Cleaning Up Your Former Home Before You Move
Days and weeks of sorting, packing and preparing for moving day can leave you feeling frazzled and forgetful. When the big day finally arrives and Gainesville movers have removed boxes full of your personal items, a sigh of relief can set in.
You’re finally done, right?
Nope.
Your next chore before you leave your former home is to ensure it is clean and tidy. No one wants to move into their new home and be face-to-face with layers of dirt and grime left behind from the previous owners or tenants.
Whether you are trying to sell your home, just sold it or have been renting, you must ensure the home is presentably clean. A good general rule of thumb is to — at the very least — leave the home in the same state as when you moved in.
Simply sweeping and mopping hard floors and vacuuming carpeted areas should be the least amount of cleaning you need to do. A deep cleaner may be required if carpeting has stains or unpleasant odors such as smoke or pet urine.
Some carpet stains can be removed by scrubbing them with stain remover or carpet shampooer, which can also help remove odors. Cleaning floors is easier after the Gainesville moving company has removed furniture and boxes from your former home.
The appliances that are staying with your former home should be thoroughly cleaned inside and out, especially refrigerators and ovens. Baking soda and water are a non-toxic way to safely clean the inside of the refrigerator while naturally removing odors.
Because baking soda is naturally abrasive, it can help remove stuck-on grime without scratching stove tops. Also, always make sure to dispose of any food in the freezer and fridge.
No matter how big or small, one speck of mold or mildew and the whole bathroom feels dingy. It may even turn away potential buys.
Soap scum and hard water stains can also negatively affect the appearance of the bathroom. Several inexpensive cleaning products are designed to get rid of these hard-to-remove buildups but will typically still require a bit of elbow grease.
While packing boxes for the movers to take, you may overlook leftover chemicals and toxic items like cleaning products and pesticides.
Keep these potentially dangerous items in a bright red bucket or container.Set the container in a location that is easy to see will help you remember to take them with you.
While washing walls might not be on your regularly cleaning lists, years of daily living can begin to buildup on the surface causing the walls to appear unsightly.
Simply washing them quickly with a solution of warm water, gentle dish soap and vinegar helps remove layers of grime and odors. Before washing, make sure to remove any nails or staples in the walls.
