Apartment Cleaning Tips Before You Move Out

A set of cleaning supplies and chemicals.
Photo Credit: Pexels.com

If there’ss one thing that’s better than a new luxury apartment in New York City, it’s a clean one! There are a few people who benefit from this: yourself, your building manager, and the next tenant. If you plan on getting a head start on packing and cleaning your current apartment before the moving trucks arrive – good thinking! After all, it’s much easier to clean an empty apartment rather than moving stacks of cluttered boxes. Grab your yellow rubber gloves as we go over our apartment cleaning tips – room by room – before you move out.

Before you get started, ask your landlord of specific cleaning points that will be checked upon moving out. This will give you a leg up on what to clean, and how to clean it!

A view of The Sage's luxury stainless steel apartment appliances.
Photo Credit: Glenwood’s The Sage Apartment Building

Scrub the Kitchen

They say the heart of every home is the kitchen, which means you probably have a ton of small appliances, dish towels, and cutlery to pack up. Once each and every box is filled, packaged, and labeled, it’s time to get your kitchen spick and span for the next tenant.

  • Dust from the ceiling down – start with the top of cabinets, light fixtures, tall appliances (refrigerator, mounted microwave), window frames, and finally the floor
  • Wipe down your stove top, oven, refrigerator, microwave, and countertops with soapy water or a disinfectant spray
  • Clean the interior of cabinets, drawers, and pantries
  • Polish wood cabinets and other wooden fixtures
  • Use a damp cloth to freshen up floor baseboards
Read more

The Lucerne – Luxury Apartments in the Upper East Side

Offering spacious 3 and 4 bedroom luxury apartments, The Lucerne provides upscale amenities to meet your New York City lifestyle. Take a tour of available units today.  

Deep Clean the Bathroom

Once you’ve packed up your toothbrush and toothpaste, it’s time to give a deep clean to your bathroom (or bathrooms – if you have more than one in your apartment). Leave necessary cleaning supplies aside, like bleach, window cleaner, a scrub brush, paper towels, and a broom.

Once you’ve removed linens, towels, and decor from the bathroom, start with cleaning the bathtub. Grab a pair of rubber gloves, a face mask, and spray the tub and surrounding tile with a bleach solution or cleaner designed for the job. From here, scrub away any sort of water stains and soap scum. Be sure to rinse off the area you’ve cleaned.

Next, wipe down sink, countertops, mirrors, and the interior of cabinets or drawers with appropriate cleaning solutions. Paper towels are a great option to absorb and collect any sort of dust. Finally, tackle the toilet – all you need is toilet bowl cleaner and a brush. Last but not least, do a quick sweep of the flooring, and you’re done!

A set of cleaning mops, brooms, buckets, and cleaner sprays on a shiny wooden floor.
Photo Credit: Flickr.com

Polish the Living Room

The couches are loaded, your big screen TV is packed, and area rugs are rolled up in the moving truck. Now that you have an empty living room space to polish up, here’s what you’ll want to tackle:

  • Wipe the walls clean of hand prints or smudges
  • Dust off ceiling lights and other permanent fixtures
  • Vacuum carpets or area rugs
  • If you have tile or wood flooring, use a dry mop to collect dust
  • Clean windows and panels
An interior view of a white bedroom within Glenwood's luxury apartments in New York City.
Photo Credit: Glenwood Luxury Apartments

Tidy Up the Bedroom

Cleaning up your bedroom is pretty simple once large pieces of furniture are removed. Start off by dusting baseboards, window panels, lighting fixtures, and door frames. Next, give your carpet a good vacuum and make sure no stains are left behind. If your bedroom flooring is wood, refrain from using a vacuum, as this may scratch the surface. Instead, use a dry mop to collect dust and dirt. From here, use a damp rag or Wet Jet-type mop to polish the flooring.

Read more

Moving to the Upper East Side?

You've found the perfect apartment, now find the best moving company in Manhattan.

Odds and Ends

Besides touching upon cleaning out every room of your apartment, don’t overlook these small, but equally important tips before handing in the keys to your landlord. Remember, your landlord will want to see the apartment just as clean as it was when you first moved in!

  • Remove nails from the wall
  • Take down blinds or curtains you installed
  • Clean windows and mirrors with glass cleaner
  • Gather keys, gym and pool passes, and any paperwork that needs to be returned to management
  • Snap a few pictures of your apartment before you leave as documentation
  • Double check every closet, cabinet, and drawer to make sure you’re not leaving anything behind

If you’re getting ready to move into one of Glenwood’s luxury apartment buildings, from Downtown Manhattan to the Upper East Side, what quick cleaning tips do you have to share with other tenants? Share your ideas with us on Facebook and Twitter!