Cleaning Your Apartment Before Move Out

As moving day approaches, one of the most dreaded things is cleaning the apartment. For some, it’s the first time it’s gotten a complete cleaning since the day they moved in. Giving it a detailed cleaning is especially important in college towns – when so many people move in and out each year, it’s much more likely that damage has been done. Unfortunately, landlords are much more specific on what they’d like cleaned.

The apartment community will provide you a move-out inspection, some will even walk through the rooms with you and point out things that need to be taken care of – but, many times you won’t be that lucky. They will give you checklist of things you should clean before move out. At the least, they’ll let you know exactly what you’re responsible for cleaning and what they’ll take care of. If they haven’t given you a list within a few weeks of moving, check with the office and see if they have something you could use as a guide.

When you move in to your Ames apartment, nearly all apartment communities will give you a check list to fill out. They will know the exact condition of the apartment before you move in, a great advantage to you.

Here is a list of some you should do aside from wiping cabinets, cleaning counter surfaces, and vacuuming and mopping the floors. These are several other things that shouldn’t be overlooked before moving out of your apartment:

Repair the walls – After removing your posters, frames, and photos, make sure you take all nails and push-pins out of the wall. Then, fill the holes with hole filler (drywall or wood filler both work great, depending on the surface.) Let it dry, then lightly sand over the top of it. If you don’t have these supplies lying around, white toothpaste can work too. Simply brush some over the hole and let it dry. Next, remove all of the black or scuff marks. A Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is a good product to use – or, combine water and baking soda on a washcloth and rub it lightly over the marking.

Clean the oven – Some ovens have a self-clean option. If not, buy an oven cleaner at a local department store. Beware, the warnings about cleaner damaging other surfaces is true, so it’s important to follow the directions. For the spill pans, it’s usually best to purchase new ones for around $10.

Clean the refrigerator and freezer – This might be one of the most dreaded parts of cleaning an apartment. First, remove all the shelves and drawers, and clean them with warm water and dish detergent or a cleaning product like 409. Next, clean the inside of the refrigerator with a rough sponge. Accidental spills can be quite hard to clean, especially if they’ve been there for awhile. That’s why it’s important to have a sponge that will scrub well.

Wipe down the windows and blinds – To avoid being charge for a premium brand new blinds, never left your dirty and grimy. Window areas can sometimes be overlooked. Make sure you clean all windows and window frames in the apartment, as well as wiping down the blinds.

Check your light fixtures – Double check all lights throughout the apartment. If the outside of them are dirty, wipe them down with a cleaning solution. Be sure to replace all broken bulbs as well.

Vents – This is another one that’s commonly overlooked and could end up costing you money if you don’t catch it. Use a feather duster along all vent areas, wipe them down with cloth and cleaning detergent.

Finally, take photos of the apartment after you’ve cleaned it. This is an evidence that you cleaned that you cleaned your apartment before you moved out. If the landlord would come back and accuse you of damage, you can show them the photo and a written description to describe the condition of your apartment before you move out.

The above information was provided on behalf of a Des Moines, Iowa apartments expert who is dedicated to helping individuals find an Ankeny, Iowa apartment to suit their needs.