Decided on the move date? Check! Booked the best professional Boynton Beach movers? Check! Packed your boxes? Great, you’re nearly there! Now comes the stage of some pre-move cleaning. We know that moving can feel like a never-ending chore. After all, you have only just finished organizing the myriad details of your moving process. However, fixing your old home for the new resident, and your new home for yourself, shouldn’t at all be easily dismissed.
Where to start your pre-move cleaning
Think about the wear and tear
A lot of the wear and tear happens to your house over time, and it’s easy to miss it. But, once you begin thinking about listing a house or an apartment for sale, you start to notice some blemishes. The majority of homebuyers want a home that’s in move-in condition, which may require you to do some repairs. This might be the move you’ll want to make before taking up your cleaning. So, make sure to talk to a real estate agent for evaluation and see if you need to do some retouching to increase your home’s value.
Prep your space
With cardboard boxes and furniture pieces scattered all over the place, it will be extremely difficult to get the job done. So, whether your packing by yourself or are hiring expert packing services, ensure that all of your possessions are packed before rolling up your sleeves. Empty premises and things out of the way will help make your task less time-consuming and more efficient. A good advice would be to do the same thing at your new place too. Give your new home a thorough cleansing before your items have been delivered.
Make your pre-move cleaning less of a chore
You might be amazed at how entertaining you can make your chores be. Change your mindset and keep yourself motivated by not thinking of it as a chore. Instead, make cleaning a fun activity by involving your friends and family in the process, listening to your favorite podcasts, closing the curtains, and dancing. There are so many ideas out there to make cleaning fun, so use them to give yourself an edge over the drudgery of cleaning the house. It is always good to save energy for when your long-distance movers Florida based come to relocate you.
Systematize your pre-move cleaning
Using a valid cleaning method that ensures not only that every corner is thoroughly clean from top to bottom, but also that it’s done in the least amount of time. This is a great way to never again have to go through that discouraging “where-should-I-start” feeling. And not only that, but you will also be able to keep better track of what surfaces you had cleaned. By doing this, you can approach a room without letting the job overwhelm you.
- Top to bottom method. Start with the highest surfaces, so you aren’t knocking dust and debris down later on items you have previously cleaned. You’ll want to begin with cobwebs and dirt on the ceilings, corners, and door jams, and work your way down to the windows and furniture pieces. The floors should come very last on your cleaning schedule. When it comes to wiping the specific furniture pieces, the wise way to do the job is to first clean the cupboards, and then the counter.
- Figure-8 method. This one is a matter of consistency. Clean the surfaces more efficiently by going left to right, or right to left, in a figure-8 motion. Experts suggest this trick, for it will help you to never miss a spot again. Avoid cleaning in a circular motion, because you will only end up moving the dirt around and missing sections.
- Spray it and leave it method. Spray the product, but let it sit for a few minutes instead of immediately wiping it away. Pre-treating your surfaces is a great way to bolster your efficiency. It also proves that most of the time, we cannot blame it on the products. Start implementing some professional methods to make your pre-move cleaning a less of a challenge.
Spaces that will need extra attention
While conducting pre-move sanitation of your living space, it is logical to apply additional elbow grease to those most-used places in the house. These include the kitchen and bathroom areas. On the other hand, you should not forget those places in your house that are least-used either. These are usually those hard-to-reach places such as light fixtures, and tall furniture tops that are seldom cleaned.
The kitchen area
In most homes, the kitchen is one of the busiest rooms. According to NSF, more than 75% of bacteria and fecal matter can be found in areas where food is stored and prepared. However, you can make cleaning your kitchen less of a challenge by dividing it into manageable parts.
- Start by dusting the high zones such as the kitchen cabinets and refrigerator top, then work your way down to the countertops and drawers. Use a soapy cloth to clean the vent hood, and don’t forget the vent filters. The dirt and debris that fall on the floor will be swept up later.
- Remove the burners of your stove if you can, and wash them using a cleaner and a scrubbing brush or a sponge. Clean the gas rings in a mixture of detergent and warm water, and rub it with a clean cloth afterward. Use a more powerful cleaner and brillo pads to scrub the hotplates. Lastly, spray the stovetop with an all-purpose cleaner. After letting it soak for some time, wipe the stovetop with a clean, dry cloth.
- To clean the oven, remove the grates and soak them into a tub of soapy water. Then give your oven some good scrubbing. If you’re lucky, you’ll have the option to run a self-cleaning cycle on the oven.
- Remove everything and wipe down the surfaces of the fridge. Make sure to scrub out every shelf and attachment, not just the body.
- Scrub the sink to get rid of water, soap, and food stains. Plug the drain, fill with warm water, and add some bleach to sanitize. Also, use vinegar to get rid of the lime spots.
- Move on to the appliances, such as the coffee maker, since they are the breeding ground for yeast and mold.
The bathroom area
Even though studies find that bathrooms are more sanitary than an average kitchen, it is still a regularly used area. Therefore, it also requires an intense pre-move cleaning. Before you start doing anything else, pour some bleach or another disinfectant into the toilet bowl. To get rid of the mold, you can spray a water bleach/disinfectant solution. Also, some scrub powder will do wonders for lime and build-up on the faucets, or in the tub or sink.
Lastly, tackle the shower and bathtub by applying the right cleaner. While letting the products do their work for 10-15 minutes, move on to wiping down any towel racks, shelves, baseboards, doors, blinds, windowsills, and vents. After, remove the products that you let to sit and wipe them clean with an appropriate cloth or a sponge. Finish by using a glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth for the streak-free effect on the mirrors.
The floors come last on your pre-move cleaning list
The fact that your residential movers have either taken away or not yet arrived with your stuff is a big plus here. Now, that you’ve dusted and polished, finish your pre-move cleanup with the floors. The first step is to vacuum or sweep the floors. Ideally, you’ll want to pre-treat those sticky or gunky spots that you notice during your vacuuming.
Next, you will want to choose the mop and a cleaning detergent based on your floor type. Fill the buckets with warm, rather than cold, water, and begin mopping the floor. Work from one end of the room to another, all the while moving backward, so you’re always standing on a dry surface. Rinse the mop and repeat the process one more time. For an extra clean effect, you can mop over the entire floor one final time using nothing but fresh hot rinse water. We have arrived on the finishing line. While letting everything dry, go and park yourself on the couch ’cause - you’re finally done! Great job!