House cleaning/ maid service professionals... checklist of what to cover when cleaning an empty house?
Question:I am moving into a new house soon. The previous owners smoked and had a cat. I plan to go in and clean it myself before moving my stuff in. Can you give me a checklist of things you would include in a very thourough cleaning of an empty house in order to get it sanatized and looking good? I know vacuum, steam clean, etc. but I need to know of all the little details I might not think of. Thanks!
Answers:
wash all the walls down , basically just wash everything down with all purpose cleaners , or heavier stuff if you wish to
1.) Well if they were smokers and you don't smoke you prob. wanna wipe down all that haven't had a fresh coat of paint put on, walls, ceiling fans, light fixtures, etc.
2.) You're gonna want to take a good disinfectant to all the sinks, tubs, toilets, countertops, i would use comet or soft scrub or lysol disinfecting wipes.
3.) You will probably want to line all the insides of the cabinets and drawers with fresh new shelving paper after cleaning them out also.
4.) Not only are you gonna need to vacumn and steam clean but make sure you get out the attachments and get around the baseboards really good, you can also bring a cleaning rag along with you and wipe them down while you're vacumning around them, especially in the kitchens and bathrooms, no telling what kind of nasty has splashed on those baseboards.
5.) Spray all the doorknobs and surfaces like this with disinfectant spray.
6.) And if it came with a frigerator don't forget to clorox the heck out of it.
that should do the job, good luck! : )
Don't forget to clean any built-ins like an oven, a microwave or a counter-top range. If there are sliding glass doors on the tub, there will usually be a lot of gunk in those; ditto the tracks for sliding patio doors or windows. Disinfect everything you can reach - for the kitchen & bath, a dilute solution of clorine bleach & water works well. Frabreez works wonders for stale cigarette or cigar smoke as well as left over cat odors. If their cat was allowed outdoors, watch out for fleas.
Start at the top of each room.Dust over ceilings.Wash or dust light fixtures.Use a long handled duster to do these jobs along with walls to remove any cobwebs.Wash walls and baseboards,window and door trim.Wash windows.Vacuum carpets and steam clean or damp mop hardwood or vinyl floors. For the bath and kitchen be sure to disinfect all surfaces.Wash out all cabinets and replace shelf liner.Clean out all appliances good and disinfect.You said that the previous owners were smokers,don't be surprised if you have to paint the walls to get rid or the smoke smell.
Well if they smoked then you want to paint the walls first. Then you want to clean. For bedrooms, family rooms etc: The hint that we teach people is start at a door and work your way around. just fill a bucket of warm water and detergent (like dawn) and wash doorframes, baseboards, window sills, closet shelves etc. untill you get to the door that you started with. Decobweb with a fluffy feather duster stick all around the room especially the corners, If there are any light fixtures or ceiling fans clean them. If they have small mini blinds, it is best to replace them if they look terrible. Then do the vacuuming. Vacuum any air vents, edge carpets with a vacuum attachment. Finally vacuum the floor. after that if you want, shampoo the carpet. You may want to clean and then paint if you do it yourself. Just know that if you hire painters they tend to make a mess anyway. For bathrooms: I clean any light fixtures first. then turn on the lights. I pretreat the tub/or shower with whatever tub and shower cleaner you have. Then I pretreat the toilet with a toilet bowl cleaner. Then I start with the mirror. Then i clean the sink and countertops. Then I wash out the drawers and cabinets if applicable. Also any window sills if applicable and also the door and door frame. Then i clean the toilet and tub/shower. Finally I clean the floor. For kitchens I pretreat the stove and oven using and oven cleaner like easy off. Then I start at the door and clean around the room until I end up at the door again. Wiping down the refrigerator (top, sides, front and inside) wash out cabinets and drawers. Wiping down countertops, window sills, doors, light switch plates, and any light fixtures where applicable. Then I scrub the sink. Then i clean the stove top/oven. Finally i clean the floors. it is a lot to do and you can call a cleaning service if it becomes too much-they do those kinds of things. Good luck in your new home !!
This will be quite a task for just one person, but you can do it!
Basics-
-Clean all window sills and windows.
-Wipe down all shelving
-Wipe down all word work and broom the vents if needed.
-Take down the light fixtures and wash them
Bathrooms-
-Toilet, tub, sink, etc...
-Don't forget to do the basics in here also!
Kitchen-This room will take you the longest. They are usually one of the dirtiest parts of a house. I like to start at the ceiling and end at the floor.
-Light fixtures
-Wipe all cabinets out
IF APPLICABLE
-Dissasemble the refridgerator completely and wash the shelving and inside of fridge and freezer. ( Open the freezer door while cleaning the fridge so your washcloth won't freeze!
-Don't forget the top and outside of the refridgerator and pull it out and clean beneath it.
-Stove (I hate the stove!) Of course, clean the hood vent.
- Some you can pull up the range and clean beneath it.
-If you have a self-cleaning oven, run it. Then wipe out. If you don't, spray Easy-off and let set a couple hours. The it should wipe off, although you might have to scrub a little bit.
-Also pull this out and clean beneath it and clean the sides.
-Put a mixture of vingear into your dishwasher and run on an empty load. This cleans and sanitizes.
List of cleaning items I would reccomend-
Mean Green (can find it at dollar general works wonders on grease!)
Windex
Mr. Clean liquid solution
Vinegar
Comet
Green scratch pads
Maybe a razor or two for the tough spots!
Oh! Don't forget your sink! lol. I think I covered most of it. Hope it helps!
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