Moving can be a stressful time, so make sure you leave yourself at least one full day to clean your Tacoma, WA rental home as you move out, so you can get your deposit back. Of course, any damage that occurred while you lived in a rental home will come out of your deposit. However, most Tacoma, WA tenants do their best to take care of their rental home. Here are some tips for cleaning the home you are leaving, in order to best ensure you get any refundable despise returned to you.
All Over Cleaning
Go through each room and do the following:
- Dust light fixtures
- Remove nails from the walls
- Clean the windows and sills
- Clean the baseboards and walls
- Vacuum and/or sweep
- Have the carpets professionally cleaned
- Dust ceiling fans
- Replace any light bulbs that are burned out or missing
- Clean the blinds and replace any damaged or missing blades
Kitchen Cleaning
- Wipe out all cabinets and drawers
- Wipe down the front of all cabinets
- Remove all shelves and drawers from the refrigerator and clean each one
- Clean out the rest of the refrigerator and freezer, defrosting the freezer if needed—don’t forget the ice tray
- Empty the garbage
- Scrub the sink and facet
- Clean off the countertops
- Use the self-clean setting on the oven, but then check it. It probably needs oven cleaner to soak and then get scrubbed out with steel wool.
- Use grease-cutting cleaner on the hood and fan over the stove and on the stovetop
- Replace the drip bowls in the stove if they cannot be entirely cleaned
- Put vinegar in a glass bowl in the microwave to remove stuck-on food and smells, then wipe it out
- Clean the front of the dishwasher and take a peek inside to make sure it is free of debris
Bathroom Cleaning
- Clean the shower and/or tub. Use a cleaner made to handle hard water buildup.
- Wipe down the inside of the medicine cabinet and the mirror on the outside
- Clean the sink and counters
- Wipe out all drawers and shelves
- Dust the light fixtures
- Clean the toilet. Use a cleaner that completely removes any buildup.
- Mop the floor and be sure to get the base of the toilet
- Clean the vent
Bedroom Cleaning
- Wipe the shelving in each closet
- Wash any areas where the walls have smudges
- Remove cobwebs
- Most of this room is on the “all-over cleaning” list above
Living Room & Dining Room Cleaning
- Dust any shelving, don’t forget those inside closets
- Wipe dingy areas of the walls
- Remove cobwebs
- Double-check the “all-over cleaning” list above
Garage & Outdoors
- Dust shelving and sweep out the garage
- Rake and mow the grass
- Pull weeds
- Scrub down the porch
Don’t forget to turn in all the copies of your keys, including the one for the mailbox and any gates or other keys you were given.
If you have specific questions about what is required when leaving your Tacoma, WA rental property, contact your property management company. There may be a list of specific items required or vendors, such as carpet cleaners, they approve of. For more tips, or to find a new rental home in Tacoma, WA or Olympia, WA, contact us at Olympic Rental & Landlord Services.