If you’re renting a property, one of the most important obligations you have is to keep it clean.
Whether you’re looking to perform a big end-of-tenancy clean before you hand your property back to your landlord, or you simply want to bring your property back up to scratch, spring is the perfect time to do it.
And these top tips for tenancy spring cleaning can help, too…
1. Do one room at a time
Completing your rental property spring clean one room at a time will help to keep you focused and ensure everything on your checklist gets done.
Cleaning room-by-room will also help to prevent dust and dirt from one room easily transferring to another.
2. Close the doors when you’re done
Once you’ve finished one room and you’re about to move on to your next spring-cleaning task, shut the door behind you.
Doing this will help prevent any floating dust particles from spreading to other rooms – especially those you’ve already cleaned!
3. Use natural products to clean
Do your bit for the planet by using natural items to complete your rental property spring clean.
Rather than purchasing endless cleaning products from the supermarket and spending lots of money, all you need to get your rental property sparkling are some lemons, vinegar, and baking soda.
Lemon cleaning hacks
Cut a lemon in half and rub one half on your kitchen and bathroom faucets to bring back their shine and remove water marks
Remove bacteria and odours from your chopping boards by rubbing half a lemon on them
Vinegar and baking soda cleaning hacks
- Use white vinegar to dissolve limescale on shower heads
- Rub baking soda on steel sinks to bring back their shine
- Clean dirty windows with white vinegar and water
- Clean the inside of your oven with baking soda
- De-grime tile grout with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide
- De-clog shower drains with baking soda, salt, and warm vinegar
4. Keep back some old toothbrushes
Toothbrushes can be great tools for cleaning in hard-to-reach places, such as:
- Vents
- Grills
- Around taps and faucets
- Between keys on computer keyboards
5. Polish windows on a grey day
When cleaning windows, make sure you do this on an overcast day.
Warm sunlight beaming on to a window can cause streaks and actually make your windows look worse than when you started.
6. Use hacks to clean up fast
The internet is full of great cleaning hacks that could help to speed up your rental property spring clean.
Here are some to get you started:
- To speed clean your microwave, heat up a bowl of water with a chopped-up lemon and a splash of vinegar. Remove the bowl and allow the inside to cool before wiping away
- To avoid streaks on your windows, use newspaper to dry them. The ink in the paper acts as a mild abrasive, removing any remaining dirt
- Try cleaning your grill trays by spraying them with warm white vinegar and then rubbing half an onion on them
- Use coffee filters to polish computer and TV screens
- Use a window squeegee to remove hair from carpets and furniture
7. Do things in the right order
By doing cleaning tasks in the wrong order, you could end up causing yourself even more work.
When tackling each room, dust first, because it’s inevitable that some of that dust will end up on the floor or carpet.
Once you’ve finished dusting everything, from furniture and windowsills to blinds and skirting boards, you should tackle the vacuuming.
In kitchens and bathrooms, wipe down surfaces, cupboards, sinks, basins, and appliances before sweeping or vacuuming and then mopping the floor.
8. Work top to bottom
Dust and dirt are affected by gravity the same as everything else, so clean the highest points in each room first and then work your way down.
Start with light fittings, working your way down to furnishings and other items, followed by skirting boards and finally the flooring.
9. Don’t forget to de-clutter
Spring cleaning your rental property is also the perfect time to assess all your belongings and have a clear-out if necessary.
Think about old items you no longer use and consider donating these to charity.
If your tenancy check-out is approaching, you could consider putting larger items into storage so you can really show off how well you’ve looked after your landlord’s property.
10. Take care with your landlord’s things
If your landlord has supplied certain items, or you’ve rented your property on a furnished basis, be careful not to damage your landlord’s items when completing your spring clean.
Damage to items could lead to deductions from your tenancy deposit.
Can tenants be charged for cleaning?
Poor cleanliness is one of the biggest reasons for landlords making deposit deductions.
Your rental property should be left in the same condition as it was when you moved in, according to the inventory report conducted at the start of your tenancy.
A cleaning checklist for your rental property
Before you embark on your rental property spring clean, read through this room-by-room checklist so you don’t miss anything…
1. Kitchen
- Carefully remove small appliances from counters
- Wipe down counters
- Wipe small appliances and replace
- Clean hob and oven
- Run a cleaning cycle in dishwasher
- Empty fridge and wipe through
- Wash fridge and freezer trays and replace
- Wipe down cupboards, doors, and drawers inside and out
- Dust top of extractor hood and fridge freezer
- Clean sink and drainage
- Sweep, vacuum, and mop hard floors
- Clean windows
- Wipe down skirting boards, doors, and surrounds
2. Bathrooms
- Wipe and disinfect basins and toilet
- Wipe down mirrors and cabinets
- Empty cupboards and clean inside
- Descale and clean shower heads
- Clean and polish taps and faucets
- Clean windows
- Sweep, vacuum, and mop floors
- Wipe down skirting boards, doors, and surrounds
3. Bedrooms
- Remove and wash all bedding
- Dust and clean light fittings
- Take clothes out of wardrobes and drawers and clean inside
- Dust and polish furniture
- Dust blinds, curtains, and curtain poles
- Clean windows and windowsills
- Wipe down skirting boards, doors, and surrounds
- Vacuum carpets
- Sweep and mop hard flooring
4. Living room
- Dust and polish all furniture and electronics
- Dust lamps and light fittings
- Dust blinds, curtains, and curtain poles
- Clean windows and windowsills
- Vacuum sofas and other soft furnishings
- Wipe down skirting boards, doors, and surrounds
- Move large items and vacuum entire carpet or sweep and mop hard floor
5. Hallways and landings
- Vacuum, sweep and mop hard flooring
- Vacuum carpets
- Wipe down skirting boards, doors, and door surrounds
- Wash and dry doormats
- Dust items of furniture and shelving
6. Throughout your rental property
- Test all smoke alarms and replace batteries if needed
- Clean out air vents and extractor fans
- Wipe down and sanitise light switches, sockets, and fittings
- Replace any blown bulbs
- Wipe down and sanitise all door, drawer, and cupboard handles
