The Complete End of Lease Cleaning Checklist [DIY]
Posted October 6, 2020
Before you move to your exciting new home, there’s one last mountain to conquer – the end of lease clean. It’s totally daunting and you’re going to be absolutely grossed out by how filthy all the hidden nooks and crannies of your home have gotten, but we’re here to make it a little easier. Follow our end of lease cleaning checklist to complete a thorough clean and maximise your chances of getting your full bond refunded.
4 tips before you start
1. Be prepared
As Benjamin Franklin once said, ‘If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!’ And he was right. Make a schedule a few days in advance and stick to it. Print out our end of lease cleaning checklist and tick each item off as you go. This way you will know exactly which bits of the house you have or haven’t cleaned and how much you have to go at all times. Give yourself ample time to spend on each area and do not rush. As an example, it will generally take two professional cleaners an entire day to clean a very large house, so plan accordingly!
2. ‘Fair wear and tear’
As with everything, the older your home gets the more it will deteriorate. It’s important to know that this is totally normal and not something you’ll be expected to fix or pay for when it comes time to vacate. A couple examples include worn benchtops and flaking paint. If you’re unsure though, always check your tenancy agreement, the RTA website or chat to your landlord or agent about it to confirm.
3. Move your furniture out for best results
The best time to clean is after you’ve moved all your furniture out, you’ll be able to get to the dust bunnies that were hiding under your fridge and clean up any marks your furniture might have made on the walls.
4. Dry to wet and top to bottom
Start with your dry tasks first like dusting and vacuuming before you tackle the mopping and wiping down of surfaces with a wet cloth. And always go from top to bottom so that dust and grime doesn’t get swept off shelves and countertops and onto the floors you’ve just freshly cleaned.
What you’ll need:
This is a basic list, every clean will be a little different so be sure to go through the house a couple days before you start cleaning and add any additional items to the list that you might need (screwdriver, ladder, steam cleaner for carpets, etc.).
- Vacuum
- Dustpan and brush
- Mop and bucket
- Duster
- Gloves
- Broom
- Spray cleaner (disinfectant)
- Rubbish bags
- Windex
- Toilet cleaner and brush
- Bleach
- Sugar soap
- Oven degreaser and scraper
- Paper towels and cloth wipes
- Microfibre cloths
- Newspapers (for protecting carpet)
- Scrubbing brush
- Anything you need for garden work if required (lawn mower, weed spray, garden gloves, etc.)
End of lease cleaning checklist
Now to get down and dirty, feel free to print this list out and tick off each task as you go. Clean every item as thoroughly as you can. Your landlord or agent will usually go over everything with a fine-toothed comb during the inspection so don’t leave anything to chance.
Kitchen
This is most likely going to be the hardest area to clean and will take the longest because it’s where all the mess happens. Oil and food stains can get just about anywhere so be as detailed as possible.
- Wipe inside and outside of cupboards and drawers
- Clean and degrease range hood (and filter/extractor fan if necessary)
- Clean oven inside and out (allow around an hour to complete)
- Clean backsplash and walls
- Clean all bench surfaces
- Clean sink, taps, spout
- Clean any appliances that are staying (fridge, microwave, dishwasher, etc.)
- Vacuum and mop floor
- Wipe inside and outside of cupboards and drawers
- Dust all surfaces (light fittings, shelves, blinds, ceiling fans, window sills, skirting boards, etc.)
- Dust for cobwebs
- Wash curtains if necessary
- Clean any furniture that’s staying in the house
- Clean light switches/power points
- Wash walls
- Vacuum carpets and vacuum/mop floors boards
Bathrooms and laundry
- Wipe inside and outside of cupboards and drawers
- Clean mirrors and glass shower screens
- Scrub and disinfect inside and outside of toilet
- Remove mould and build up from shower head
- Clean any towel rails, soap holders and toilet paper holders
- Clean basin, shower, bathtub, taps, spouts, and bench tops
- Remove any hair from drains
- Clean walls and grout in tiles (don’t scrub grout))
- Clean any appliances that are staying (washing machine, lint from dryer, etc.)
- Clean walls and grout in tiles (don’t scrub grout))
- Vacuum and mop floors
Walls, floors and windows
- Ensure all walls are washed with sugar soap and pay extra attention to stains/marks
- Clean mirrors and glass shower screens
- Dust for cobwebs
- Wash all windows inside and out (where possible)
- Clean all skirting boards
- Clean and/or dust all curtains, blinds, and rails
- Vacuum all carpets, vacuum and mop all floor boards
- Steam clean carpets if necessary/required (it’s best to get a professional to do this)
Balcony/garage
- Clean walls where necessary
- Remove all cobwebs
- Dust tops of air conditioning units and filters/vents where possible
- Wipe inside and outside of cupboards, shelves, and drawers
- Clean windows, sills, doors and tracks
- Clean all balcony railings
- Sweep all floors
- Mop floors where necessary
Outside
- Wash all windows and sills
- Mow lawns and whipper snipper edges where possible
- Clean pool/spa and filters
- Clean any mess and repair any damage made by pets
- Wash rubbish bins inside and out
- Clean any appliances/furniture that are staying (BBQ, lawn mower, etc.)
- Clean any air conditioning units and filters/vents where possible
- Empty letterbox
- Dust light fittings and cobwebs
- Clean garage door and any marks on exterior house walls
- Clean and hose all patio areas
- Sweep/hose down paths and driveway (wash if oil marks present)
The verdict…
Be sure to keep in mind that even with your best cleaning efforts, you may miss something your landlord could pick up upon inspection – it happens. Usually your landlord will let you know so you can go back to clean up the rest. Just in case, make sure you have plenty of free time after the initial clean and inspection to be able to complete the re-clean if necessary so you don’t have to forfeit any of your bond.
If you’re stuck for time you can always contact a professional house cleaner in your area. If you’d like a free no obligation quote you can use our contact form.