You just leased a new apartment. And now it’s move-in day. You’ve worked with an awesome moving company to haul your stuff to your new place.
You’re now happy to report that the move was seamless and extremely efficient thanks to the help you received from friends, family and, more importantly, the moving company.
Remember, it’s important not to try to tackle a move totally by yourself. All of the DIY tips in the world are great, but they won’t create the efficiency you get when you hire a professional moving company for a great price.
Whether you’re moving from a Champaign, Illinois apartment to a beachside condo in Malibu, or to your first home in Minnesota that you recently purchased, it’s important to make your move and entrance into your new place as spotless as possible. So to do that, you’ll have to do some cleaning before you unpack.
Cleaning Tips for Your First 24 Hours
Your new apartment will never be easier to clean than when you’re holding the keys for the first time.
Take advantage of the empty space and follow these easy cleaning tips to make your place a tidy home for yourself — and all your beloved stuff. And if you need help, you can always count on a great cleaning service to help.
On top of that, it might make sense to hire a laundry service to help make that part of your move easier. Some companies will even pick up, clean and fold your clothes for you!
Five helpful cleaning tips to follow:
Check the closets
Once the closets are full of your odds and ends, it’s unlikely you’ll ever take them all back out to clean in there. Dust out the corners, and consider lining shelves with vinyl or decorative paper (just be sure it isn’t permanent). Shelf lining looks good, is easy to clean, and covers up mystery marks and gross stains left by previous tenants. It’s a win-win-win.
Disinfect the bathtub
You’re much more likely to enjoy a soak in the tub after you’ve disinfected away all traces of the last person who soaked there. For an easy cleaning hack, use dish soap and a sponge to wipe down the bathtub. It’ll come off nice and easy.
Shine those floors
Your floor is going to get gross enough under your own feet. You’ll definitely want to clean away the last tenant’s footprints. Steam mops are a quick and easy way to clean hardwoods, laminate, and tile. If you’re using a regular mop on hardwoods, make sure that it’s damp rather than soaking wet, and use a cleaner that works with the floor’s finish.
For carpeted areas, you can usually rent carpet cleaners from grocery and hardware stores—or you can call in the professionals if it’s a serious job. Depending on your lease agreement and the state of the carpet, you may even be able to talk to your landlord about a reimbursement.
Cleaning Tips for Surfaces
Every surface you touch in your new apartment—from the thermostat to the light switch—has been touched thousands of times by the previous tenants. Make sure you take your time on this section and give a very thorough cleanse. You might even find other home repairs that you’ll need from the landlord or owner.
Clean out Cabinets
You’re going to eat off of those plates. Don’t plunk them into the cabinets until you’d eat off their surfaces, too. Wipe them down, scrub away anything suspicious with baking soda and water, and add a liner for good measure.
In the end, work hard to make your move as efficient as possible by hiring quality movers. After that, you’ll have the time and energy needed to give your place a great scrub!
Sam Radbil, Contributor
Sam Radbil is the lead writer for ABODO Apartments, an online real estate and apartments marketplace with available apartments from Bloomington, Indiana to New York City. Their research and writing has been featured nationally in Curbed, Forbes, Realtor.com, HousingWire and more.