Your vacate cleaning checklist

The best way to get out of your hassle-free lease is to arrange the vacate cleaning in an appropriate amount of time. Here are some tips to make your next bond clean a success.

Step-by-step Guide

One month before end of lease

• Your carpets must be professionally cleaned before you vacate the property. Hire vacate cleaning professionals to do this service the day before you hand the keys back to your landlord (and keep a copy of the invoice).
• All parasites must be eliminated. Hire pest control professionals to spray your property.
• The lawns must also be mowed in the last week of your lease.
• Cancel your utilities (when appropriate).

7 days before the end of your lease

Outside your house

• Clean all corners of your garage. Remove cobwebs, grease, spray the outdoor area with insect spray.
• Clean up your garden. Prune the plants, mow the lawn, remove all weeds, spray the area with weed killer, replace dead plants.
• Make sure there hasn’t any rubbish in the backyard, such as bottle tops and cigarette butts.
• Scrub down your driveway very well, don’t leave any residual oil spill or tire marks.

Inside your house

• Clean, dry and replace all your light fittings. Check for any light globes that aren’t working and replace them too.
• Wash or vacuum all your curtains and blinds. Take off the dirt, dust and stains. If you have Venetian blinds you’ll have to wipe them clean slat by slat.
• If you have an air conditioner, ceiling fans or smoke alarms, don’t forget to clean them. And also the exhaust fans in the bathrooms, kitchen and toilet.
• Check for insect or fly spots. Use sugar soap or mild detergent in a bucket of warm water with a sponge (be careful with your paint).

3 days before the end of your lease

Clean those windows

• First, clear all the cobwebs outside the house. You can use a cobweb remover or a broom.
• Remove the dirt from the window tracks, you can use a screwdriver to release the dirt. Also, vacuum and wipe clean with a damp cloth.
• Pull out your security or fly screen. Clean it up and put them back to place.

The easiest way to squeegee a window

• To remove all the dirt and build-up, use a scourer sponge to soap up your window. Wipe the top edge with a dry towel. Slide your squeegee down the window with firm, steady pressure.
• After every slide with your squeegee, dry it, and slide it again slightly overlapping the last one.
• If left any marks pass a clean towel to remove them. Dry the edges and wipe the frame and the window ledge. (You can clean your internal windows in the same way, with less water)

2 days before the end of your lease

Clean your toilets

• The best way to clean your bathroom, is by using a spray disinfectant, paper towel and some disposable gloves. Don’t forget to also clean the fittings, cistern, behind your toilet, the pipes and the tiles.
• And of course use a toilet bowl cleaner and a toilet brush to scrub inside the bowl.

Your living areas, bedrooms and corridors

• Take everything off the walls. If there’s any cobwebs or marks wash them down with sugar soap or mild detergent in a bucket. Vacuum your wardrobes and wash them. Don’t forget to clean your light switches.

Kitchen cleaning

• Remove all parts of your oven, and soak in hot, soapy water over night. Scrub them, and clean your oven glass carefully.

Bathroom cleaning

• First, you’ll need to vacuum your bathroom to remove any hair and dust. Check your drain and make sure it’s hair free. Wash everything and don’t forget the corners, door frame and top of shower, leaving no soap scum, mould or rust stains.

Laundry areas

• To remove calcium or rust build-up, use crème cleanser and scourer sponge. Use the crème in the sink, cupboards and floor. Don’t forget to wipe down all tap fittings and surrounding wall tiles.

Floors

• Last but not least, vacuum all the carpets in the house. Sweep and mop the hard floors, without leaving any hair or debris on it. Sweep the patio.

1 day before you return your keys

• Today is the day your carpets will be professionally cleaned. When it’s done, do a final walk-through with this checklist. If everything is correct, you should have no trouble with tenancy disputes.

Source: https://www.rent.com.au/blog/guide-end-lease-cleaning