How to Thoroughly Clean Your Apartment Before Moving Out

You may be exhausted after moving into your new place, but if you want your security deposit back in your old apartment, it’s vital to leave it clean. Use this room-by-room cleaning checklist to ensure that you cover all of your bases.

Kitchen

Cheap Movers NYC (website here) asserts that the kitchen is the dirtiest room in an apartment, so you’ll want to plan to spend extra time cleaning this room.

Stove: In addition to cleaning the top of the stove, you’ll want to remove the burners and soak them in warm, soapy water or run them through your dishwasher. Don’t forget to clean the stove’s back panel and knobs as well.

Oven: Remove the racks, and clean them in your sink. U-Pack suggests using baking soda and water to scrub the inside of your oven if you don’t have a self-cleaning appliance. Allow the baking soda solution to sit on tough stains for a couple of hours before you scrub them. When you’re finished, wipe out the entire oven with water and a clean rag.

Refrigerator: After removing all the contents from your fridge, remove all of the refrigerator’s shelves and drawers. Apartment Therapy suggests spraying the inside of your refrigerator with a vinegar and water solution and letting it soak in. While you’re waiting for the solution to soak in, wash the refrigerator shelves and drawers with warm, soapy water. Wipe the inside of your fridge with a clean wet cloth, and replace the refrigerator’s shelves and drawers when they’re dry.

Dishwasher: Pour one cup of vinegar into a dishwasher-safe container, then place on the top rack of the dishwasher.

Cabinets and Countertops: Clean the insides and outsides of your kitchen drawers and cabinets. Use a disinfecting spray to clean your countertops.

Sink and Garbage Disposal: You can use a baking soda and water mixture along with a wet rag to scrub out your kitchen sink. To clean your garbage disposal, pour some baking soda down it, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Afterward, run the disposal while running hot water.

Bathroom

Toilet: Use toilet bowl cleaner to clean your toilet. While you let your toilet soak, use disinfectant to clean the pedestal and seat. Scrub the inside of your toilet with a toilet brush.

Tub and Shower: Use a bathroom spray to scrub your tub. Don’t forget to wipe the walls that surround your tub and the showerhead as well. Real Simple suggests making a paste out of one cup of baking soda and a few drops of distilled white vinegar to put on your shower doors if you have them. Leave the paste on for one hour before rubbing them off with a microfiber cloth, rinsing them off, and drying them with a clean, dry microfiber cloth.

Sink: Use disposable disinfectant wipes to clean your sink and faucet.

Floors

Vacuum or steam clean carpeted floors, and mop tile or wood floors.

Walls

Check your walls for any smudges, stains, or scuffs. If you find any, be sure to try to clean them up. You can use wall putty to cover the nail holes in your walls. You can find wall putty at your local home improvement store. Alternatively, you can fill in nail holes in your walls with white toothpaste, according to Updater.

Windows

Wash the insides and outsides of your windows, if possible. Be sure to wipe down the windowsills and blinds as well.

Dust

Dust off all the light fixtures in the apartment as well as the radiators or baseboard heaters.

When you move out of an old apartment, you will want your security deposit back. Following this checklist will help you leave your apartment clean, helping ensure that your security deposit is refunded.