Moving day has a way of eating every hour you have. The truck leaves at noon, the walk-through is tomorrow morning, and the oven still has two years of dinners baked onto it. A move-out cleaning gets the home you are leaving ready to hand back, and a move-in cleaning makes the new one feel like yours before the first box comes through the door. This guide gives you a room-by-room move-out cleaning checklist, the spots a walk-through usually checks, a move-in cleaning checklist, when to book, and what to put in your post so local cleaners can send accurate bids.
Move-out cleaning vs. move-in cleaning
| Move-out cleaning | Move-in cleaning | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Hand the home back spotless for the walk-through and the next people | Start fresh before your things arrive |
| Best time | After the movers leave, before the walk-through | After you get the keys, before the boxes |
| Focus | Inside appliances, cabinets, bathrooms, baseboards, blinds, marks on walls | Inside cabinets and drawers, fridge, bathrooms, floors, touch points |
| Home | Empty, or nearly empty | Empty |
The move-out cleaning checklist, room by room
Kitchen
- Inside the oven, the racks and the stovetop, including under the burner grates
- Inside the fridge and freezer, the shelves and drawers, and behind and under the fridge if it can be moved
- Inside and outside of cabinets and drawers, the microwave and the dishwasher door
- Sink, faucet, backsplash and the range hood filter
Bathrooms
- Shower and tub, the shower door or curtain rod, grout and soap build-up
- Toilet inside and out, including the base and behind it
- Vanity, mirror, inside the drawers and the medicine cabinet
- Exhaust fan cover and the floor along the edges
Bedrooms, living areas and the whole home
- Baseboards, door frames and doors, light switches and outlet covers
- Blinds, windowsills and window tracks
- Closet shelves and floors
- Scuffs and marks on walls (spot cleaning), ceiling fans and light fixtures
- Floors vacuumed and mopped last, room by room toward the door
Before the walk-through: small things that help
- Read the cleaning part of your lease or ask the landlord or property manager for their move-out checklist, and share it with your cleaner.
- Patch nail holes and touch up paint if your lease asks for it. A handyman can do this the same day as the clean.
- Take photos and a short video of every room after the cleaning, with the date, and keep them with your move-out paperwork.
- Replace burned-out bulbs and leave the keys, remotes and manuals where you agreed.
- Haul away what you are leaving behind before the cleaners arrive. Junk removal can be booked on its own post.
The move-in cleaning checklist
The day you get the keys is the only time your new home will ever be completely empty. A move-in clean uses that moment:
- Inside every cabinet, drawer and closet shelf, before your dishes and clothes go in
- Inside the fridge, freezer, oven, microwave and dishwasher
- Bathrooms top to bottom, including the toilet base and the shower grout
- Touch points: light switches, door handles, cabinet pulls and railings
- Windowsills, blinds, baseboards and vent covers
- Floors last, so you can walk in with your first box onto a clean floor
When to book
For a move-out clean, book it for after the movers leave and before the walk-through. For a move-in clean, book it for after you get the keys and before the truck arrives. The last and first days of the month are the busiest for cleaners and movers, so post a week or two ahead when you can. If the dates are tight, say so in your post: many cleaners can bring a team and work quickly in an empty home.
What to put in your post for accurate bids
- Move-out, move-in, or both, and the dates and times you need
- The size of the home: bedrooms, bathrooms and the rough square footage
- Whether the home will be empty
- Extras you want included: inside the oven and fridge, walls, blinds, windows, carpet cleaning
- Access: key or lockbox, parking, stairs or an elevator
- Photos of the kitchen and bathrooms, and the landlord's checklist if you have one
Questions to ask your cleaner
- What does your move-out (or move-in) clean include, and what is extra?
- Do you bring your own supplies and equipment?
- How many people will come, and how long do you expect it to take?
- If something is missed at the walk-through, can you come back to touch it up?
- Can you also do carpets or windows, or should I post those separately?
Often booked with a move-out cleaning
Moving rarely needs just one pro. Many people post these on the same week: moving help to load or unload the truck, junk removal for what stays behind, carpet and window cleaning, and a handyman for nail holes, touch-up paint and the small repairs a walk-through might notice. If you are selling instead of renting, read repairs before selling a house.
Get move-out and move-in cleaning bids on BidHandyman
Post your cleaning free with the dates, the size of the home and what you want included. Only pros approved by BidHandyman can bid. Compare the bids, message the cleaners with your questions and hire the one you like, with no obligation. Then hand back the keys with a smile and walk into a home that already feels like yours. Post your move-out or move-in cleaning, or see house cleaning and all cleaning services.