Move-out cleaning checklist for Ontario homes

Before you start

Empty rooms are the easiest to clean, because nothing is in the way. Wait until the furniture and boxes are out, then work from the highest surface to the lowest in each room so dust and drips fall onto areas you have not cleaned yet.

Open windows and run the exhaust fans while you work. If you use more than one product, keep them apart: Health Canada warns that bleach reacts with any cleaning product containing ammonia or an acid, including vinegar, to create toxic gases. Read every label.

Kitchen, including appliances

• Oven: take out everything, then follow your manual. GE Appliances says to remove all items before a self-clean cycle, including probes, foil, silicone mats, cookware and pans, and to remove racks except "no scrub" or "self-clean" racks. Leaving items in can damage the oven.
• Stove top, burners and knobs.
• Range hood and filter. Our guide on cleaning a greasy range hood filter has the steps.
• Fridge and freezer: empty both. Whirlpool recommends hand washing the bins and shelves with a mild detergent, and says not to clean glass shelves with warm water while they are cold, because sudden temperature changes can break them. Air circulates between both sections, so clean both to clear odours.
• Cabinets inside and out, drawers, handles, countertops and sink.
• Backsplash, plus the floor and wall behind and beside appliances where you can reach.

Bathrooms

• Tub, shower, glass doors and screens.
• Tile and grout lines. Our guide on whether grout cleaning is worth it explains when cleaning is enough and when regrouting is the job.
• Toilet, including the base and behind it.
• Sink, vanity, taps and mirrors.
• Exhaust fan cover. Dust builds up there, and Health Canada recommends running the fan for at least 30 minutes after a shower or bath, so it helps to leave it working.

Floors and baseboards

• Dust the baseboards first, then vacuum the floor along the edges and under the spots furniture sat.
• Hard floors: vacuum, then wash with a cleaner that suits the floor. If you plan to use steam, remember that Kärcher does not recommend it on waxed or unsealed floors. Our guide on what you can steam clean has the full list.
• Carpet: vacuum slowly, and treat marks as soon as you see them. Our guide on how often to deep clean carpet covers when a deep clean is due.
• Finish with the floors nearest the door so you do not walk over clean areas.

Closets, shelving and storage

• Wipe shelves, rods and the inside of drawers.
• Vacuum the corners and the floor of every closet.
• Check high shelves, top-of-cabinet space and the inside of the linen closet.

Doors, handles and switches

• Wipe door faces, frames and handles, where hands leave the most marks.
• Wipe light switches and outlet covers with a barely damp cloth. Do not spray anything onto them.
• Clean vents and grilles you can reach.

Interior windows and sills

• Clean the glass inside, then the frames, tracks and sills.
• Look for black or dark growth on sills and frames. Health Canada says not to use bleach to clean up mould, and that a single patch larger than 3 square metres calls for a qualified professional.

The last walk-through

1. Turn on every light and check each room for anything you missed, especially inside cupboards and drawers.
2. Look at the places that are easy to forget: behind doors, inside the oven, the tops of cabinets and the window tracks.
3. Take out the garbage and recycling.
4. Vacuum or sweep out the way you leave.

Where Steam Shines fits

Our move-in and move-out cleaning follows this list: the kitchen including appliances, bathrooms with tile and grout, floors and baseboards, closets and shelving, doors, handles and switches, and interior windows and sills. We use high-temperature steam with no harsh chemicals. Empty rooms are the best time for it, because nothing is in the way. Carpets in the empty rooms are covered by our carpet and rug cleaning.

We come to you in places like Toronto, Mississauga and Milton. Tell us the size of the home and when you have the keys, and we will confirm a time. To ask a question, message us.

Sources

1. Health Canada. Reduce your risk from toxic gases: never mix bleach with other cleaning products
2. GE Appliances. Range and wall oven: what to remove before self-cleaning
3. Whirlpool. Cleaning the interior of the refrigerator
4. Kärcher (US). Steam cleaners, applications and floor tips
5. Health Canada. Guide to addressing moisture and mould indoors