The golden rule of moving into a new place: clean everything before the furniture arrives, not after. Once the bed frame is in the bedroom and the couch is against the living room wall, you are never getting behind that baseboard again without a team and a day off. We have cleaned hundreds of move-ins across New York and California, from Brooklyn pre-wars to San Francisco Victorians. This is the order we recommend — what to hit first, what to skip, and what will matter most to your piece of mind on night one.
Kitchen first — appliances inside and out
The kitchen is the hardest room to clean once it is full of boxes, dishes, and food. Do it first, before you bring in a single grocery bag.
- Oven and stove. Even a “clean” apartment often has baked-on residue from the last tenant. Run the self-clean cycle if the oven has one, or let us handle the manual scrub. Inside the oven is included in our Move-In Cleaning package.
- Refrigerator. Pull it out. Clean the coils, the floor underneath, the walls on both sides. Wipe every shelf and drawer. If it smells musty, leave the door open with baking soda for an hour.
- Cabinets. Every shelf, every drawer, inside and out. The previous tenant's crumbs, grease, and dust live in cabinet corners. Wipe with warm water and mild soap — do not use bleach on wood or laminate.
- Counters, backsplash, sink. Scrub the grout if there is tile. Descale the faucet. Run the garbage disposal with ice and lemon if the unit has one.
Once the kitchen is clean, put down shelf liner and then unload the boxes. You will thank yourself the first time you open a cabinet to grab a coffee cup.
Bathrooms — deep clean before the shower curtain goes up
Bathrooms are where move-in cleaning pays off fastest. You use them within hours of arrival, and a truly clean bathroom sets the tone for the whole move.
- Toilet. Behind, beneath, and around the base. Most move-in cleanings miss the back of the toilet bowl rim and the floor behind the pedestal.
- Shower and tub. Clean the track of sliding doors — it collects hair and soap scum from years of use. Scrub the grout and recaulk if the old caulk is black. Clean the showerhead by soaking it in white vinegar if there is mineral buildup.
- Vanity and mirror. Empty every drawer and wipe it down. Clean the mirror with a streak-free glass cleaner, not a paper towel that leaves lint.
- Vent fan. Pop off the cover and wash it. The fan itself is usually caked with dust. A clean vent moves air the way it is supposed to and prevents mold over time.
We tackle all of this as part of our standard Move-In Cleaning. If you are doing it yourself, budget at least 45 minutes per bathroom.
Floors before furniture — every inch matters
Floors are the most visible surface in an empty home, and the easiest to clean when nothing is on them. Do not wait until the couch is in place.
- Vacuum or sweep first. Get all the loose dirt, dust, plaster flecks from any recent paintwork, and pet hair left by the previous occupant. Pay special attention to corners and edges.
- Mop with the right cleaner for your floor type. Hardwood needs a pH-neutral cleaner, not vinegar or water that strips the finish. Tile needs a degreaser. Laminate needs a damp mop only — standing water warps it.
- Let floors dry fully before any furniture goes down. If you have rugs, lay them after the floor is completely dry. Trapped moisture under a rug leads to mildew and a smell you will chase for months.
If you are moving into a carpeted apartment, have the carpets professionally shampooed before you move in. Wait for them to dry completely — typically 8 to 12 hours — before the movers arrive. We offer carpet shampooing as an add-on to any Move-In Cleaning booking.
Walls, windows, and the things nobody looks at — until they do
Move-in is your only chance to clean these before they are blocked by furniture:
- Walls and doors. Wipe down every wall with a sponge and warm water. Focus on light switches, door frames, and the area around the kitchen counters. These collect oil and dirt from hands over years. A Magic Eraser works for scuff marks on painted walls but test an inconspicuous spot first.
- Window tracks and sills. Vacuum the tracks with a brush attachment, then wipe with a damp cloth. Clean the glass inside and out if you can reach. Dirty window tracks are the first thing a landlord inspects on move-out — and the first thing you will notice on a sunny morning.
- Baseboards and crown molding. Run a microfiber cloth along every inch. Baseboards in New York apartments collect a shocking amount of black dust. Do them before the bed or sofa goes against the wall.
- Light fixtures and ceiling fans. Dust the blades and bulbs before you turn them on the first night. Otherwise you will get a face full of dust the first time you flip the switch.
Our Move-In / Move-Out Cleaning includes all of these. You move, we clean, you walk into a home that is ready to live in.
Closets and storage spaces — the forgotten zones
Closets are almost never cleaned between tenants, and they hold smells, dust, and debris that transfer to your clothes and linens.
Wipe every shelf and rod. Vacuum the floor and corners. If the closet smells musty, leave the door open for a day with a box of baking soda inside. Check for signs of pests — droppings, shed skins, chewed cardboard — and flag them to your landlord or property manager before you move your belongings in. A clean closet means your clothes come out of the boxes smelling fresh, not musty.
Not sure if your new home needs a full cleaning before you move in? Contact us for a quote and we will walk through what makes sense for your space.