Move-In Cleaning: What to Do Before You Unpack

The empty stretch between getting the keys and moving the furniture in is the one chance to clean your new home properly. Once boxes and beds are in place, those surfaces are sealed off for months. Use the gap.

Why clean before you unpack

An empty home lets you reach inside every cabinet, behind every appliance, and into every corner — places you’ll never touch again once furniture lands on them. You also start fresh, without inheriting the previous owner’s dust in your dishes and closets.

Do it in this order

Top to bottom, back to front, so you never re-dirty a finished surface.

1. Kitchen first

• Inside and outside of every cabinet and drawer
• Inside the oven, fridge, and dishwasher
• Counters, sink, and backsplash

2. Bathrooms

• Toilet, tub, shower, and all tile
• Sink, mirror, and cabinet
• Exhaust fan and fixtures

3. Floors and surfaces, room by room

• Wipe walls, baseboards, and door frames
• Clean light switches and handles (germ hot spots)
• Vacuum and wash floors last, working toward the door

4. Windows and closets

• Window interiors, sills, and tracks
• Inside closets and shelving before anything goes in

Don’t forget the high-touch spots

New-home excitement makes it easy to skip the boring parts. Light switches, door handles, and faucet handles are the germiest surfaces in any home — give them an extra pass.

When to hand it off

Moving is exhausting, and cleaning an empty home well takes most of a day. Our move-out cleaning service does all of the above before your possession date, starting at $155 — and the same clean gets your old rental its deposit back. Check our deposit guide so you keep every dollar.

Get a flat quote and we’ll match the timing to your move.