Ultimate End Of Lease Cleaning Checklist

Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

• Oven & Stovetop – traditionally stubborn places to clean, the inside of the oven requires special cleaning chemicals and deep scrubbing whilst the stovetop often has dried-on and stubborn food stains.
• Drawers – cutlery, utensil and miscellaneous kitchen accessory drawers are often forgotten when doing a regular home clean and get a build up of dirt over the months and years.
• Cupboards & Pantry – similarly to drawers, the kitchen cupboards and pantry shelves aren’t regularly cleaned because they are always packed with crockery, food, utensils and other kitchen necessities.
• Floors – the kitchen floor can often look clean but given the amount of foot traffic and activity that happens in the kitchen, the cleanliness can often be deceptive. A thorough mopping will be necessary.
• Counter tops & splashbacks – some of the most high-use areas of a house, especially for households which love cooking. Dried-on food and food and drink stains are common problems that only the elbow grease of a professional cleaner can remove.
• Fridge & surrounding area – if the fridge came with a part of the rental property then cleaning the inside and outside of the fridge is important so the new tenants get a clean and hygienic place to store their food. Each shelf and storage area, must be washed and cleaned.
• Rangehood & extractor fan – the ranghood and extractor fan is another area of the kitchen which is often forgotten about because it is out of sight, so you don’t see how dirty it can get. However it can be one of the most dirty places of the kitchen as it attracts all of the dirt, grease and grime that gets sucked up through the fan.
• Sink & under the sink – depending on the material of the sink you may see some very clear water spots and tough stains. Even though the sink regularly has running water, that doesn’t mean the sink is clean as it’s the place where plenty of your dirty dishes and food scraps end up, which can result in hidden mould.
• Dishwasher – similarly to the sink, the dishwasher is often forgotten to be cleaned because it is a place where things are supposed to get cleaned. Cleaning the drain and filter can ensure the dishwasher remains clean and doesn’t smell.

Bathroom Cleaning Checklist

• Mirrors – water spots, toothpaste splashes, make-up stains and skincare marks can blemish a mirror and be tough to remove if they have been left for too long and may require special glass cleaning solutions.
• Vanity Cabinet – whether against the wall or under the sink, the inside of the vanity cabinet is rarely cleaned because it is always full of all manner of lotions and accessories so it will likely have a build up of stains and dust.
• Floor and wall tiles – one of the most time-consuming tasks of any household clean. Water stains, mould and mildew quickly builds up even with regular cleaning. Professional cleaners will erase all of these issues as well as cleaning the grout and waterproofing seals which are stubborn areas.
• Sink & taps – hair, toothpaste, soap scum and other bathroom-related dirt can build up in the sink, as well as mould around the plug hole and water stains on the taps and plug.
• Toilet – Bacteria and germs from using the toilet on a daily basis can quickly build up and without regular cleaning some unsightly stains can develop around the bowl, rim and under the seat.
• Shower & Shower Screen – another unenviable task of end-of-lease cleaning that can take hours of scrubbing. Soap scum, mould and water stains build up very quickly on glass without regular wiping with a rubber scraper.
• Bath tub – dust, grime and soap residue can build up in a bath tub after only a couple of uses. Even an unused bath gets dusty and dirty so it will need to be cleaned and spotless to get a bond returned.
• Bathroom Accessories – soap holders, towel rails, hand rails, toilet roll holders etc. are all smaller parts of the bathroom that are often forgotten when cleaning but need wiping and sanitising.
• Extractor Fan – dust and debris builds up very quickly over bathroom ceiling extractor fans and can prevent proper ventilation, which contributes to a mouldy bathroom.
• Drainage Holes – for en-suites, apartments and wet-room bathrooms, you will have a drainage hole in the floor to help excess water escape. These can clog with hair or other bathroom debris, become rusty and get water spots which need addressing.
• Washing Machine – inside the drum, around the seal and the detergent drawer are three common places which go un-cleaned and will be checked by real estate agents in preparation for new tenants.

