not forget to hire a Dumpster.
- If you have any allergic or respiratory problems, then you should not do the dust, grime, or mold cleaning work.
6 best ways to clean a rental house before moving in
When we move into a rental house, unpacking, belongings, and decorating the house also add to the cleaning work. You should clean your new rental home first because it will be easy to clean when it is empty. Not only that, if you clean with the stuff, of course, they will also become dirty.
At the same time, you will get assured to move into a clean and hygienic space and do not need to worry about any mess or germs that the previous tenant might leave. You may also need to repair or replace something, which you can identify during the cleaning procedure. Here we going to share some rental house cleaning secrets to do your work easily.
- Disinfect all surfaces first
As it is a rental house, each surface of this house has been touched by previous tenants more than a thousand times. So germs can everywhere to infect you with your family members also. So you should disinfect the entire house before entering your other family members.
Take a strong disinfectant and wipe all switches, handles, buttons, locks, benchtops, appliances, dials, and taps. All those things that you are going to touch.
- Clean bathroom along with tub and shower
Our daily bath is completely our refreshment, and surely you will never want to take other’s germs by laying and using an unclean tub and shower. Even if the wall, floor, and other surfaces of the bathroom are dirty, you cannot feel clean perfectly.
Use bath and shower cleaners with a scrubber to clean them. Wipe down and give a germless, shiny look to an old bathroom also. Clean toilets using appropriate detergents. Do not forget to wipe the flush button, sink, and other bathroom fittings.
Bathroom cabinets usually contain personal hygiene items. So it is important to keep them clean. Take disinfectant to wipe the inside and the outside of the cabinet along with the mirror.
- Clean appliances of your kitchen
The oven is the trickiest appliance in your kitchen to clean. So, maybe it is not as clean as you desire. So be prepared to give some extra effort to clean the oven. Wash the tray and door with a mild cleaner (like vinegar, baking soda, and dishwashing liquid) and wipe the base and top also.
- Clean the refrigerator
If you have a fridge in your new rental home, you should give a thorough clean before using it. Unplug it and let it warm to clean comfortably. Remove the trays, drawers, and bins to wash with warm, soapy water. Set aside them to dry completely. Wipe the inside, outside, and non-removable shelves of the fridge. Pull the refrigerator out to clean all the sides of the fridge and back wall easily. Wipe the entire appliance with a soft dry cloth. Replace the trays, drawers, and bins.
- Clean out the cabinets
Cabinets are quite an important part of the kitchen. If you do not clean it properly, you may have to face cockroaches and other insects also. Wipe each shelf with an appropriate cleaner and remove dust, crumbs, and spills.
Do not forget to clean the cutlery drawer especially, if it has an installed cutlery divider. Wipe it with a wet cloth and dry it completely.
- Clean the floors
You should remove all rugs and carpets to give them a wash to clean correctly. Most carpets contain plenty of dust, and if you continuously live with a dirty carpet or rug then maybe you have to face some respiratory problems. You can call a professional to clean your carpet also.
Select the cleaner that suits the best your floor type and gives a good mopping or vacuum.
Important tips to clean the rental house before moving in
- If you are moving to a rental home, then check the lease agreement carefully. Sometimes the landlord includes some specific clauses that can be surprising for you. Such as ‘mop the garage floor regularly.’ So, you should read each term of the agreement carefully.
- As this rental house is used by the previous tenant, the locks of the doors maybe not be completely safe for you. You certainly do not want that someone other preserves the key to your door locks. To avoid any issues, change the lock as soon as possible.
Deep Cleaning House Checklist
A clean, shiny new space can make your mind refresh. Clean a house is also essential to avoid hygiene issues. As house cleaning is a messy and time-consuming job, you should start it with proper preparation. Make a deep cleaning house checklist to drive your cleaning work in an organized way. For your convenience, here we have listed a house cleaning checklist that can guide what you might need and what you should do to shine your house from inside to outside.
- Start from your entryway
- Sweep floors
- Wipe walls
- Clean porch ceiling
- Wipe base door
- Clean doors
- Shake out dust from doormats
- Mop or vacuum the floor
- Organize shoes (better to use a small 2 or 3-tier shoe rack)
- Go to your kitchen
- Clean stove, microwave, oven, countertop
- Clean refrigerator
- Check the kitchen drain
- Clean sing basin, faucet, and other fittings
- Clean the grease of cabinet doors
- Empty the cabinet if there is any item and clean inside thoroughly
- Clean the exhaust fan
- Remove dust from the top surfaces like the fridge, cabinets, oven, etc.
