Top 10 DIY End-of-Lease Cleaning Tips

Are you vacating your home in Adelaide and want to ensure you get your bond back from your landlord before you leave? Your rental bond is a security deposit you pay your landlord at the beginning of your tenancy. Once you end your tenancy, you will get this bond back unless you do not meet the landlord’s requirements. One major requirement of your landlord is that you keep a neat and clean home without any damages and stained areas. To meet these requirements, you should hire end of lease cleaners Adelaide who will deep clean your home using advanced equipment and cleaning solutions. But if you plan to do this end-of-lease cleaning yourself, you must work like a professional and scrub the grease out of your oven and clean grout from your tiles, and more. You can follow the ten DIY tips below to help you clean like a pro and pass your landlord’s inspection. But first, you must understand what an end-of-lease cleaning is and why it is necessary.

What Is An End-Of-Lease Cleaning

An end-of-lease cleaning is a deep cleaning done before you vacate your premises and your landlord will have strict standards that you must maintain for this cleaning. This intensive cleaning can take hours, and you may still not get that level of perfection needed in such a short time. This is why it is better to opt for end-of-lease cleaning services in Adelaide to help you pass your landlord’s inspection.

Why Is End-Of-Lease Cleaning Important

Whether you are hiring professionals or cleaning on your own, you must do an end-of-lease cleaning before you leave to help get your bond back from your landlord. In Adelaide, your bond amount ranges from:

Four weeks’ rent if your rent is $250 or less

Six weeks’ rent if your rent is more than $250

Your landlord can hold your bond amount back at the end of your tenancy based on the following claims:

Unpaid water charges

Unpaid rent

Repair costs

Cleaning charges

Re-letting costs if you break your lease

Besides honouring the other conditions above, you should also ensure you do a proper end-of-lease cleaning so your landlord does not hold back your bond. To help you do this DIY end-of-lease cleaning in Adelaide, here are ten expert tips:

1. Make Sure You Follow Your Rental Inspection Sheet

According to the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2010 in South Australia, your landlord must hand you two copies of a rental inspection sheet. This inspection sheet lists your home’s condition when you move in and your landlord will refer to this inspection sheet at the end of your tenancy to see if there is any damage to your home and whether your property is as clean as before. Therefore, it is good to go over this inspection sheet as it will help you concentrate on difficult areas and help you pass your landlord’s inspection.

2. Write A Checklist Of All Your Cleaning Tasks

End-of-lease cleaning is a more thorough cleaning of your home where you will have to perform several difficult and time-consuming tasks like:

Degreasing kitchen stoves

Cleaning your air vents

Removing limescale

To ensure you complete all tasks and cover all areas of your home, you should write a checklist. It is a good idea to use a standardised cleaning checklist that has a certified and approved list of tasks to help you deep clean your home.

3. Use Efficient And Good-Quality Cleaning Tools

In a DIY end-of-lease cleaning in Adelaide, you must ensure you have the best quality cleaning tools to help you complete your tasks. Some cleaning tools that will help you perform your end-of-cleaning more systematically include:

Microfiber cloths

Scrub brush

Multipurpose dusters

Vacuum

Toilet brush

Sponges

Spray bottles

Mop and bucket

Vinegar and baking soda

It is also a good idea to use multipurpose cleaning tools to reduce cleaning time. For instance, using an all-purpose natural cleaner like vinegar will help you scrub and clean multiple areas. Here are some multipurpose and cleaning tools every home must have.

4. Start Cleaning From The Top Of Your Home

It is always good to follow an organised approach when cleaning your home, and end-of-lease cleaners in Adelaide recommend starting from the top. Before moving to the bottom, you should wipe and dust all your light fixtures, ceiling fans, air vents, lamps and chandeliers. This way, you will only be cleaning the dust on the floor once and thus will help you save time. You can also move from left to right when cleaning to ensure you do not miss any spots.

5. Do A Deep Cleaning Of Your Kitchen And Bathroom

Your landlord will scrutinise your kitchen and bathroom areas as these are the two high-traffic areas in your home. To ensure your kitchen gets a deep cleaning, you must pay attention to each spot and stain and

Scrub your sinks and faucets

Wipe your cupboards and shelves

Dust your appliances

Degrease your oven and stove tops

Clean your garbage disposal

For your bathroom, you must concentrate on the following:

Wiping stains from your mirror

Cleaning grout from your tiles

Removing mould from shower heads

Scrubbing faucets and sinks

Cleaning and disinfecting your toilet

Remove hard water stains from floors

6. Wipe Off Stains From Your Windows

When leaving your home, it is important to remove stains from your window. To deep clean your windows, use a microfiber cloth to wipe away dust from top to bottom and then use cornstarch to remove smudges and stains. You must clean your windows when it is cloudy outside as the sunlight can dry them quickly and leave water stains. You can also use a squeegee or paper to clean windows in the following ways.

7. Remove Fingerprints From Your Walls

If your wall has fingerprints and grease marks, your landlord will notice this and deduct a part of your bond. This is because a new tenant might ask for the walls to be cleaned and painted again, which will cost the landlord money. Therefore, it is advisable to wipe these stains off before an inspection using a microfiber mop, a bucket of warm water, and vinegar. Dip the mop in the vinegar solution and rub it over your walls from top to bottom. If the stains do not disappear, sprinkle baking soda on the tough areas and then wipe them away with a microfiber cloth.

8. Steam Clean Your Carpets To Remove Dirt

Carpet cleaning is an essential part of vacate cleaning, and you must ensure you get the dirt out of your carpet and make it look brighter and fresh. To do this, you can rent steam cleaning machines and use this on your carpet with a solution of vinegar and baking soda. Once your carpet is clean, ensure you dry it properly, so there are no foul odours.

9. Don’t Forget To Clean Your Patios And Front Porches

As part of your end-of-lease cleaning, you must also concentrate on your exteriors and make them look stunning. Remove any debris from your front porches and lawn, wipe and polish your patio furniture and mow your lawn.

10. Hire Professional End-Of-Lease Cleaners

Lastly, the best way to pass your landlord’s inspection is to book end-of-lease cleaners in Adelaide. These professionals use advanced techniques and green cleaning solutions to remove even the toughest dirt from your home. It is a good idea to hire experienced and reliable professionals who know what your landlord expects and will match these cleanliness standards.

Conclusion

The above ten tips will help you perform a thorough end-of-lease cleaning and help you get your bond back from your landlord. The important thing is to start cleaning at least a week in advance so you can complete your tasks with efficiency and in an organised fashion.