Many people consider move-in cleaning as something extra. Strange enough, we want this move to happen as fast as possible, but seldom do we think about what awaits us in a new home. Is it clean and safe enough to start the new page of life there? Do we know who has lived there before and what surprises they left for us? Instead of putting on your rubber gloves right upon bringing your stuff into your new home, it is better to get the cleaning nailed beforehand. The experts from New York City cleaning services share their top move-in cleaning shortcuts to help you get your home-to-be spruced up and move-in ready fast.
The benefits of move-in cleaning
While move-in cleanups are less popular than move-out cleaning in NYC, it still benefits you in many ways:
An empty home is easier to clean than one packed with stuff
Since you will clean your new home anyways when you move in, it is better to tackle most of the cleaning while it is still empty. You can easily see all the flaws and impurities and address them without having to move the stuff around.
You get to know your new home and its potential issues beforehand
A thorough move-in cleaning allows you to inspect your home-to-be and detect any problem areas that need improvement, such as leaks, pests, or appliance maintenance. Such a cleaning “date” with your home-to-be will also give you some ideas on what to buy before the move-in day.
Your fresh start in a new place
Deep move-in cleaning helps you get your new home properly disinfected and scrubbed from top to bottom, so you can enjoy uncompromised, pristine cleanliness as if nobody had lived there before. The deep-clean effect also makes subsequent regular cleanings easier.
We know how crazy those last before-the-move days can be and how hard it is to combine our regular jobs with taking care of both (old and new) houses at the same time. Still, why sacrifice your comfort in the new place if you can always hire NYC cleaning services for this task? For those superhumans who want and can handle the move-in cleaning by themselves, here are the best cleaning tips for this:
Move-in cleaning tips from the pros
Restore your kitchen’s glow.
Whether or not your new home had a move-out cleaning after the previous tenants, it is always a good idea to clean the kitchen according to your cleaning standards. The kitchen belongs to busy and heavily used areas. The presence of organic matter (food), high temperatures, and humidity create a perfect breeding ground for different germs here. Not to mention the mundane buildup that usually accumulates on the sink, stove, oven, kitchen tables, cabinets, counters, and other places.
Clean counters, cabinets, and tables with a multi-purpose cleaner (opt for the one with anti-bacterial properties).
Clean inside and outside the fridge, paying attention to the condition of the inside containers and shelves. To deal with a foul smell, clean the fridge inside, using wet baking soda. (Make a paste by adding a little water to baking soda.) This natural scrub easily removes all the buildup and deodorizes the surfaces, eliminating foul odors.
Wash the sink and faucets with a suitable product depending on the material (stainless steel, ceramic, or granite). If in doubt, go with dish soap, which is safe for all kinds of sinks, including delicate surfaces such as copper or enamel.
Scrub tiles and grout to remove oily stains and old buildup. Products with degreasing properties will cope with the task, but make sure you work in rubber gloves.
Disinfect your bathrooms
Bathrooms get dirty fast and tend to accumulate tons of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. It is especially awful to realize that these germs are not yours.
Get your bathrooms properly disinfected of all the gross microflora by washing the toilet, kitchen sink(s), bathtub, tiles, shower faucets, doors, and shower floor with a heavy-duty disinfectant. Wet the surface first, pour some product on it, and rub it with a sponge, creating some foam. Leave it to work for 15 minutes and come back to scrub the surfaces a bit. Rinse them with water and wipe them dry with a microfiber cloth.
Remove the old shower curtain because it is the filthiest item in the bathroom, or at least wash it in hot water with some disinfector suitable for the type of curtain fabric (for example, oxygen cleaner for colored fabrics).
Wash the bathroom floor using a disinfectant.
Inspect and dust all nooks and crannies
Dust is not only visually unappealing. It also can become a source of foul odor and cause serious health issues such as asthma and allergies.
Vacuum carpets, floors, and the surfaces you can reach and address with a vacuum cleaner.
Use a wet microfiber cloth to wipe the remote nooks and crannies to remove dust.
Wipe ceiling fan blades, blinds, and windowsills.
Clean the windows with a homemade glass cleaner (1 cup of white vinegar, one cup of water, and one tablespoon of dish soap) or a window cleaner product of your choice.
The final step is to mop the floors, and here you go! Your home is finally move-in-ready, looks welcoming, and smells like yours!
