You have the keys, the rooms are empty, and you have no idea how clean the last people really left this place. There may be hair in the drains, grease in the oven, and dust inside every cupboard your dishes are about to touch. This is your one easy chance to fix it. Once furniture and boxes land, the insides, closet floors and corners in this list are hard to reach for months.
Work through this checklist before you unpack a single box. It starts with photos of the condition you found, then cleans the kitchen and bathrooms inside and out, then finishes top to bottom with floors last. Print it or open it on your phone, tick each task as you go, and your progress saves. By the end, every surface your things touch is cleaned by you, not trusted to a stranger.
The short version: 71 tasks, about 17.1 hours in total if you do it in one go — and every task can be ticked off in the checklist above as you finish it. The full list is written out below, so the page still works printed or saved.
Start Here: Inspect, Air Out, Document
- Photograph every empty room from all four corners before you touch anything
~10 min · Easy - Take close-up photos of any wall dents, paint chips and floor scratches you find
~10 min · Easy - Photograph inside the oven, fridge and every cupboard in the condition you found them
~5 min · Easy - Save the condition photos in a dated album and back them up outside your phone
~5 min · Easy - Write a short list of defects to send the landlord or seller within 24 hours
~10 min · Easy - Open every window wide to air out stale air and old cleaning smells
~5 min · Easy - Run bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans for 20 minutes to clear damp, stale air
~5 min · Easy · Needs: Step stool - Bag any food, sponges and toiletries left behind and remove them from the rooms
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Trash bags, rubber gloves - Throw away any shower curtain liner, toilet brush and plunger left by the last occupants
~5 min · Easy · Needs: Trash bags, rubber gloves - Empty every trash bin, wash it out, and line it with a fresh bag
~10 min · Easy · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, trash bags - Carry all bagged trash and recycling completely out of the home
~5 min · Easy · Needs: Trash bags - Test every tap for hot water, steady pressure and clear, odor-free flow
~10 min · Easy - Flush every toilet twice and check the base and tank joints for leaks with a dry paper towel
~5 min · Easy · Needs: Paper towels - Run each shower for two minutes and watch that water drains fast and does not pool
~5 min · Easy - Look under every sink with a flashlight for leaks, mold spots and pest droppings, and photograph what you find
~10 min · Easy - Test every light, ceiling fan and exhaust fan and note dead bulbs or noisy motors
~10 min · Easy - Check that every window opens, closes and locks, and that all keys turn smoothly in the front door
~10 min · Easy
Kitchen: Inside Everything
- Vacuum crumbs and grit out of every drawer and cupboard shelf
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Vacuum - Wash the inside walls, doors and shelves of every upper cabinet until the cloth comes away clean
~20 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, microfiber cloths - Wash inside the lower cabinets and the under-sink cupboard, where leaks and spills collect
~20 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, sponge, rubber gloves - Degrease the tops of the upper cabinets, which stay sticky and dusty for years once you move in
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Degreaser, step stool, paper towels - Remove fridge shelves and drawers, wash them in warm soapy water, and dry them fully
~25 min · Medium · Needs: Sponges, microfiber cloths - Disinfect the fridge walls, door seals and handles before any of your food goes in
~15 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, microfiber cloths - Wipe out the freezer walls, ice tray and door seal so your food does not pick up old odors
~10 min · Easy · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, sponge - Scrub the oven interior and racks until burnt-on patches and the old cooking smell are gone
~45 min · Hard · Needs: Degreaser, scrub brush, rubber gloves - Clean the inside of the oven door glass until you can see through it clearly
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Degreaser, sponge, paper towels - Run the empty oven for 10 minutes with a window open to burn off cleaner residue before you ever cook in it
~10 min · Easy - Steam-clean the microwave inside, including the turntable and door seal, then wipe it dry
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Sponge, microfiber cloths - Pull out the dishwasher filter, scrub it free of food grit, then run the empty machine on its hottest cycle
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Scrub brush, sponge - Scrub the sink basin and around the faucet base until water spots and slime are gone
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Bathroom cleaner with bleach or oxygen cleaner, sponge - Disinfect the counters and backsplash so unpacked dishes and food never touch the last occupants' grime
~15 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, microfiber cloths - Wash the cabinet fronts and every handle to remove sticky fingerprints around the stove zone
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Degreaser, microfiber cloths - Soak and scrub the stovetop grates and burner caps until they sit flat and look matte, not greasy
~25 min · Medium · Needs: Degreaser, scrub brush, rubber gloves - Pull the fridge forward while the floor is clear, sweep and vacuum behind it, then push it back level
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Broom, vacuum - Wipe every pantry shelf and check the corners for webbing or pantry moths before food goes in
~10 min · Easy · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, microfiber cloths
Bathrooms: Sanitize Like You Mean It
- Remove the old toilet seat and fit a new one, so the seat you use was never a stranger's
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Rubber gloves, new toilet seat - Scrub the toilet bowl under the rim until stains and the waterline ring are gone
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Toilet brush, bathroom cleaner with bleach or oxygen cleaner - Disinfect the toilet tank lid, flush handle, seat hinges and outer base
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Bathroom cleaner with bleach or oxygen cleaner, microfiber cloths, rubber gloves - Lift the shower drain cover and pull out the hair clog left behind, wearing gloves
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Rubber gloves, trash bags - Scrub and disinfect the shower drain opening so the first shower you take runs clear and odor-free
~10 min · Medium · Needs: Bathroom cleaner with bleach or oxygen cleaner, scrub brush - Scrub the shower wall grout line by line until dark mold spots are gone
~30 min · Hard · Needs: Bathroom cleaner with bleach or oxygen cleaner, scrub brush, rubber gloves - Scrub the tub basin until the soap scum ring and gritty patches feel smooth
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Bathroom cleaner with bleach or oxygen cleaner, sponge - Descale the showerhead and wipe each nozzle until the spray runs straight and even
