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The Ultimate Manhattan Pre-move Cleaning Checklist

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Have you decided to move out of your Manhattan home? You’ve done the packing and finished the moving tasks? There’s one more thing to do. Whether you are going to sell or rent your old home, it needs some deep cleaning. Cleaning the house is overwhelming, especially if you have to return everything as it was when you first entered the house. It means you have to make a good plan to manage everything on time, without any inconveniences. Wonder where to start cleaning your home from? The simple thought of it makes you feel dizzy? No worries. Roadway Moving is going to provide you with moving help NYC so you can focus on cleaning. But that’s not all. Besides moving assistance, we’ll provide you with an Ultimate Manhattan Pre-move cleaning checklist that will come in handy. Check out the guide and manage everything on time without any stress.

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A mover decluttering based on a pre-move cleaning checklist
Pre-move Cleaning Checklist will help you do the cleaning faster

The organization is the key

Moving a house is a challenging venture. It means you need to adequately prepare for everything to be in accordance with your schedule. When relocating, there are many things you have to do, and one of them is cleaning your home. So, the organization is the key. Although cleaning is daunting to most of us, it is inevitable regardless of whether you own the house or rent it. No matter how tiresome it is, you should clean the house so that your relocation is smoother and faster. To leave your home spotless and make cleaning easier, you must organize the process. There are many ways to organize, but with all the relocation hassle, it would be quite challenging. But don’t worry, we have the solution for you. The key to organization is planning. No planning can go without a checklist. And we’ve made one which will come in handy.

How to make a pre-move cleaning checklist?

There’s no universal answer to this question. Your pre-move cleaning checklist will depend on different factors such as the size of your property, the number of your belongings, and the overall condition of your home. Besides, there are two types of checklists you’ll need. First, the cleaning checklist before and during packing, and the one after you load your furniture and boxes into the moving truck. Wonder how to make one? It will depend on your usual cleaning routine. However, start from the basics. Make the list of the rooms and inventories and set up your priorities. Thoroughly clean the most used rooms, such as the bathroom, last. (You are going to clean it several times anyway before the move). After you’ve listed the rooms and set up priorities, make a list of cleaning equipment you’ll need and purchase everything at once.

When is the right time to clean your Manhattan home?

The best time to clean your home is after you remove all personal belongings, starting from furniture to clothes, decorative items, wall art, etc. Start with deep cleaning after you load your belongings into the moving truck or put them into storage. However, before you do that, clean some items that require cleaning. Thus, you’ll save time after you finally move. Besides, if you are using climate controlled storage NYC, don’t forget to clean some items before storing them.

After addressing the initial cleaning tasks, focus on your clothes. Begin by sorting your garments into categories based on fabric type and washing instructions. This meticulous sorting ensures that each item receives the appropriate care, preventing any damage during the cleaning process. Additionally, pre-treat any stains you come across to enhance the effectiveness of the washing cycle and to maintain the longevity of your clothing.

Following the sorting and pre-treatment, invest time in thoroughly cleaning your clothes. Whether you choose to use your home washing machine or opt for professional Laundry cleaning services, make sure to follow the recommended guidelines for each garment. This step is crucial in preserving the quality of your clothes and ensuring they emerge from storage or the moving process fresh and ready to wear.

Another reason for cleaning the house after taking out all your belongings is that relocation is a “dirty” task. Carrying items hence and forth and leaving equipment here and there usually make a mess. Your movers are constantly entering your home, and floors may get dirty. So, schedule your Manhattan residential movers a couple of days before the deadline (if you are renting a home). Thus, you’ll have enough time to clean all the surfaces. By the way, some landlords require to leave the property exactly as it was at first, so make sure to use painting services to paint the walls. Following these steps, you’ll get your security deposit back.

A box and a wall art
Pack up your belongings before cleaning your house

General cleaning checklist

Before you make a room-by-room cleaning checklist, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make a common one even though you know what needs to be done. Here’s the reminder for cleaning the house from the top:

  1. Dust ceiling fixtures and chandeliers and replace the lightbulbs
  2. Remove any nails, hooks, and other anchors and fill the holes
  3. Clean the windows
  4. Dust the doors
  5. Wipe down electrical outlets
  6. If needed, wipe the walls or paint them
  7. Dust and wipe surfaces
  8. Vacuum floors and stairs
  9. Vacuum and clean closets
  10. Clean inside and outside cabinets
  11. Scrub and clean appliances
  12. Clean cooker and oven
  13. Wash and dry all the carpets and curtains
  14. Do deep sanitizing of the bathroom
  15. Do a final mop

If you are cleaning your home while your belongings are still there, declutter some items. You can sell them, give them away, or store them in a storage unit if you don’t want to get rid of them completely. Storage units can help you declutter your NYC home. Thus, cleaning your Manhattan home will be easier and faster.

Room-by-room pre-move checklist for your Manhattan home

After you’ve made a regular cleaning checklist, it’s time to focus on your pre-move cleaning checklist, which should be created room by room. Here are some things to pay attention to when making the list:

  • Kitchen: Clean every kitchen element, from cabinets to refrigerators.
  • Bathroom: Scrub the shower, bath, and toilet.
  • Bedroom: Clean the windows and wardrobes, and clean the mattress.
  • Utility room: It requires a lot of time. So, declutter a lot and clean the shelves and floors.
  • Outside the house: Remove everything that belongs to you. Then clean the veranda. Besides, mow the lawn and trim the bushes.
A mover with a dolly
Clean your home before your movers arrive

Pre-move cleaning checklist for the kitchen

The kitchen is the most demanding room to clean, and it’s even more demanding when you need to clean it before the move. No matter how clean it already is, it requires deep cleaning and sanitizing, especially if its elements stay in the house for a new tenant to use them. First, start with the appliances. Clean the cooker, oven, microwave, and small electric devices such as juicer. After you clean an item, pack it in a box (original – if possible). Then, clean the cabinets in and out. When cleaning the refrigerator, pull out shelves and drawers for easier cleaning. Besides, now’s the perfect time to clean your dishwasher thoroughly. Turn the self-cleaning option on while you are cleaning the rest of the kitchen.

