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End Of Lease Cleaning
Your Ultimate Step By Step Guide To
A Stress-Free End Of Lease Clean
(checklist included)
End Of Lease Cleans don't have to be such a daunting task when you're informed and prepared. For some people, rolling up your sleeves and doing the dirty work yourself might be the cheapest solution but if you're a busy parent or business owner, like us, hiring a professional cleaner to help you get your time and bond back is the best solution and we get it! Moving houses is one of the most stressful things we do in life. It can be both exciting and overwhelming, and one of the crucial tasks on your checklist is the end of lease clean. A thorough cleaning is not only essential for getting your bond back but also ensures a positive landlord reference and stress free transition.
Before you even lift a finger or hire a cleaning company to help, there’ll be some prep work that you’ll need to do to ensure a fast and efficient cleaning day.
Follow these tips to set yourself up for success...
In this step-by-step guide, we'll walk you through the process of achieving a spotless end of lease clean (we even give you a free checklist so you don’t miss anything!)
1. Prepare Your Schedule
A lot of people are surprised by how much work is involved in a end of lease clean and they don’t leave enough time to get the job done which more often than not means hiring last minute cleaners or worse, giving up a part of their bond. With a little preparation you can avoid this stress. We recommend splitting the clean up into 2 or 3 days so you can do a good job. As a rough estimate and guide, a team of two professional end of lease cleaners will take roughly 2-4 hours to clean a studio apartment (1 bed, 1 bath), 4-6 hours to clean a three bedroom home, and an entire day to clean a large house.
2. Empty your home
Trust us when we say, you’ll want to move everything out before you start cleaning. We recommend this to most people because the majority of messes occur during the moving process, not the actual time living in the home. Another primary reason for emptying your home is that end of lease cleans require much more thorough cleaning than usual. If furniture is in your way, you won’t be able to guarantee that specific areas are 100% clean, for example, underneath your couch or below the fridge.
2. Empty your home
Trust us when we say, you’ll want to move everything out before you start cleaning. We recommend this to most people because the majority of messes occur during the moving process, not the actual time living in the home. Another primary reason for emptying your home is that end of lease cleans require much more thorough cleaning than usual. If furniture is in your way, you won’t be able to guarantee that specific areas are 100% clean, for example, underneath your couch or below the fridge.
3. Gather Cleaning Supplies
Collect all the necessary cleaning supplies before you begin. You'll likely need:
All-purpose cleaner
Glass cleaner
Baking soda
Vinegar
Microfiber cloths
Mop and bucket
Vacuum cleaner
Broom for cobwebs
Squeegee
Trash bags
Oven Cleaner
Gumption or something similar that’s tough on stains or grease (we use Pink Stuff)
Step ladder to reach ceiling fans or high shelves
Stainless Steel Cleaner
Screwdriver (if required)
Make sure you have enough of each product to avoid interruptions during the cleaning process. Ducking out to the shops everytime you forget something might turn a one day job into a 2 day job and that’s just a hassle!
4. Dust from Top to Bottom
Begin with dusting surfaces from top to bottom. Wipe down ceiling fans, light fixtures, and shelves. Don't forget to dust baseboards, blinds, and any other overlooked areas. A microfiber cloth works wonders in capturing dust particles. Dusting first is a good method because you don’t want any water or moisture to touch the dust first otherwise it becomes more difficult to clean. Rule of thumb - dust first, clean second.
4. Dust from Top to Bottom
Begin with dusting surfaces from top to bottom. Wipe down ceiling fans, light fixtures, and shelves. Don't forget to dust baseboards, blinds, and any other overlooked areas. A microfiber cloth works wonders in capturing dust particles. Dusting first is a good method because you don’t want any water or moisture to touch the dust first otherwise it becomes more difficult to clean. Rule of thumb - dust first, clean second.
5. Clean Walls and Ceilings
Inspect the walls for any scuff marks or stains. Use a mild detergent or a mixture of water and vinegar to clean them. Pay special attention to high-traffic areas and spots around light switches. Magic Erasers are great for any stains on walls or light switches
6. Tackle the Kitchen
Clean the kitchen thoroughly by scrubbing countertops, rangehood, oven, stove top and the interior and exterior of cabinets. Empty and clean the refrigerator, oven, and microwave. Don't overlook the sink and faucet – a mixture of baking soda and vinegar can work wonders to remove the built up grime over time.
