Why Move-Out Cleaning Matters
Between packing boxes, loading the truck, and handing over keys, cleaning is often the part of moving that gets left until the end. Yet, it is this final step that determines whether you get your deposit back, whether the inspection goes smoothly, and whether the next occupants arrive in a welcoming home.
Here is the checklist we use, room by room, including common oversights that can lead to deposit deductions.
One Week Before: Prepare the Ground
- Empty the freezer and refrigerator gradually, then defrost the freezer 24 to 48 hours before leaving. A freezer that defrosts on the morning of the move means water everywhere.
- Gather your products: white vinegar, baking soda, kitchen degreaser, window cleaner, microfiber cloths, mop, and bucket.
- Keep a clearly labeled "household products" box. This is the box the truck should not load, along with the vacuum cleaner.
- Read your lease again. Some landlords require screw holes to be filled or curtains to remain in place.
The Kitchen: The Room That Judges Everything Else
This is almost always where the inspection takes place. Start with the oven: walls, racks, and door glass. An oven cleaner or a baking soda paste left to work overnight does most of the job.
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Then clean the cooktop and the drawer under the stove, the range hood and its filter, often saturated with grease, the refrigerator if it is still there, including shelves, drawers, door seals, and the top. Finish with the inside of cabinets and drawers, including handles, then the sink, faucets, and backsplash.
The Bathroom
Clean the shower and bath, including limescale on the walls, grout, shower head, and drain. Clean the entire toilet, including the base and back panel. Wipe the mirror, medicine cabinet, and vanity unit, inside and out. Do not forget the fan grille, which is often covered in a very visible layer of gray dust.
Living Rooms and Bedrooms
Work through baseboards, door frames, light switches, and handles. Clean windows, including glass, frames, and tracks. Tracks clean well with an old brush and a vacuum cleaner.
Wipe closet shelves and vacuum closet floors. Check walls for furniture marks, fingerprints around light switches, and stains behind beds. Clean floors last: vacuum, then mop, working backward toward the exit.
What Everyone Forgets
- Light fixtures and their globes
- Radiators and baseboard heaters
- The balcony, storage area, and entrance
- Air exchanger filters
- Washer and dryer, if they remain: lint filter, seals, and trim
On Moving Day, After the Movers Have Left
Allow 30 to 60 minutes for the final walkthrough. Vacuum where the furniture was, touch up any stains on the walls and floors, then go through the home again with the checklist in hand, room by room, with cupboard doors open.
This is also the time to take photos. They can be invaluable if the landlord disputes the move-out inspection.
Do It Yourself or Hire Someone?
Be honest about the time involved. For a 4 1/2 apartment, expect 6 to 10 hours of thorough cleaning for two people, after already spending the day carrying boxes.
If you are on a tight schedule between leases, a moving and cleaning company in Montreal can take over between the truck's departure and the key handover while you settle into your new place.
Hand Over the Keys with Confidence
A good move-out clean is not only about appearances. It protects your deposit, reduces friction with the landlord, and leaves the next occupants with a better first day in their new home.
Article submitted by Eren Bulut of Nettoyage Pro Cleaning, a residential and commercial cleaning company in Montreal, 4.8 on Google with over 570 reviews.