Your Comprehensive Move-Out Cleaning Checklist

Now that you’ve emptied your rooms it’s time to get your space looking even better than it did when you first moved in. If you’re moving out of a rental property, you’ll want to make sure that you leave it in good condition for the next tenant. By leaving your unit in good condition you will also have a better chance of getting your security deposit back. For those of you who are selling your home, you will likely need to give it a good cleaning as well. While a deep clean isn’t always mandatory in this instance, it’s often customary for sellers or realtors to do it anyway before handing the keys over to the new homeowners.

A move-out cleaning checklist can be a helpful tool to make sure that you don’t forget any important tasks when it’s time to leave your space. By following this checklist, you can help to ensure that the property is clean and well-maintained for the next tenant or owner. To help you, we’ve made a comprehensive move-out cleaning checklist that you can use as a starting point.

Good Sorts’ Move-Out Cleaning Checklist:

All Areas

• Dispose of all garbage.
• Dust all walls.
• Vacuum baseboards, window sills, and door tracks.
• Spot clean all walls for marks with a microfibre using powdered Tide, bleach, and hot water.
• Spot clean all doors and doorframes including the front door for marks with a microfibre using powdered Tide, bleach, and hot water.
• Dust and damp cloth on all light switches, electrical sockets, and HVAC controls.
• Dust and damp cloth wall-mounted air conditioner.
• Dust all horizontal blinds and damp cloth blinds.
• Vacuum all floors with close attention to corners and edges.
• Soap and blade all interior and exterior glass where accessible.
• Mop all hard surfaces on the exit.
• Where applicable, remove, clean and replace all light sconces.

Bathrooms

• Vacuum ceiling fan.
• Vacuum light fixtures.
• Vacuum toilet cistern and behind the toilet for dust and debris.
• Clean the inside of the toilet bowl and rim with bowl cleaner and toilet brush.
• Clean the outside of the toilet and toilet seat.
• Clean toilet walls and surrounds for splash marks.
• Scrub and rinse bathtub shower combo using white vinegar and Dawn dishwashing detergent.
• Polish bathtub faucet, showerhead, and other chrome fixtures.
• Open bathroom cabinet and damp cloth.
• Scrub and rinse vanity and handbasin.
• Polish the hand basin faucet and straighten the handle.
• Polish towel railings.
• Spot clean mirrors.

Kitchen

• Pull out fridge and oven to vacuum floors behind. Replace fridge and oven when complete.
• Clean interior and exterior of fridge freezer combo.
• Clean the interior and exterior of the oven using oven cleaner.
• Clean interior and exterior range hood fan. Clean or replace the range hood filter.
• Clean the interior and exterior of the dishwasher, clean filters, replace, and run a one-hour wash cycle.
• Open all kitchen cabinets and drawers, remove garbage, vacuum and damp cloth.
• Clean exterior of kitchen cabinets and drawers ensuring streak-free finish.
• Polish all cabinet hardware.
• Clean kitchen splashbacks and underneath kitchen cabinets using a degreaser.
• Scrub the kitchen sink.
• Polish and straighten the kitchen faucet.

Balcony

• Sweep the balcony floor for dust and debris.
• Wipe down balcony handrails.
• Soap and blade-accessible balustrade glass.
• Damp cloth top of HVAC unit.

Laundry Room

• Dust all stacked appliances.
• Vacuum dryer filter and leave appliance doors ajar.
• Dust and damp cloth electrical/cable cabinet.

Miscellaneous

• Shut windows and ensure the balcony door is locked.
• Switch all lights off.
• Lock the main entrance door on exiting and crosscheck.

Finally, make sure to check the property one last time before you leave to ensure that you haven’t missed anything. This will help to give you peace of mind and ensure that you get your full security deposit back.

Moving is stressful enough. Let the Good Sorts team ease the load by wiping the slate clean from your old or new space. Have some additional questions? Wondering how much your move-out clean will cost? Reach out to holla@goodsorts.ca to get a quote based on your needs.

*This checklist is provided to help DIYers clean their own homes. It is not intended to reflect the steps taken by the team of professionals at Good Sorts Property Services.