Move Out Cleaning 101: What Is a Move Out Cleaning and What Does It Include?

cleaning the house before moving out san francisco (1)

As its name implies, a house or apartment move out cleaning service in San Francisco, CA, is a special kind of cleaning service that aims to make a property that’s being vacated as clean as it was when you initially moved into it, leaving you free to run errands and make the final arrangements prior to your move.

But what exactly does a move out cleaning include, and how is it different from just giving your place a regular cleaning? What are the main reasons to perform a move out cleaning? How long does a typical move out cleaning take? Should you clean carpets before moving out? 

We’ll be answering some of these questions in the following article. Keep reading to learn more. 

What’s included in a move out clean?

Leaving a dirty house after you move out isn’t just rude: it may also come back to bite you by giving your landlord an excuse to withhold your security deposit. If the property in question belongs to you, and you’re looking to sell it, not cleaning it will put off prospective buyers by making the place look like it hasn’t been maintained properly over the years. 

A move out cleaning solves all those problems by allowing you to present your old home in the best possible light. 

Here’s what’s included in a typical move out cleaning:

  • Dusting shelves
  • Cleaning chairs and tables
  • Polishing wood furniture
  • Polishing stainless steel surfaces
  • Cleaning the fronts of all sills, handles, and cabinets
  • Cleaning and polishing hood vents
  • Cleaning the interior and exterior of the microwave
  • Cleaning and polishing the stove (front, top, and control panels)
  • Cleaning stove burners
  • Cleaning large appliances (eg., fridge)
  • Dusting and wiping the doors
  • Cleaning window ledges
  • Dusting baseboards
  • Shining chrome
  • Cleaning all lights and ceiling fans
  • Dusting and wiping the laundry room
  • Cleaning and drying sink counters
  • Emptying the garbage
  • Vacuuming floor coverings
  • Removing all cobwebs
  • Cleaning entrance glass doors
  • Vacuuming and mopping the floors
  • Dusting blinds and window ledges
  • Scrubbing and cleaning sinks
  • Cleaning mirrors
  • Scrubbing and cleaning bathtubs, showers, and toilets
  • Wiping cabinets
  • Cleaning door knobs and light switches
  • Cleaning countertops and backsplash

Move out cleanings may also include the following extras:

  • Cleaning the interior of the oven
  • Cleaning the interior of the fridge
  • Cleaning the interior of kitchen cabinets
  • Using green cleaning products and techniques
  • Removing pet hairs
  • Cleaning the interiors of windows
  • Cleaning the walls

How long does it take to do a move out clean?

No two residential or commercial properties are quite the same, so it’s impossible to provide a one-size-fits-all answer to this question. How long a move out cleaning takes can vary depending on multiple factors.

These factors include:

  • Size of the property. The larger the place, the more time it’ll take to clean.
  • Amount of dirt. The bigger the mess, the longer it’s going to take to clean it.
  • Presence of pets. Picking up cat and dog hair can add a lot of extra time to a cleaning.
  • Types of cleaning included. Degreasing the inside of an oven or cleaning the interior of a fridge can be time-consuming. 

Where can I schedule a quality apartment move out cleaning service in San Francisco, CA?

cleaning a san francisco apartment before moving out (1)Moving can be extremely stressful during the best of times, but it can become downright unbearable when you also have the coronavirus pandemic to worry about. Luckily for you, help is just a quick call away! 

At Mythical Maids, we team up with San Francisco’s top cleaning pros who specialize in providing the full range of residential and commercial cleaning services. Whether you’re looking for a standard cleaning, or you need to have your previous home in Anza Vista thoroughly cleaned before you move out, you can’t go wrong by giving us a call today!