6. Tackle the Kitchen
Clean the kitchen thoroughly by scrubbing countertops, rangehood, oven, stove top and the interior and exterior of cabinets. Empty and clean the refrigerator, oven, and microwave. Don't overlook the sink and faucet – a mixture of baking soda and vinegar can work wonders to remove the built up grime over time.
7. Scrub the Bathroom
The bathroom requires special attention. Scrub the tiles and walls, clean the toilet, and wipe down all surfaces. Ensure that mirrors and glass are streak-free. Replace any worn-out shower curtains or mats. Make sure not to neglect the shower heard and any built up hard water stains or calcium.
8. Flooring
Vacuum and mop all floors. Consider renting a carpet cleaner if your home has carpets. Pay attention to corners and edges, as these areas tend to accumulate dust and dirt.
8. Flooring
Vacuum and mop all floors. Consider renting a carpet cleaner if your home has carpets. Pay attention to corners and edges, as these areas tend to accumulate dust and dirt.
9. Windows and Window Coverings
Clean windows inside and out, and don't forget to wipe down window sills. If applicable, wash or dry clean curtains and blinds according to their care instructions.
10. Final Check
Wipe over any linen closets, window sills or areas of the home that may have been overlooked. Often there is a cupboard or sink in the garage or laundry that needs some attention. Before declaring the cleaning complete, do a final walkthrough. Check for any overlooked areas, and make necessary touch-ups. Ensure all light bulbs are working, and replace any that are burnt out.
10. Final Check
Wipe over any linen closets, window sills or areas of the home that may have been overlooked. Often there is a cupboard or sink in the garage or laundry that needs some attention. Before declaring the cleaning complete, do a final walkthrough. Check for any overlooked areas, and make necessary touch-ups. Ensure all light bulbs are working, and replace any that are burnt out.
The places most people miss in an End Of Lease Clean...
Door Frames (Front, Laundry & Garage Doors), On top of kitchen cupboards, underneath hanging kitchen cupboards, underneath the laundry sink, skirting boards in wardrobes, cieling fans, light fixtures - make sure you've cleaned all of these (if you're doing the clean yourself) you don't want to have to come back because you missed something minor.
A successful end of lease clean requires meticulous planning and attention to detail.
Following this step-by-step guide will not only help you get your bond back but it will also help to leave a positive impression on your landlord. Remember, a little extra effort goes a long way in making your move-out process smooth and stress-free.
Download our FREE VACATE CLEAN CHECKLIST that our professional cleaners use.
Print it out and tick off each item as you go so you don’t miss anything and save yourself some time and money by not having to come back to the property because you’ve missed things. Checklists are a great way to make sure you’ve done the job right the first time.
11. Real Estate Agent Approval
You’re done cleaning - great job! Before you return your keys, get your real estate agent’s approval during the final inspection before he/she decides to return your bond in full or hand over the keys to the new homeowner.
If you’ve followed this cleaning checklist, you should feel more than confident. Our recommendation is to have your real estate agent inspect the property immediately after the clean, so you can efficiently address any issues in person.
All of this might seem overwhelming, there’s still time to hire a professional cleaning service in Newcastle. If you want to save time, money and and stress, give us a call or request a free estimate today for your end of lease clean. Esprit Cleaning are happy to help.
Otherwise, download our FREE VACATE CLEAN CHECKLIST in an easy to print PDF format here and happy cleaning!
Our Client Reviews
Rating
Chrissy Wilson
November 20, 2023
After asking for recommendations for cleaners on the local FB page, Tahnya was the first person to contact me directly. We were moving from Sydney to Caves Beach and needed a house clean before the removals truck arrived the next day. I was worried because we wouldn’t know what time we would have the key until settlement had happened and we had made the drive from Sydney. Tahnya said she would be flexible on the day to fit in with what we needed and to just call her once we knew. She was waiting outside our new home before we arrived and was ready to go. She worked on the house that night and was back at 6am the next morning for another couple of hours before to make sure it was finished before the truck arrived. Just amazing service and professionalism from someone who is establishing her business. She did a great job and nothing was too much trouble. It was lovely to know the house had a decent clean before our first sleep. Can highly recommend Tahnya and her services!!
Julia Rebecca
November 7, 2023
Tahnya did such an amazing job on her first clean with us, the kitchen looks like we just moved into the house!