It’s exciting to move and start a new life in a new house. However, while the payoff is nice, the actual process of moving is often arduous and frustrating. Why? Packing and cleaning. You have to clean everything: all the normal chores plus the places you usually forgot to clean and even the places that were never cleaned. Here are a few tips to make your move out cleaning just a little bit smoother.

Pack and Organize

Obviously you have to pack everything up. But you can do so in a way that means you’re working smarter, not harder. First, make sure your boxes are sturdy and won’t crumple if stacked. Look for corrugated cardboard boxes that have a high ECT rating (ECT stands for Edge Crush Test and is a measure of the stacking strength of a carton). There are also specialized boxes you can get for moving dishes, clothes, art, and mirrors. Choosing good boxes ensures your stuff won’t get ruined.

A few other packing tips:

• Use packing tape. (There’s a reason it’s called that!) Duct tape and other varieties don’t stick as well to cardboard.
• Use newspaper to wrap delicate items and as padding! Lots.
• Label your boxes on the sides or on the sides and the top. If you have the time, color code which boxes you’ll need to open right away and which boxes you don’t need to open immediately.
• Do laundry well before it’s time to put clothes away. Wet or damp clothes in warm, dark enclosed spaces leads to odor and possibly mold. Make sure everything is clean and dry and your wardrobe will be ready to go on day one of living in your new home.

Figure Out Which Cleaning Supplies You’ll Keep…

As with everything else, this is a prime opportunity to get rid of things. Over the years, your cleaning closet or utility room might have accumulated quite a lot of products. A good rule of thumb is if you don’t use it when you do your one final cleaning before the move, you probably never will. Throw it out, give it to a friend, get rid of it!

…Then Clean Everything

It can be difficult to remember to do every little thing. Not only is it exhausting, but at some point you might be at loss if a chore needs to be done or not. Here’s a checklist that may help:

• Do the cleaning you usually do: sweep, mop, vacuum, scrub, wipe down, dust. Every surface including floors, countertops, walls, light fixtures, baseboards should be cleaned. Pretty much every accessible square inch of your home should be wiped down.
• Repair holes in the wall left by nails and screws. You’ll probably need to fill these with putty, then sand and paint.
• Clean any grout in your kitchen, bathroom, or patio areas.
• Remove the liners from drawers.
• Clean the inside of your kitchen appliances: refrigerator, oven, etc. If possible get under and behind these guys, too.

Looks and Smells Clean

Your home can’t just look good, it’s got to smell good. Bad odor is an obvious tip-off that a place isn’t really clean. Baking soda is a great way to eliminate odor. Sprinkle some over your carpet, let it sit, then vacuum it back up. Read more odor-busting tips.

Hire a Maid Service for Move Out Cleaning

Doesn’t all that sound exhausting? The easiest way to clean is to not clean at all! Let a professional maid service do the work for you. Maids by Trade is experienced with move-out cleanings and we strive to make your home look like it was never lived in.

We recommend scheduling a move out cleaning with us a couple weeks in advance. That way we can make sure to set aside enough time for your job to make sure it’s done right. Leave the cleaning to Maids By Trade to make your move-out a breeze.

We have more publications on move out cleaning! Here’s what to do if you’ve chosen a professional move out cleaning and here are more tips about the nitty gritty of packing and cleaning.