You’ve finally reached the end of your tenancy and now you’re ready to make a fresh start in your new home. But before you do, an end of tenancy clean looms. We’ll take you through exactly how to do an end of tenancy clean and show you some life hacks along the way, so that you get your deposit back without any problems.
Your cleaning essentials
Here’s a list of all the cleaning essentials you’ll need to successfully complete your end of tenancy clean:
- Vacuum cleaner
- Microfiber cloths
- Bucket
- Flat mop
- Dustpan and broom
- All-purpose cleaner
- Antibacterial spray or wipes
- Toilet bowl cleaner or bleach
- Toilet brush
- Sponge
The kitchen
Sink and countertops
Use all-purpose cleaner or wipes to clean your kitchen sink and countertops. If you notice any stains, concentrate on that particular area until it’s removed using a cotton cloth or scrubber – making sure your chosen material is suitable for your worktop.
Kitchen appliances
Next, it’s time to focus your attention on the oven. Arguably one of the trickiest appliances to clean, the oven is often riddled with burnt sections, grease, and other traces of dirt – so this is going to require a little bit of elbow grease.
Life hack: To make things easier, try using lemon combined with hot water. Citrus is a natural degreasing agent, and has all the necessary properties to effectively clean your oven. Remove the oven rack and wipe down in your sink.
You can also use lemon to clean your microwave. All you have to do is cut the lemon in half, squeeze the juice into a bowl, and add a cup of water. Then, microwave the bowl for three minutes, and leave it for an extra five minutes in the microwave. Once this is done, you can use a sponge to easily wipe the oven’s walls.
Remember to wipe down any kitchen hobs too. If you have a kitchen hob stand, then it may be easier if you move them to one side.
Cupboards and drawers
Start by emptying out any food from your cupboards and dispose of any empty packaging (don’t forget to recycle whenever possible). Now that the cupboards are completely empty, you can begin removing any stains and crumbs with a cloth. Don’t be shy to make full use of your antibacterial spray or wipes, and remember if you want your deposit back, the cupboards must be spotless.
Top tip: Gather any tins of food you don’t need, and take them to a local homeless shelter or food bank. Find the nearest one in your area here.
The living room
Flooring or carpet
As we move into the living room, use the vacuum cleaner to remove any dirt, bacteria, and dust from your carpet or flooring. Make sure you vacuum on top of and underneath any rugs and use carpet cleaner to tackle any marks or stains. Don’t forget to clean underneath any sofas.
Furniture
Now, we need to deep clean any furniture you have in your living room. Try removing any stains from your sofa using antibacterial wipes, as well as all-purpose cleaner. This should leave your sofa smelling refreshed and free from any bad odours.
The kitchen table is next on the agenda, where you’ll need a wipe and antibacterial spray to get the job done. As you’re cleaning the table, spend time wiping any areas with tea or coffee stains.
Life hack: Combine vinegar, a tablespoon of washing up liquid, and two cups of water to effectively remove any tea or coffee stains. Afterwards, use a sponge to scrub off the stains.
The bathroom
It’s no surprise that the bathroom isn’t the most popular area in the house to clean, but don’t worry, you’ll be done in no time.
The bathroom is relatively easy to clean, in that you essentially need to wipe down everything to remove any stains. This includes any mirrors, sink, bathtub, toilet, and tiles.
To clean the inside of the toilet bowl, use toilet bowl cleaner or bleach, and apply around the perimeter of the bowl. Afterwards, use the toilet brush to scrub and remove any noticeable stains.
It may even be a good idea to use a flat mop and a bucket to clean the bathroom floor. To do this, you should fill the bucket with warm water and detergent. Use washing up liquid if you don’t have any at hand.
Other cleaning jobs
Walls
An end of tenancy clean isn’t complete until all the walls are left exactly how they were when you first moved in. So that means removing any posters and Blu Tack (mounting putty) that you’ve used to decorate your home.
Life hack: Remove Blu Tack with Blue Tack. Simply roll any leftover Blu Tack into a ball and press onto the spots you’re trying to clear away. Left any marks? If so, spray chewing gum remover onto a cloth and gently dab onto the marked areas. After, use a paper towel to dry the area.
Curtains
Check the label of your curtains, as you may be able to clean them in the washing machine. If not, use a cloth and remove any stains with all-purpose cleaner. Also, you are responsible for fixing or replacing any damaged curtains. If you don’t before our tenancy ends, you may not get your full deposit back.
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