By: TFSP On: August 10, 2015 In: Article Comments: 0

Even the simplest house becomes a pleasant abode when it’s clean and organised. Now that you’re transferring to a new place, you know that you just have to start nice and neat.

Whether it’s a newly built property or one that’s recently owned, it surely has to have some sweeping and scrubbing here and there before it can be totally livable. How can you make this home cleaning challenge much easier? Plan ahead with a checklist. And here’s one that you can use to start with:

Before You Begin

If you’re moving to a fully or semi-furnished house, you should think of how to put aside all the furniture pieces and appliances to one side or area before you start the clean up.

  • Take care of these items by lifting them from underneath. Never drag them across the floor.
  • If necessary, rent trolleys or similar equipment that can help you move heavy pieces from one area to another without destroying the furniture, the flooring and, most importantly, your back.

Walls

You’re fortunate if you’re transferring to a brand-new or recently refurbished house. You’re almost sure that you only need a bit of dusting and wiping of the ceilings and walls. But if it’s sold or rented out as is, check if the previous occupants included kids. If so, watch out for some colourful fingerprints.

  • Start at the top, including the ceiling, moulding and corners. Sweep all dust and cobwebs, which enjoy staying in hard-to-reach places.
  • Use a sponge dipped in soapy water to completely wipe out dirt on the walls. You can try a mild detergent for sticky stains and a fabric softener when it comes to wallpapers. Rinse with a clean, wet cloth.
  • Make your windows clean and clear with a glass cleaner. Use newspaper, squeegee or a glass cleaning cloth to wipe.window cleaning
  • Wipe doors, door frames, switch plates, and other accessories on the wall also with soapy water. These will usually have fingerprints if the house has been occupied recently.
  • Curtains and blinds can be dusted off with a vacuum cleaner. But it would be best to have the curtains dry-cleaned and the blinds washed thoroughly.

Floors

Like with walls, you’ll probably have a little more challenge with cleaning floors if the house has been previously occupied and hasn’t been refurbished.

  • Get a professional cleaner if the recent occupant allowed pets inside the home, which has carpeted areas. You need to make sure that there aren’t any fleas left around.
  • If there weren’t any pets previously and the carpets are in good condition, you can probably handle the vacuum cleaning yourself.
  • For marble flooring, ceramic tiles and the like, sweep off the dust, mop the floor, let it dry and, if necessary, apply polish.
  • Floors made of wood or wood composite should be cleaned with mild soap and water. You can also look for a wood flooring cleaner in hardware shops. Polishing is also often recommended for wooden floors.

Bathroom

  • Check if water goes down the drain without delay. If not, use a drain de-clogging product to correct this.
  • Bathroom tiles on the floor and the walls need to be cleaned with a disinfecting agent. For the toilet bowl, a cleaner specifically made for it should be used.
  • You can wipe the sink with a chlorine-free bleach or a disinfecting cleaner.

Kitchen

  • Kitchen cabinets and counters need extra care in cleaning since they’ll hold all your dishes and cooking and dining utensils. Use a mild detergent and water to wipe the dust and dirt inside the cabinets. If there are grease and sticky stains, use baking soda and water for cleaning.
  • Line the cabinets with kitchen lining paper to protect your dishes.

Furniture

  • Clean the upholstery and other fabric with a vacuum cleaner. Again, if there are stains and tough dirt on the furniture, call a professional cleaner to avoid damaging the piece.
  • Vacuum-clean your bed mattress. Make sure you don’t miss the indented areas of the bed.
  • For the frame of the furniture pieces or the wood or metal parts, wipe them with a damp micro-fibre cloth.

Appliances

  • Use a kitchen cleaner for the stove and oven. Baking soda or mild detergent and water will do, too. But whichever cleaning agent you choose, apply with a no-scratch scrubber. The trays and racks can be soaked in soapy water.
  • Moving is a good chance to clean the back and sides of your refrigerator. You can use a kitchen cleaner on this also. Wash the drawers and shelves thoroughly and wipe them dry together with the inside walls of the refrigerator.
  • Get a cleaner made for electronic equipment. Use this for your video game console, TV, DVD player and others. For your phone, remote control and similar gadgets, use disinfecting wipes as they can easily carry harmful bacteria.

The cleaning challenge when moving can be easily faced with proper planning. This checklist will help you start. Add more tasks to have a perfect tidying-up scheme for your new home.