An apartment move-out can be both exciting and depressing at the same time. On one hand, you feel excited because you are about to get a fresh start in a new city, perhaps. But on the other hand, you would feel a tad depressed because you are leaving a place you have known to be your home for a time.

You might even keep feeling this way even as you pack up and clean your apartment one last time. Of course, it is what it is. These are part of the realities of apartment living. So, before you finally say goodbye, and to have some sort of therapeutic letting-go ritual, why not do some deep cleaning? Here are apartment move-out cleaning tips that can make leaving your old apartment easier.

Apartment Move Out Cleaning Tips: An Overview

Before you move out, expect an inspection from your landlord as to whether the unit has been damaged or if it has not been cleaned properly during your rental period. This inspection is also mandatory before you get your security deposit back. So, if you leave your apartment without fulfilling your responsibility as a tenant in cleaning and making sure everything in your apartment is in good condition, then, you might be surprised at the deductions from your security deposit. To guarantee a full deposit, go through this checklist and be sure to do everything on it.

Give all the rooms and areas a once over. Generally, you need to be particular with repairing all the holes left by decorations, frames, and whatnot. When necessary, repaint the walls to the apartment’s original color. Also, you would need to clean the windows, floors, and walls. This includes cleaning or vacuuming the drapes and carpets, and removing stubborn stains from the walls and floors. Dust all surfaces, fixtures, fans, doors, baseboards, and ceilings. And of course, replace damaged light bulbs.

Apartment Move Out Cleaning Tips: Cleaning by Room

#1 The Bathroom. Giving your bathroom a deep clean starts with polishing the mirrors. Do not leave your mirror with streaks and fingerprints. Use an ammonia-based glass cleaner and dry the surface with lint-free cloth. The key is to wipe in a circular motion. Next, sanitize your bathroom vanity. Wipe down the water stains on the faucet, drawers, and cabinets. Third, disinfect your toilet using an all-purpose bowl cleaner. Scrub the toilet bowl, wipe the toilet seat and tank. Fourth, use vinegar and dish soap to clean and scrub the grimy tub and shower. Fifth, dust the vent of your bathroom fan. Finish up by mopping your bathroom floor.

#2 The Kitchen. The kitchen may be the very area that could cost you hundreds of dollars from your security deposit. This is why you need to be a bit more nitty-gritty here. First, check if the kitchen sink is draining properly. If not, then be sure to get it fixed. Second, clean the oven as well as the fridge and freezer. If your unit came with a microwave, you will need to check if that is working well, too. Sanitize the drain, sink, and disposal. Lastly, clean countertops, cabinets, and faucets.

#3 The Bedroom and Living Room. It can be easy to do clean up the bedroom. From the top-down, get all the cobwebs out of the corners with an extendable duster. Clean the door frames and wipe down baseboards. Patch the walls, spot clean, and vacuum the carpets thoroughly. Check all closets and cabinets. Make sure that they are dusted and vacuumed. Next, sweep through the room and be sure you have not left any valuables or personal items.

Other Important Things to Cover

According to the owner of a property management firm in Massachusetts, Tim Flynn, your security deposit can be withheld if you forget to remove your belongings from your old apartment’s storage units, closets, and cabinets. These belongings can be anything from bikes, trash, personal items, and other debris that your landlord would need to remove or pay someone to remove it. These costs will be taken out of your security deposit. Another thing you need to get covered is to clean out the dryer, HVAC vents, light fixtures, fan blades, and window treatments. These are common things tenants miss out on doing during that turnover cleaning.

To be absolutely sure you have all the bases covered, check your lease and see if there are other move-out requirements you missed out on.