Every new living space deserves a deep cleaning before moving in. This is true for newly built houses or freshly repainted apartments. Old tenants leave behind dirt, and new construction leaves behind dust. Deep cleaning a new house or apartment is a process, and Deep Clean NYC specializes in move-in cleaning services throughout NYC. We are a commercial cleaning service in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and beyond, that you can trust. This detailed plan helps you decide whether to do it yourself or hire professionals.
Whether by yourself, or with a commercial cleaning service, deep clean before you move in. If you’re in a hurry, cover your belongings and deep clean around them. Budget a couple of days to complete the following move-in cleaning process.
Take Notes and Pictures
As you walk through your house, bring a garbage bag for anything left behind. Check for loose hardware and note any holes or areas that require further attention.
Gather Cleaning Supplies
You may need the following items as you proceed through each space.
- Ceilings, Walls, Windows: step ladder, duster, rags, spray bottles, cleaners, microfiber cloths
- Floors: vacuum, broom, mop, bucket, floor/carpet cleaners
- Furniture: duster, fabric cleaner, microfiber rags
- Bathrooms: toilet brush, rubber gloves, sponges (abrasive and non-abrasive), scrubbers, vinegar, proper cleanser for your surfaces
- Kitchen: shelf liners, wood cleaner, baking soda, oven/stovetop cleaner, degreaser, eraser, lemons
Have a Plan
Deep Clean NYC recommends cleaning each room from top to bottom and working your way toward the door. Dust the ceiling fans, corner cobwebs, vents, molding, cabinet tops, shelves, and light fixtures first. While you’re up there, check for leaks! Then, work your way down the walls to the baseboards and end with the floors.
Clean from the back of the room toward the entry, especially when you’re cleaning the floors. This will keep the cleaned areas safe from the rest of the process. Note that ceiling fan blades tend to gather a layer of dust that could fall onto objects below. Wipe them clean from the center outward with a rag while holding another cloth beneath the blade to collect the dust.
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Clean the Bathrooms
The bathroom may be necessary to use during the deep cleaning, so start here. If you’re cleaning up after an old tenant or if you’re the first one to use the new bathroom after the builders finished up, you want to disinfect this space well. If someone lived there before you, the best thing is to buy a new toilet seat, then clean it along with the rest of the room, top to bottom. Wipe down towel bars, light switches, faucets, paper holders, doorknobs, counters, and cabinets. Dish soap and a wet sponge are good for an initial wipe down, then follow up with your choice of DIY or store- bought cleaner.
Give the tub and shower a thorough scrub. All-purpose cleaners and disinfectants are good for most surfaces, but special materials like marble or any other sensitive stone may require specific products. Non-abrasive sponges are best in the bathroom. For stubborn soap scum, mix equal parts vinegar and dish detergent in a spray bottle and let it sit for half an hour before scrubbing it clean. (please remember – do not use vinegar on porous stone surfaces)
Sanitize the toilet, inside and out, using gloves, brushes, and products. For older toilets, you might consider cleaning the tank with vinegar and upgrading the flushing mechanisms to keep it running efficiently.
Sinks are notoriously grimy places where germs gather. After wiping clean and disinfecting, a fresh lemon juice wipe removes faucet stains and leaves a natural aroma. A move-in cleaning service can tackle this task and have the room sparkling clean.
Clean the Kitchen
This might be the only time you have a blank slate to work with, so take advantage of our move-in cleaning service in NYC and make your kitchen sparkle! With our team of professionals or by yourself, deep clean from the top, focusing on the ceiling lights, corners, and cabinet tops, then work your way down to the sink, countertops, and appliances.
Start with the fridge. Remove and clean every shelf and bin with hot soapy water, noting that room-temperature glass is easiest to clean. With your spray bottle of equal parts hot water and vinegar, clean the interior of the fridge with a sponge, scrubber, and rag, using fresh lemon juice for tough food stains. When you’re done, dry the inside with a towel before putting everything back in. An old freezer might need to be defrosted before you can clean it, and if you’re using the vinegar mix, make sure the water is hot. Before moving on, wipe down the outside of the fridge and make sure the space it’s going into is clean.
Disinfect the microwave inside and out with the vinegar solution, and run a cycle through the dishwasher with white vinegar followed by a hot water cycle. Check the washing machine for mold, and clean behind and around the laundry area.
If you have a self-cleaning oven, empty it then run the self-clean cycle while you deep clean the rest of the kitchen. If not, remove and wash the racks and soak the drip pans with hot soapy water. Use the vinegar solution or a baking soda paste for stain removal. Clean the interior with product, sponges, and scrubbers (degreaser, if needed). For gas cooktops, remove and wash the burners with hot soapy water. For electric stoves, vinegar spray or glass top cleaner works wonders, and a scraper removes most burned-on stains. Finally, check the range hood filter and light bulbs, and clean the surface with your choice of product and degreaser. Wipe the exterior of the stove and clean where it will go.
Clean the countertops, checking any cracks and seals as you go. For the sink, clean or replace the drain plugs, check the garbage disposal, and rinse odors out with baking soda.
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Clean Item by Item
Start with the mirrors and windows. Keep a small brush and spray bottle of bleach mix handy (three parts warm water to one part chlorine bleach). Spray this onto any mold you find on the windowsill or frame, and let it dry before cleaning. Dust window treatments then sponge them clean with a soapy water mix.
With paper towels or a cloth sprayed with the product, wipe down every closet, cabinet, and drawer, including knobs or handles. Vinegar solution does not work well on wood and waxed surfaces, so use an all-purpose or special cleaner. The baking soda paste also works well on greasy cabinets. Grab the step ladder, and clean the top shelves, too. You might consider cabinet liners that are easy to clean.
For walls with flat paint, a sponge and dish soap solution work well. Gently remove stains with a disposable cleaning eraser. For wallpaper, cloth clean first then wipe down with a dampened rag.
Finish With the Floors
Unless your vacuum is designed for all surfaces, vacuum just the corners and edges of your wood, stone, or tile floors, then sweep up and mop the whole area with the appropriate cleaner. For older carpets, vacuuming might only be cosmetic and not remove dirt and allergens. Consider steam cleaning, which is easily handled by a commercial cleaning service, or you can rent the equipment, and budget an extra day to dry.
Give your baseboards a thorough wipe as you proceed. They are quite resistant, so any product will work. Clean the tile grout, too, using a grout cleaner and a small brush.
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Why Use Deep Clean NYC as Your Move-in Cleaning Service?
A clean house serves your physical and mental health. You’ll feel and breathe better when your new house or apartment is deep-cleaned before moving in. Consider Deep Clean NYC for your move-in cleaning service, and we’ll streamline the process for you so you can move into your new home stress free! Give us a call!