Living Areas Cleaning Checklist

• Walls – walls are usually spot cleaned and dusted if there aren’t any major issues or severe damaging.
• Ceilings – as with walls, a dusting and spot clean is usually all that is required to make them passable for an end-of-lease inspection.
• Carpet – depending on their condition anything from a simple vacuum to a full professional carpet deep clean may be required, with extra attention to badly stained areas. If you live with a pet, then a professional carpet clean is often required.
• Tile or wood floors – a vacuum, sweep and mop to remove dust, dirt and stains. For any stubborn stains we may need to use harsher chemical solutions.
• Windows, window sill, window blinds & curtains – the inside of windows are all that are necessary to clean for apartments as external window cleaning is provided by strata-managed properties. However for houses you may also have to clean the reachable external windows. All internal areas of the windows, including the sills, blinds and curtains need to be dusted and cleaned too.
• Doors & fly screens – every door from the front door, bedroom doors, garage doors and external doors need to be cleaned. Don’t forget to dust the top of the doors and the door frames as this is where most of the dirt appears. Fly screens need to be in good condition and whilst we can’t repair them if they are damaged, we can clean them inside and out.
• Skirting boards – skirting boards are often found in every room and without regular vacuuming will have a build up of hair and dust on them. They should each be wiped with eco-friendly cleaning solution.
• Wall sockets & light switches – they are susceptible to staining from frequent use and dust and hair build-up from infrequent cleaning.
• Lights  – downlights can be cleaned as part of the ceiling clean, however if there are chandelier-style lights this may require some more time and attention to dust and clean without damaging.
• Appliances – sometimes a rental properties come with home appliances. Whilst we can’t repair any damaged appliances, we can clean them to make them look as good as new.

Bedroom Cleaning Checklist

• Carpet – Once the bed and bedside furniture is removed from the bedroom, it’s often very clear how dirty the carpet has become, particularly underneath the bed if it isn’t flush with the floor. You may want to consider full deep carpet cleaning of the bedroom carpet as this is where a lot of dust and hair ends up because we spend so many hours of our lives in the room.
• Skirting boards – the skirting boards in the bedroom become dirty and thick with dust and hair particularly behind the bed and furniture as they aren’t often moved out of the way to be cleaned.
• Wall sockets – as with the skirting boards, wall sockets in bedrooms are often behind furniture and are forgotten about when it comes to cleaning the bedroom. These need to be wiped, dusted and spot cleaned.
• Wardrobes & walk-ins – if you have built-in wardrobes everything on the inside needs to be cleaned, including the shelves, rails, and tracks for the sliding doors which gather lots of dust and hair. Often the wardrobes will have mirrors which will also need wiping and cleaning.

Outside Cleaning Checklist (Yard, Balcony & Garden)

Yard & Balcony

• Sweep & tidy excess leaves and debris to provide a tidy base to work from.
• Wash tiles, walls & floors which may have a build up of soil, plantcare residue, BBQ use remnants and damage from furniture.
• The outside of the air-conditioning unit rarely gets cleaned and can get a thick coat of dust and dirt from being outside.
• The drainage system on balconies and yards can become clogged and rusted, so cleaning this up to function properly is often an overlooked part of an end of lease clean.
• If you have been provided with a BBQ or any other outdoor cooking facilities then this will be expected to be cleaned and in its original condition.

Garden

• We can provide a maintenance clean & tidy job for gardens. We are not professional gardeners but can support in preparing the area for a professional to bring up to standard.
• Note: a professional gardening service may be required as part of the rental agreement for vacating the property
• Call Us to discuss your garden cleaning requirements

Swimming Pool

• We can provide a maintenance clean & tidy job for swimming pools. We are not professional pool cleaners but can support in preparing the area for a professional to bring up to standard.
• This would involve clearing any surface debris such as leaves & bugs on the water surface.
• This would also involve cleaning the surrounding tiles and floorspace of the pool.
• Note: a professional pool cleaning service may be required as part of the rental agreement for vacating the property
• Call Us to discuss your pool cleaning requirements

Storage Cleaning Checklist (Garage & Storage Cage)

• Clear debris – a sweep and tidy up of dust and dirt to create a clean area to wash (if necessary).
• Remove cobwebs – these outdoor spaces are perfect living spaces for critters and spiders. Often real estate agents ask for these areaas to be clear of any spider webs to be ready for the new tenants.
• Oil spots or car-related stains – depending on how long the stains have been there, we will make every effort to clean up the area using industrial-quality pressure washing equipment.
• Rubbish bins –  wheelie bins, or council rubbish bins, need to be washed and dried inside and out.