There’s no doubt that moving houses is an exciting process. You may already have a vision of how you want to decorate your new place, and you’re excited about all the changes you’re going to make so that it feels like a home. Your new home is basically a blank canvas you can use to express your personality and creativity. The fact that it’s currently a bare and empty space is precisely the reason why you need to give your new home a deep clean before you move in.

Not only is cleaning an empty home easier compared to a place filled with all the boxes and furniture, but it’s also a way to give yourself a peace of mind knowing that you’ve taken care of all the nooks and crannies previous owners may not have. Whether you’re renting or buying, here are some tips on what to clean when you move into a new home.

Tackle the bathroom first

This is the most used space in the entire house, both during the move-out and the move-in. This is why it makes sense that you’d start by cleaning the bathroom first. Start at the top, as you would with any other room, dusting and vacuuming the accumulated dust and cobwebs. Rely on an all-purpose cleaner to wipe down the windows, cabinets, vanity drawers, and linen closets. Then, move on to the tub, shower, sink, and toilet, giving them a thorough scrub using a disinfecting cleaner.

Remember to disinfect all the switches, paper holders, door handles, faucets, and make sure to change the toilet seats. If you’ve got your dryer next to your washer, be sure to give them a thorough scrub as well. Clogged dryer vents are notorious for starting dryer fires. Cleaning the vents regularly prevents the buildup of dirt and lint, and the same goes for ducts and filters.

Move on to your kitchen space

Now that you’ve got your bathroom in order, it’s time to tackle the heart of the home – the kitchen. The best place to start with disinfecting your kitchen space is the fridge. You need a place to store all your perishables, so this is the step of the move in cleaning process that you shouldn’t put off. Remove all the shelves and drawers and use soap and warm water to clean them. Repeat the process with the freezer. Rely on vinegar and water to clean the inside of the fridge, and return everything once it’s dry.

For the rest of the kitchen, start at the top, tackling the ceiling, lighting fixtures, walls, and the upper cabinets. Move on to the appliances, countertops, and sink, using hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to remove stubborn stains. Finish by cleaning the inside and the outside of the cabinets and disinfecting all the handles.

Tackle the rest of your living space

For the rest of your living space, you’ll need to change your cleaning routine a bit. Instead of cleaning room by room, tackle the dirt and grime by going item by item and working with gravity.

Take your duster, microfiber cloth, and your vacuum, tackling all the ceilings, walls, corners, and lighting fixtures at first. Pay special attention to ceiling fans, shelving, and other elements close to the ceiling that tend to get neglected. Speaking of the areas where the dust tends to accumulate, remember to change the air filters in your HVAC units. Scrub down glossy paint walls, and take a gentler approach to cleaning wallpapers and flat paint. Make sure to wipe all the moulding, trim, window casings, too, leaving your bedrooms, hallways, and living room spotlessly clean.

Finish things off by tackling the floors

A proper cleaning process always starts at the top and finishes at the bottom. Start by vacuuming the remaining debris and using the right attachments to tackle edges and corners. Depending on the type of flooring, you want to make sure you’re using the right cleaning products.

Mild and wood soaps work best for laminate, hardwood, and engineered wood, while stone, linoleum, tiles, and concrete floors will all require different cleaning solutions after being swept or vacuumed. Carpets and rugs, on the other hand, will benefit greatly from a professional steam cleaning. They often harbor bacteria, germs, and allergens that can be successfully eliminated with deep floor cleaning done by a professional.

Wrapping up

A new home comes with new possibilities, allowing you to be creative and transform it into a place you’ll love. That said, it also comes with a list of cleaning tasks that need to be tackled sooner rather than later. Keep this list in mind next time you’re moving homes, and you can rest assured you’ll be starting this new chapter in life off on the right foot.