The big day has arrived!

Weeks (maybe even months) of work have paid off and you are now able to finally move into that new house you bought. 

However, while moving in may be exciting, what do you do about the mess that the previous owners left behind? Maybe years of dust in grime in some spots?

And what about those carpets? 

That dust. Those dust mites. Possible pet dander!

If you think about it too much, you might want to move right back out, so below we’ve included five deep cleaning tips to follow whenever moving into a new (to you) home.

Tip1: Start high and work your way down

It might be tempting to start vacuuming the minute you have a chance, but that’s not where you want to begin your cleaning efforts. 

Why? Well, there is this thing they call gravity.

Dust isn’t just trapped in your rugs and lying in the corners of your room. Ceiling fans, overhead lighting fixtures, shelving, refrigerators, and other features like molding are just as likely to collect dirt and dust. 

Unfortunately, those areas often get neglected, so when it does come time to clean them, the amount of dust that is released into the air (and eventually settles down somewhere else) can be breathtaking… literally.

Since cleaning these high-up areas will lead to the areas below them getting dirty too, start your sanitizing efforts at the top of each room and work your way down.

Tip 2: Start your kitchen cleaning with the refrigerator

It’s completely normal to leave some things in boxes for days (even weeks) before you get to unpacking them, but food items (especially perishables) shouldn’t be left to sit (unless you like strange odors).

However, refrigerators can be a real pain to clean and sometimes freezers need a little defrosting before you load them back up.

Seize the opportunity to tackle that refrigerator with some cleaner and elbow grease while it’s empty and easy to work around. Choose your cleaners carefully, but a great natural option is a 50/50 water and white vinegar solution. 

Once your fridge is sparkling, start loading it up with that food that needs to be chilled and please, for goodness sake… throw out that bottle of two-year-old relish!

Tip 3: Clean your bathrooms

The bathroom(s) should be at the top of your list of rooms to clean early. Next to the kitchen, the bathroom is one of the dirtiest places in any home. 

When it comes to bathroom cleaning, having spotless surfaces is great. But disinfecting everything is even more important. 

There are a variety of bathroom cleaners that are nontoxic and effective. Take your pick. Afterwards, make sure you wipe everything down with a good antibacterial spray to get rid of any residual germs and bacteria. 

For toilet seats, just go ahead and replace them. It’s worth a few bucks to know that you are sitting on a clean surface that wasn’t broken in by someone else’s bottom.

Also, don’t neglect any of the areas that you might skip over during a routine bathroom cleaning. Be sure to pay special attention to things that a lot of hands touch, like the toilet paper holders, light switches, faucets, and door handles.

Tip 4: Clean your baseboards

Let’s be honest, baseboards and shoe moldings collect dust bunnies and grime like a magnet. Worse yet, they are often among the areas in a home that get ignored except for that once-a-year spring cleaning.

Take advantage of the fact that your furniture is not all set up and you have total access to those normally hard-to-reach areas in your home.

Grab a sponge, some gloves, Murphy’s oil soap, and a bucket of warm water, then get to work. It’s not a fun job, but hey… someone’s gotta do it!

Tip 5: Finish with your floors

Now that you’ve gone through the whole house and cleaned every inch, where do you think a lot of that dirt and dust settled?  That’s right, on those dirty floors.

For carpets, consider using a steam cleaner. Steam cleaning can effectively remove tough stains and provide a deep clean, even getting rid of lingering pet odors.

For those hard surfaces like laminate, tile, and wood, do some research and choose the cleaners that will do the best job at removing dirt and germs without harming the finish. We like a warm water and white vinegar solution (16:1 ratio)  for hardwood floors but again, do your research first.

Doing a deep clean on a house you just moved into is not fun. But once you get it done, you can kick off your shoes and relax, knowing that your bare feet aren’t being exposed to someone else’s dirt and grime.

Happy cleaning!

Need help on an upcoming move? We’re here for you. Reach out to us today!