Move-out Cleaning: Guide and Check-out Procedures

Is this the last month of your current tenancy? Among other things, consider cleaning the property before moving out. As most landlords and letting agencies require tenants to return their home in the same condition as it was when they moved in, you'll have to get this challenging and daunting task out of the way in order to get your safety deposit returned in full. If you fail to do so, the cost of damage beyond wear and tear will be withheld from your bond. To help you secure your money and facilitate the cleaning process, we've prepared a quick and simple step-by-step cleaning guide for your consideration.

You may be tricked into thinking that you can get the work done by quickly dusting, vacuuming and mopping your place but in reality the end of tenancy cleaning is far more demanding. To meet the approval of your landlord and incoming tenants, you need to clean the property from top to bottom. This basically means that you need to start with the high surfaces so that any dirt drops down.

Dust all furnishings (such as blinds, curtains, fittings, furniture, etc.) and don't forget to get rid of dust from the windows, ceilings, corners and top of the doors. Another important chore you should tackle is the cleaning of wardrobes and cupboards. Remove all your belongings before attempting to clean and then start dusting. All of the above has to be done in each and every room of your home. Once ready, you can move on to the cleaning of inside windows, light switches, door handles, skirting boards and so on.

The kitchen is the room that will require most of your attention due to the fact that a lot of the dirt and dust accumulates there. This is also the area that your landlord will inspect first so make sure that you spend enough time cleaning it. Impressions here will have a substantial impact on whether or not you'll get your safety bond back.

Start from top to bottom and declutter the entire area removing any items that belong to you. Dust counter tops, cupboards, drawers. Next, clean the kitchen appliances from inside and out - this includes the refrigerator, oven, microwave, dishwasher, etc. Finally, vacuum and mop the floor removing any remaining dirt and dust.

If you've been diligent during your tenancy and have regularly cleaned this room, you'll have no problem deep cleaning it at the end as the kitchen will probably be in a pristine condition anyway.

The bathroom is the second most demanding room in the house. Ensure that you've de-scaled the bathtub, taps, toilet and shower facilities. Clean the extractor fan, mirrors and all remaining surfaces to remove traces of grime, mould or dirt. When ready, disinfect the entire room with a multi-surface bathroom cleaner.

Again, if you've regularly cleaned this area, the cleaning at the end of the lease should be a breeze.

If there're any stains that were not on the upholstered furniture or carpet flooring, at the start of your tenancy, they're likely to result in your landlord deducting the cost of a professional cleaning service from your bond. To prevent this, you'll have to deep clean all carpets and upholstery materials. As vacuuming removes only dirt and debris from such surfaces, you'll have to clean stains in other ways. You'll have several options here:

• Treating the spots yourself using over-the-counter stain removal product - although this is more affordable, you need to be careful not to damage the fabrics further.
• Hiring professional carpet and upholstery cleaners to get the job done for you - a reasonable alternative, since such services are relatively inexpensive and provide excellent final results.
• Hiring a cleaning machine to tackle the stains on your own - another good option, as long as you know how to operate carpet and upholstery cleaning machines.

That's pretty much it. Once you get all of the above out of the way, you can invite your landlord for an inspection.

In case you have a busy schedule or lack the time to take care of the move out cleaning, consider hiring an external help. You'll be glad to know that there are numerous reliable companies offering professional end of tenancy cleaners in London.