A person cleaning a kitchen counter

How to Clean Your New Home Before Moving In

Congratulations on finding a new home! Whether you’ve moved across the country or are moving from the city to the suburbs, the process doesn’t just include packing, traveling, and unpacking. It’s important to prepare your new place for your new chapter.

The first thing you will want to do when moving into a new home is thoroughly clean before you start settling in. Hopefully, the previous owners left everything at least somewhat decent, but if they didn’t, you'll need to perform a deep clean to make the area safe for you, your family, and your pets.

The national moving experts from Affordable Quality Moving & Storage have put together a list of items and rooms you won't want to miss, so your house will be spotless and ready to be turned into your new home!

When cleaning before moving in:

Clean the Walls

One of the first things you will want to do is clean all the walls in your new home. Although it may not seem like walls get dirty, they collect more dust than you think. You can clean your walls using warm water and nonabrasive all-purpose cleaners. Dip a clean sponge in the water and then gently rub the wall. You can also use a wall mop to reach higher places, like corners where dirt and cobwebs collect.

Deep Clean the Bathroom/s

When cleaning your bathrooms, it is essential to scrub the sink, toilet, and showers with a small amount of bleach and water and let them sit for a few minutes. This will help remove sink odors and bacteria that may have stayed behind from the previous occupants.

Clean Your Oven, Cabinets, Sink & More in Your Kitchen

Cleaning your kitchen will be one of the most time-consuming tasks because there are a variety of areas to clean. This includes your oven, cabinets, sink, countertops, and pantry. Baking soda and vinegar are great cleaning tools for ensuring your countertops and sink are spotless. Warning: you'll want to avoid these cleaners if you have a marble counter.

Clean All Appliances

When moving into a new home, remember to clean any appliances that were included in the sale. This might mean thoroughly cleaning the refrigerator, oven, stove, microwave, and dishwasher. Next, you will want to remove racks and drawers from your refrigerator and wash them with warm soapy water to ensure they are clean before you start filling them with food. If your fridge has a water and ice dispenser, change the filters on these. Some appliances have special cleaning cycles, so check the manufacturer's instructions on how to clean before you get started. It’s particularly helpful to clean appliances before you begin to use them, especially the fridge, which will store your food.

Steam Clean Your Carpet & Floors

To make your carpet and floors clean, we recommend renting or hiring someone to steam your floors. Steam cleaning removes tough stains and provides a deep clean, and even gets rid of pet odors and stains. If you’re moving into a home with carpet, consider hiring a professional cleaner. If your previous occupants claimed they already had the carpets cleaned, you will want to do a thorough vacuum. Make sure to clean under heating vents and appliances.

Don’t Forget the Garage!

It’s easy to forget about cleaning the garage before you move in. This might not take much more than sweeping it out and removing some cobwebs, or you may want to take a power washer to the floor and thoroughly clean it. If the garage has built-in shelves or cabinets, clean these as well. Whatever your approach, it helps to clean out the garage before you fill it with your belongings, add shelving, and your car or cars.

Air Quality Matters Too

If your new home has been painted recently or has construction-related dust, you might want to think about using an air purifier. You can borrow one from a friend or family member or invest in one that you can use in the future as well. A high-quality air purifier can help with dust, dander, and other particulates that can contribute to allergies or even symptoms like headaches, runny nose, and throat irritation.

Our Southern California Movers Make It Easier

Whether you have the budget to hire professional cleaners or take on cleaning your new home yourself, you can get additional help from our team at Affordable Quality Moving and Storage. We offer comprehensive packing/unpacking, moving, and storage services to customers across Southern California from our offices in Santa Clarita, San Diego, Burbank, and Temecula. We are here to do the heavy lifting so you can focus on getting settled in your new home, and we’re licensed, insured, and trusted by customers since 1996.

If you need help managing other parts of your local or long-distance move, contact the Santa Clarita movers at Affordable Quality Moving & Storage today for a free estimate!

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