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Bathroom cleaner with bleach or oxygen cleaner, sponge - Vacuum hair and dust from inside the vanity cabinets and drawers, then wipe them disinfected
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Vacuum, all-purpose cleaner, microfiber cloths - Disinfect the sink, faucet and handles, including toothpaste residue around the base
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Bathroom cleaner with bleach or oxygen cleaner, sponge - Polish the bathroom mirror with glass cleaner until it is streak-free at eye level
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Glass cleaner, paper towels - Take down the exhaust fan cover, wash the dust off it, dry it and refit it
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Step stool, sponge, microfiber cloths - Wipe the bathroom light fixture and bulbs free of dust and dead insects
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Step stool, microfiber cloths - Scrub the bathroom floor grout, especially around the toilet base, until it is visibly lighter
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Bathroom cleaner with bleach or oxygen cleaner, scrub brush - Clean the inside shelves and mirror door of the medicine cabinet before your toiletries go in
~10 min · Easy · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, microfiber cloths - Wipe the towel bars and toilet paper holder free of dust and grime
~10 min · Easy · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, microfiber cloths - Check the caulk around the tub and sink, and photograph cracked or blackened lines to report or reseal
~5 min · Easy - Hang a fresh shower curtain liner now that the tub and drain are sanitized
~5 min · Easy
Every Room: Top to Bottom Finish
- Dust both sides of every ceiling fan blade with a damp cloth so the first use does not shower dust onto your beds
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Step stool, microfiber cloths - Remove the heating and air vent covers, wash off the dust, dry them and refit them
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Step stool, sponge, microfiber cloths - Wipe inside the light fixture shades in the bedrooms and living room and empty out dead insects
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Step stool, microfiber cloths - Sweep cobwebs out of every ceiling corner and along the tops of the walls
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Broom - Test-clean wall scuffs in the empty rooms with a damp sponge before furniture hides them against the wall
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Sponge, all-purpose cleaner - Disinfect every switch plate and outlet cover, the first things your hands will touch daily
~15 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, microfiber cloths - Wipe both sides of every interior door, including the handles your family will touch first
~15 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, microfiber cloths - Clean the inside glass of every window until daylight comes through without smears
~25 min · Medium · Needs: Glass cleaner, paper towels, step stool - Wipe the window sills clean of dust, dead insects and paint flakes
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Microfiber cloths, vacuum - Wash the baseboards in every room now, while no furniture stands in front of them
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Sponge, bucket, all-purpose cleaner - Wipe every closet shelf and hanging rail disinfected before clothes and linens go onto them
~15 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, microfiber cloths - Vacuum and then mop every closet floor, including the back corners
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Vacuum, mop and bucket - Vacuum out the sliding closet door tracks so the doors glide without grit
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Vacuum - Sweep out the laundry area and wipe lint and detergent drips from around the hookups
~15 min · Easy · Needs: Broom, sponge - Check the heating or air filter and fit a clean one if the old one is gray with dust
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Step stool - Vacuum every floor slowly, including edges and corners, while the rooms are still completely empty
~30 min · Medium · Needs: Vacuum - Mop all hard floors, then mop once more with clean water so no cleaner film is left for bare feet
~30 min · Medium · Needs: Mop and bucket - Spot-clean any carpet stains left behind and let the spots dry fully before rugs or furniture go down
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Sponge, all-purpose cleaner, paper towels
Pro Tips
- Book this clean for the gap between getting the keys and the movers arriving, even if that gap is only three hours. The insides in this list are reachable exactly once; after the sofa lands, they wait until you move out again.
- Take the condition photos before any water touches a surface. Water and scrubbing hide scratches, stains and chips, and a dated photo set is what settles a deposit or repair argument months later.
- Work dry before wet and top before bottom in every room. Dust and crumbs you knock down land on a floor you have not mopped yet, so you clean each surface once instead of twice.
- Replace the toilet seat, the shower liner and the kitchen sponge on day one. They cost little, take minutes, and remove the three items that carry the most of the last occupants' germs.
- Close each finished room's door as you go. It keeps dust from the next room drifting back in, and it gives tired movers a clear signal about which rooms are clean and ready to fill.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a move-in clean take?
For a two-bedroom home, this list usually takes 5 to 8 hours for one person, or about half that for two people working in different rooms. The oven, shower grout and inside-cabinet jobs take the longest. Split it over two days if you can: kitchen and bathrooms first, floors last.
Should I clean before or after the movers bring my furniture?
Before, whenever you can. Cabinet insides, closet floors, baseboards and the floor behind the fridge are only fully reachable while the home is empty. If furniture is already in, work room by room and slide pieces to the center, but expect it to take longer.
The landlord says the place was professionally cleaned. Should I still do this?
Do the inside jobs anyway. A standard clean often covers visible surfaces but skips cabinet interiors, the dishwasher filter, drain hair and the tops of cabinets. Your check is simple: run a damp white cloth inside a drawer and inside the fridge. If it comes away gray, clean.
What should I photograph before I start cleaning?
Every room from each corner, then close-ups of wall marks, floor scratches, carpet stains, cracked tiles and the insides of the oven, fridge and cupboards. Keep the photos dated and backed up. They prove the home's starting condition if a deposit or damage dispute comes up later.
More Checklists and Guides
- All Home Checklists & Calendars — the full set in one place
- Move-Out Cleaning Checklist — Inspection-grade rental cleaning that gets the deposit back, ending with photo proof.
- Spring Cleaning Checklist — The annual deep reset, room by room, with the seasonal swaps most lists forget.
- What to do with everything you unpack next
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