Move-in cleaning checklist for a new Land O' Lakes home

Clean before you unpack

An empty home is the easiest home to clean. Cabinets have nothing in them, floors are open wall to wall, and nothing needs to be moved to reach a baseboard. Once furniture is placed and boxes are stacked, many of these places will not be this easy to reach again for years.

If you can, schedule the move-in cleaning after the previous occupants have left and before your movers arrive. Even a single day between the two makes a difference.

Kitchen

The kitchen is where you will store food, so it deserves the closest attention. Work from top to bottom so dust falls onto surfaces that have not been cleaned yet.

• Inside and outside of upper and lower cabinets and drawers, including shelf edges.
• Countertops and backsplash, using a cleaner suited to the material.
• Sink, faucet and the area around the drain.
• Inside the fridge and freezer, including drawers and door shelves.
• Inside the oven, plus the cooktop and range hood.
• Microwave inside and out, and the dishwasher door and edges.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms in a home that has been sitting empty can collect dust and water spots, and a previous owner’s soap scum often remains on glass and tile.

• Shower, tub, glass doors and tile, with attention to soap scum and grout lines.
• Toilet inside and out, including the base and behind it.
• Vanity tops, sinks, faucets and mirrors.
• Inside vanity cabinets and drawers before toiletries go in.
• Exhaust fan cover, light fixtures and towel bars.

Bedrooms, closets and living areas

These rooms are mostly about dust and the small surfaces hands touch every day.

• Baseboards and door frames throughout.
• Closet shelves, rods and floors.
• Ceiling fan blades and light fixtures, done before the floors.
• Light switches, outlet covers, door handles and cabinet pulls.
• Window sills and blinds.
• Floors last: vacuum carpets and clean hard floors once everything above them is done.

Booking a move-in cleaning

Helpful Home Cleaners offers move-in cleaning in Land O’ Lakes and nearby Lutz and Odessa. When you book online you can choose whether the inside of cabinets is included, and you can add inside the fridge, inside the oven and windows. Openings are shown live online. The team is closed on Sundays and same-day appointments are not available, so plan a few days ahead of your move.

Many new homeowners follow a move-in cleaning with a recurring schedule, which keeps the house feeling the way it did on the first day.

A few first-week habits

Not everything in a new home is about cleaning, but a few small tasks in the first week make the house easier to keep fresh, especially in a humid climate.

• Replace the air-conditioning filter and note the size for next time.
• Check under sinks for drips while the cabinets are still empty and easy to see into.
• Test the bathroom exhaust fans and the range hood.
• Put mats at each entry to catch sand and grass from Florida yards.
• Decide on a regular cleaning rhythm before the first busy month takes over.