Cleaning Tips for Moving Out of an Apartment

When you get ready to move out of one apartment and go somewhere else, one of your top concerns is getting your deposit back. You want what generally amounts to a full month’s rent to help you move into your next place. You are not likely to get that, though, if your apartment is left messy. Even tenants who leave their apartment relatively clean when they leave may not get all or any of the deposit back if their landlord is unpleasant.

I can’t guarantee that you will get your deposit back if you follow my tips, but I can guarantee that it helps your chances.

Here is what I suggest:

Paint the Walls

Many apartment leases allow you to repaint the walls whenever you wish to whatever color you wish, and you should take advantage of that when you get ready to move out. A simple coat of paint– even a single layer- can make a big difference in how nice your apartment looks. This is especially true if you have small kids or you smoke, as both of those can dirty your walls a lot over time.

Have the Carpets Professionally Cleaned

You could try to clean the carpets on your own, and using a steam cleaner is a very effective way, but nothing is more effective than hiring a professional carpet cleaning company to do it for you. This is something you should seriously consider if you have a strict landlord who may be unlikely to give you back your deposit.

Hire Professional Home Cleaners

While we are talking about hiring professionals, you may want to hire a cleaning company to take care of the majority of the cleaning for you. Peppi who works at DiamondCleaning says the statement “They can clean faster and more effectively than you, using high grade tools that make your apartment look spotless”. You may not be able to afford to have them do all the cleaning, but you can have them hit the troublesome spots that you would not be able to do on your own very well.

Spray for Bugs

No one wants to think of their home as a bug-ridden zone, but the presence of a few pests in an apartment inspection can cost you your deposit. If you see roaches, ants or any other kind of pest that tends to come in groups, then you should spray your home with a bug bomb or some other wide area pesticide. Rats and mice are a similar problem that you may need to call in professionals for, but do what you can to make your apartment pest free before you leave.

Clean for Cobwebs

You know all the obvious places you need to clean, but a lot of people forget the ceiling. If there are cobwebs hanging from the ceiling, it gives the place a sense of not being cared for, and you can get rid of them with a few easy swipes of the broom. This small cleaning effort can pay off big when it is time to collect the deposit.