Move-In Cleaning Checklist: What to Clean Before You Unpack

The previous owner or tenant may have left the place "clean", but their clean isn't yours. The best time to clean a new home is before a single box comes in: every cabinet is empty, every floor is clear, and you'll never have easier access to the inside of the closets again. Here's a room-by-room move-in checklist, plus the order that saves the most time.

First: before you clean

• Walk through and take dated photos of every room, especially any damage. If you're renting in BC, your landlord must do a move-in condition inspection with you — note anything on the report before you sign it.
• Check the basics: water runs hot, the stove and fridge work, smoke alarms test properly.
• Plan the order. Clean before the movers if you can. If they're coming the same day, clean the kitchen and bathrooms first — those are the rooms you'll need on night one.

Kitchen

• Inside every cabinet and drawer — vacuum crumbs, then wipe
• Inside the fridge and freezer, including shelves and drawers
• Inside the oven, the stovetop and under the burners
• Inside the microwave and dishwasher; clear the dishwasher filter
• Range hood and its filter degreased
• Sink and taps scrubbed and disinfected
• Counters, backsplash and cabinet fronts wiped
• Floor vacuumed, then mopped — including under the fridge and stove if you can pull them out

Bathrooms

• Toilet disinfected inside and out, including the base and behind it
• Shower and tub scrubbed; check the caulking for mildew
• Inside the vanity and medicine cabinet
• Mirrors, glass and fixtures cleaned
• Exhaust fan cover dusted
• Floor scrubbed, especially around the toilet

Bedrooms and living areas

• Closets: shelves wiped, rods wiped, floor vacuumed
• Light switches, door handles and outlet covers wiped
• Window sills and tracks vacuumed and wiped
• Baseboards and door frames wiped
• Ceiling fans and light fixtures dusted
• Floors vacuumed and mopped

Easy-to-forget extras

• Furnace or HRV filters. Swap them now; you don't know when they were last changed.
• Dryer lint trap and vent. Clear the trap and check that the vent isn't blocked.
• Balcony or patio. Sweep it and wipe the railing — especially in a condo after a rainy season.
• Storage locker and garage. Sweep them before your things go in.
• Change the locks or fobs if you've bought the home, so you know who has access.

The order that saves time

1. Top to bottom. Dust fans, fixtures and high shelves first, so the dust lands on floors you haven't cleaned yet.
2. Inside before outside. Do the inside of cabinets and appliances before wiping fronts and counters.
3. Wet rooms before dry rooms. Kitchen and bathrooms take the longest, so start there.
4. Floors last. Vacuum, then mop, working toward the door.

When to book a professional

A move-in clean is the same job as a move-out clean, just from the other side. If you're juggling a closing date, utilities and movers, our move in/out clean takes it off your list: the inside of all appliances, cabinets and drawers, closets and storage, window sills and tracks, bathrooms, baseboards and floors. Moving out of your old place at the same time? Our BC move-out checklist and condo move-out guide cover that side.