Best Cleaning tips for residential property

Living in a rented property requires you to be extra careful. When you move in, you have to take an inventory of things you're getting with the house. Similarly, when you're leaving the house, you need to leave everything clean.

Why? Well, it's for your own good. If you leave the place in an impressive condition, the landlord won't keep your security deposit. Also, it'll leave a good impression. So, you can come and live there in the future, if it comes to that. If you want to save your security deposit, follow the below-listed cleaning tips.

Can you do the end of tenancy cleanup on your own?

It's your wish whether you want to hire someone or want to clean it on your own. However, cleaning on your own is a better choice. It's because you know exactly what's wrong and where. This way, you can save some decent money.

In most cases, the landlord won't force you to hire someone. So, it's recommended that you take up the end of tenancy cleaning in your hands. So, if you've decided to clean the house on your own, follow the steps below. The below steps require minimum effort and are enough to restore the order. So, let's start: -

11 Tips for the end of tenancy cleaning

1. Start with the kitchen.

If you have cupboards and shelves, empty them. Now remove all the stains, crumbs, and dirt stuck in the corners. Once you remove the dirt, take a damp cloth and wipe it all around. After that, use a dry one too. If there are appliances such as a dishwasher, remove the power supply.

Now clean the wall where the dishwasher was placed. If you have a refrigerator, open and empty it. Take out all the cabinets, trays, and racks. Use warm, sudsy water and dip everything. Let it be there for some time and wash away the soap. All in all, you need to clean the components properly.

During this time, the refrigerator should be turned off with the door open. It's done to prevent any mold formation.

2. Oven and the Hob

If there's an oven, go after that. It usually requires some good scrubbing and a harsh detergent. It's because, over time, lots of grime & burnt food gets stuck. So, make sure to get rid of that. Also, don't forget about the hob. Separate the racks and baking trays, burners, etc. It'll again require both effort and time. However, it is worth the effort and time.

3. Living Room

Dusting is what takes the most time. So, get on with it and start from your living room. Remove everything from TV cabinets, cupboards, shelves, etc. And then begin with the dusting. Make sure to clean all the items you took out as well.

Again, this process is quite time-consuming. You can use a vacuum cleaner if its available. Otherwise, a good quality broom would do.

4. Bathroom

Cleaning your bathroom is quite essential. Everything, including the sink, toilet, tiles, and even the mirror, should be clean. Make sure there's no blockage in the drain holes. Usually, soap scum and even mold develops on metallic taps and faucets. So, clean them up with a damp cloth.

5. The Windows

Sometimes, it's quite hard to clean the windows from outside. But for that, you can call a professional window cleaner. This is a quite efficient and affordable way of cleaning windows from the outside. And you should not take the risk of the windows are too high.

However, for the inner side, use a mixture of vinegar and alcohol. If there's broken glass, replace it there and then. Otherwise, just wipe the windows and glass with a mixture of alcohol and vinegar.

6. Walls

Well, we almost forgot about the walls. Look for stains or scuff marks on your walls. If it's possible, wash them, otherwise use an emulsion of the exact same color. Walls are pretty dominant to look at. Your landlord would possibly notice any marks. So, make sure you leave them clean.

7. Furniture

It's quite important that you vacuum the furniture before you leave. If You smoke or have a pet make sure there's no odor or hair on the furniture. You can look for scuff marks if there's wooden upholstery. And if there are, try rubbing it with almonds or coffee grounds.

8. Curtains

Make sure that you leave the curtains spick and span. If you can wash them. Otherwise, call for a dry cleaner to get the job done. Pull the curtain rod and clean it thoroughly. Make sure to replace the blinds if the condition is not presentable.

9. Carpet & Rugs

For rugs and carpets, a steam cleaner would be perfect. If you don't have one, hire one, it's cheap. Also, keep in mind to vacuum the carpet and brush it to remove any hair.

10. Staircase & corridors

You must have used these areas quite frequently. So, there can be too much to clean here. You can use a vacuum cleaner to gather all the dust and sweep it with a mop.

11. The Garden and the Exterior

If there's a garden out there, make sure to clean it as well. Clean up the leaves and make sure the garden is evenly arranged. If there's too much grass, use a lawnmower. If it's not available, you can rent it pretty cheap.

Is the end of tenancy cleanup worth the effort?

Totally. Nobody but you're going to benefits from this. There's a simple logic we always return things we borrowed as they were, right? The same is the case with your rented apartment or property. You must leave it as it was given to you or even better, if possible.

Otherwise, you may end up losing your deposit or even have to pay from your pocket. It's the reason why a brief round of cleanup is quite necessary. It's also a gesture of goodwill. So, make sure when you leave, you leave it spick and span.