Making sure you get your security deposit back at the end of a tenancy can often be a major cause of stress. Any one little problem can mean you lose some or all of your deposit. Ensuring that the property is left sparkling can help make sure you don’t incur any cleaning charges.
Making a list of everything you need to do can help you keep track of what still needs to be done and ensure you don’t miss anything important. Always leave more time than you think you will need, cleaning can take much longer than first anticipated!
Separate your jobs out. Work out what needs doing in the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen and living room. If you live with others, you can divide the tasks up to make them quicker and easier to tackle.
Bedrooms
Make sure you wipe all surfaces, don’t forget the skirting boards and the tops of windows and doorways!
Vacuum or mop/wipe down the floors. You may want to do this last to avoid having to go over it after everything else is clean.
Don’t forget to dust the curtain poles and the tops of wardrobes and shelves.
Vacuum your mattress if it is being left behind.
Bathrooms
Scrub the floors, tiles can accumulate a lot of dirt even if it is invisible.
Wipe down the bathtub, sink and shower.
Wash or replace the shower curtain or wipe down the class if your shower has doors.
Make sure you throw away any old soap/shampoo bottles and don’t leave them behind.
Use a descaler if necessary.
Kitchens
Wipe and sanitise your worktops.
Use an oven cleaner to ensure the oven is clean and sanitary.
Don’t forget to wipe both inside and outside the cupboards.
Make sure the fridge and freezer are cleaned and empty.
Ensure all utensils and dinnerware that are being left behind are clean and put away.
If you feel cleaning the entire house will be too big of a task, you can always utilise end-of-tenancy cleaning agencies to avoid having to tackle the job yourself.