Moving is always a stressful event, even in the best of times. But during a pandemic… that brings a whole new meaning to the word “stress”. Do you hire movers? Pack your own things? How should you get to your new home: car, train, or plane? Will it be safe and clean to travel? This list goes on!
Whatever you decide, you will eventually make it to your new home or rental and then what? Most often, rental places will have provided a cleaning service prior to your arrival. A house that you’ve purchased typically does not (although it can happen). However, you have no way of knowing how well it was cleaned or what it was even cleaned with. We recommend giving your new home a good cleaning before you move your things in, but it’s especially important to do so during these times. You’ll want to make sure you don’t miss something, so here’s what we recommend you clean before moving in during COVID-19:
Highly Touched Surfaces
Think about how you move about a home. What do you touch a lot? Things like lightswitches, door handles or knobs, fan pulls, curtain strings, blinds, drawer handles (if your drawers don’t have handles, make sure to get the areas where you would touch them to open them), door locks, mailbox handles, outlet covers (be safe!), shower handles, oven handle, etc. While not highly touched, don’t forget to dust your fan blades as well!
Cabinets
You’ll have cabinets in both your kitchen and bathroom (typically). It’s always a good idea to give them a nice cleaning! Bathroom cabinets can hold on to nasty bathroom germs that are invisible to the eye, while kitchen cabinets can hold on to various oils and food particles. While you’re cleaning the outside, open them up and clean the shelves inside. They are often overlooked but they get dusty too.
Refrigerator
Your ice box may appear clean, and it may have been cleaned, but we recommend opening it up and taking out any drawers or shelves to see what may be hiding. We’ve seen really clean refrigerators and when we removed the drawers, there was a lot of food debris hiding under there! Shelves can also be sticky or have a film on them that is difficult to see.
Bathroom
This one seems like a no-brainer, but there are a lot of corners in a bathroom that are easily overlooked. We suggest giving your bathroom a nice deep clean with your favorite disinfectant and cleaner. Don’t forget to clean inside any cabinets or storage behind mirror, as well as the exhaust fan and towel racks. If the bathroom still smells a little less than fresh, we can help you there!
Floors and Baseboards
It goes without saying that you should give the floors some attention too. You’ll want to vacuum any carpet or rugs and mop any hard floors with the appropriate floor cleaner. Do the floors last because of gravity - yes gravity! As you clean other surfaces, dust and debris will fall onto the floor. Cleaning floors last allows you to gather up that mess.
Don’t forget:
-Washer and dryer: if your new home comes with one, you’ll want to make sure they are cleaned inside and out.
-Closet shelves
-Your dishwasher
-Convection oven
-Sliding glass door tracks
-Some often forgotten places
Moving can be stressful, but cleaning doesn’t have to be. Do you have any tips or suggestions? Let us know below. Good luck on your move!
XOXO,
Squeaky Green House Clean