- Wash all cookware and dishes
- Wipe walls and corners
- Finally, mop the floor
- Clean your bathroom
- Remove if there are unusable personal care products like shampoo, cleanser, etc.
- Wipe mirror
- Scrub the bathtub and shower
- Replace the old shower curtain liner
- Clean showerhead
- Wipe the outside of the water geyser
- Clean toilet
- Clean hardware
- Wipe walls
- Scrub tile grout
- Clean bath mats
- Sweep floor
- Mop floor
- Wipe baseboards
- Wipe bathroom door
- Clean your bedrooms
- Remove unused clothes like bed sheets, pillow covers, curtains, etc.
- Organize closets
- Wipe baseboards
- Clean dust from furniture
- Replace light or anything if needed
- Vacuum the carpet and let it dry under the sun if possible
- Flip mattress
- Clean window sills
- Dust curtain rods
- Wash window glasses
- Clean ceiling and fan
- Sweep loose dust from the floor
- Mop or vacuum floors
- Spray some room freshener
- Ensure the ventilation
- Clean your dining room
- Dust all wall cabinets
- Wash and press table linens
- Dust all furniture and polish if needed
- Vacuum chair cushions
- Clean light fixture
- Clean ceiling, corner, fans, and window sills
- Wipe window glasses
- Wash or vacuum curtains
- Dust curtain rods
- Wipe walls
- Shake out dust or vacuum rugs and carpets
- Mop or vacuum floor
- Clean living room
- Clean loose dust from furniture
- Wash slipcovers and pillow covers
- Vacuum sofa and chair cushions
- Remove curtains and clean
- Clean window sills, window glasses
- Clean ceiling, corners, and fans
- Dust and clean lights and lampshade
- Dust home appliances
- Sanitize remote controls
- Clean décor and upholstery
- Mop or vacuum floors
- Clean carpets
- Spray room freshener
- Clean laundry room
- Organize laundry supplies
- Clean washing machine
- Check drain connection
- Clean dryer vent
- Wipe walls
- Clean ceiling and corners
- Mop or vacuum floor
- Clean garage
- Allow ventilation to remove bad smell
- Remove clutter tools, broken parts, equipment, and toys
- Wipe grime off from walls
- Sweep floor
- Clean garage door and door frame
- Clean window with window sills
- Throughout into the trash
- Replace light fixtures
- Replace the air filter if needed
- Test and if the needed smoke alarm
- Sanitize all light switches, door handles, and locks
- Replace the door lock
We have tried to include all aspects of cleaning a house in the list. Cleaning activities will depend on the size of your home, the amount of furniture, and how dirty it is. Our deep cleaning house checklist will help you to do your cleaning in an organized way.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Should you clean your house before moving?
It’s best to clean your new resident before moving in to avoid extra work. As we all know, moving into a new house is a big task. You need to decorate everything and keep your stuff in the new places after moving in. This would be very tiring. If you add cleaning too, you won’t be able to finish your other work. This is why cleaning your new house before moving in is best.
How do I clean my house before moving in?
First, clean the floors before settling your old things into your new house. otherwise, you might need to move them again, which would be troubling. Vacuum the house properly, sweep the floors and then use a towel or an old cloth to clean the furniture. Make sure you clean the kitchen properly.
What should you clean first in a new house?
The first place to start cleaning after moving in is the kitchen. It is because you must first put your food in a cleaned and tidy kitchen to prevent it from rotting. Then you have to clean your bathroom. After that, you can clean the vacant rooms last.
What is the fastest way to clean a new house?
The fastest way of cleaning a new house starts by gathering all the cleaning tolls at once in a place. Then start cleaning the whole house instead of cleaning one room at once. Use a vacuum cleaner and a mop to make it easier for you.
Should you paint before moving?
Yes, if you can afford it, then it’s best to paint your new house before moving in. It allows you to have a smudge-free, stain-free, clean house. Using paints is good for the walls. Besides, painting prevents bad smells too. So, it is best to paint your new home’s walls before moving in.
Wrapping up
We hope now you know better how to clean a house before moving in. Home cleaning is super messy work, but if you start it with a good plan and foolproof preparation, you can finish it quickly. Our clean house tips will guide you to clean in an organized and safe way. Overall your safety is first if you have any health issue which can increase with such type of work then just leave it and call for a professional. All the best, stay healthy.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
[…] We hope above listed cleaning guidelines will help you to clean a house professionally. You should also create a checklist before you start your cleaning. This checklist will help you to do your work like a professional. You can perform your best in minimum time. To create your own checklist, you can see the deep house cleaning checklist. […]
[…] ever try to run a deep clean your entire house in one day. It will be almost impossible when you are a working mom. Do a little each day. It will […]