When planning a home move, many people engage in a fierce race against time in an effort to “get it over it” as fast as possible. But with all that rushing, one can end up forgetting key steps of the relocation process, such as cleaning your new property before you move in it. Even if the previous tenants or owners of the home have thoroughly fulfilled their moving-out cleaning obligations, there are four main areas in the house or flat which you need to sanitise to perfection:
- The bathroom
- All hard-to-reach spots
- The kitchen
- The refrigerator
So, before you start packing or even looking for cost-efficient delivery of moving boxes in London, you will need to do some cleaning.
Bathroom
Experts recommend that home bathrooms should be sanitised at least once a week. You have no way of knowing the cleaning habits of the previous owners. Therefore, grab a sponge, some cleaning detergents and start scrubbing every inch of it. It is also recommended to replace some items in the bathroom with new ones such as the curtain shower, soap dispenser and the toothbrush holder. That is simply the more hygienic thing to do.
Hard-to-reach spots
If your new flat or house comes fully or partially furnished, take the time to clean under every piece of furniture. You do not want to have dust bunnies as your housemates, right? Take a small ladder to also sanitise the surfaces over your kitchen cabinets and the bedroom wardrobe. Do the same with light fixtures, ceiling fans and window blinds.
Kitchen
This is where you will prepare your food so before you start cooking, you need to wipe and scrub every inch of your kitchen. Do not clean only the floor and the different surfaces in that part of your new home. Wipe every cabinet and cupboard on the inside too and clean your oven and microwave to perfection. Only then can you take out the pots and the pans and get your Master Chef on.
Pay special attention to the refrigerator
When a refrigerator or a freezer has been neglected for a long time, i.e. it has not been cleaned properly, it will ooze an unpleasant smell even when it is empty. If you do not make an effort to meticulously scrub it, any food you store in it will start to smell like the fridge itself. The problem is that you must not use aggressive products to clean it because you would not want to contaminate your food with dangerous toxins and chemicals. This is why you need to make a solution of warm water and vinegar and use it to wipe the interior of the fridge. If the appliance continues to smell even after you have completed this step, invest in a refrigerator odour absorber or place a cup of baking soda in it. That too should do the trick.
And you thought that packing will be the most time-consuming stage of your relocation! We just shattered that myth to pieces!