If you don’t know where to start, we recommend you start from the oven since it’s the most demanding to clean. Last but not least, clean the exhausting fan. Take some time to clean it properly from the grime.

Bathroom cleaning checklist

The bathroom may be the easiest room to clean since it has large surfaces. After you pack up your toiletries, start cleaning the bathtub, shower, sink, and toilet. While you are scrubbing these, clean your washing machine by turning the self-cleaning cycle on. Wipe the cabinets and faucets. Now’s the time to scrub the floors thoroughly, especially the part around the toilet, since it usually gets grimier than other parts.

Utility room cleaning checklist

Besides the kitchen, the utility room is the hardest to clean. It’s not because it’s dirty or so. It’s because such rooms usually serve as storage units and contain many (unnecessary) things. The hardest job is to declutter this type of room. So, purge everything you haven’t used for a long time. After decluttering, clean the shelves and drawers and mop the floors.

Outdoor cleaning

At first, it may seem to you that the outdoors is the last thing you should clean. However, this is perhaps one of the most important house spaces. Why? Well, no matter if you are a tenant or owner, you should take care of the outdoors for a simple reason – first impression. If you are an owner and you want to rent your home, outdoors is the first thing potential tenants will notice. On the other hand, if you are the one having a landlord, you are responsible for outdoor maintenance. So, pay special attention to it. Here’s the pre-moving checklist for your backyard. Remove the garden furniture, swings, slides, and garden decoration. Then, wash the porch, cut the grass and trim the bushes as previously mentioned.

Wrapped items
Ask your movers to help you declutter and remove junk

When cleaning the house or outdoors, you will have a lot of garbage which is time-consuming to throw away. So, ask your local movers Manhattan whether they offer junk removal services. If they do, it will save you a lot of time and energy.

Garage cleaning

A garage – a synonym for the mess. Besides being messy, it usually contains hazardous and toxic materials. In most cases, New Year decoration is probably stored there. So, use this opportunity to declutter it besides decluttering the tools. Equipment you’ll need:

  1. Work gloves
  2. A broom
  3. Ladder
  4. Microfiber cloths
  5. Boxes and trash bags

Cleaning equipment checklist

Here’s the basic list you’ll need for cleaning your Manhattan home. Of course, add the items you use the most.

  1. Sponges
  2. Dusters
  3. Microfiber cloths
  4. Brushes
  5. A bucket and a mop
  6. Protective gloves
  7. A broom

Eight essential cleaning products:

  1. Glass cleaner
  2. Wood polish
  3. Furniture polish
  4. Disinfectant
  5. Floor cleaner
  6. Sanitizer
  7. Descaler
  8. Dishwasher detergent and chemicals
  9. Bonus: Vinegar can also be useful when cleaning the bathroom and kitchen
A pre-move cleaning checklist and an inventory list
Keep track of all moving expenses including the cleaning ones

Decluttering checklist

Cleaning is not only about vacuuming, wiping, scrubbing, and dusting. Cleaning also includes decluttering the belongings. So, in order to avoid mess, purge away the items you don’t frequently use. Although it may seem difficult, it’s relieving. It will save you a lot of time and nerves. Besides, you can earn by decluttering your belongings. Organize a garage sale or post the items on the internet. It won’t only bring you money, you’ll save up money on the relocation – you’ll need a smaller moving truck to load all the boxes.

Cleaning tips

Organizing the house cleaning is not easy, especially when moving. There are many things to finish, and cleaning adds to stress even though it may not seem stressful at first. However, as we’ve already mentioned, the organization is the key to everything. Here are some tips on how to organize cleaning:

  • Obtain the necessary cleaning equipment but don’t exaggerate with the purchase
  • Make a checklist of cleaning materials you already have
  • Make a cleaning plan day by day, room by room
  • Prioritize and start from the hardest things
  • Make space for storing items

Don’t hesitate to ask for help

With so many tasks to organize and finish, it’s impossible to stay focused all the time. So, don’t hesitate to ask for some assistance. Besides, include your family in the process. It is a nice way to spend some time together and have fun. Organize a cleaning party, gather your family and friends, play some music, order some food, and make cleaning fun. By the way, if you find it hard to declutter, your family and friends may be the voice of reason. This way, you’ll both have fun and make the task less stressful.

Roadway Mover
Make your relocation easier with Roadway moving NYC

About to move? Contact Roadway Moving NYC

Relocation is a complex process that consists of many tasks, from packing to transportation. However, it’s not only about that. Cleaning and decluttering are also a huge part of it. And having so many things in mind, it’s impossible to handle every single task. Don’t know how to organize your move? Need help with packing and transporting your items? No problem. Roadway Moving NYC is here to simplify your move and help you have a smooth and stress-free relocation. Our moving professionals are at your disposal anytime. They’ll take care of the most demanding and daunting moving tasks so you can focus on other things, such as dealing with paperwork and move-out cleaning. With our pre-move cleaning checklist, you’ll leave your home spotless. Finish what is up to you and leave the daunting moving tasks to Roadway professionals. Contact us today and schedule your move. Have a nice relocation experience.

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