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Sophie’s Cleaning Tips
Getting ready for a big clean up – how to prepare for an end of tenancy clean.
One of the most important aspects of approaching any cleaning job is preparation. Have a good walk round the property and plan your attack, making a list may help you ‘tool up’ properly and save you time further down the line.
Try and get any old furniture, curtains or appliances out now so that you have easy access and can really see what needs cleaning. At the beginning of a job some painters and decorators will even replace the bulbs with high wattage ones to really see what they’re doing.
This is one time when you are likely to be doing all those little jobs that were never done by the old tenants, things like cleaning behind the fridge or de-limescaling the shower doors – so a good de-greasant is a must. Some of the orange based ones really cut through and can be used anywhere, they also smell great and that’s supposed to uplift your mood too.
If this sort of heavy duty cleaning is something that you are going to be doing on an on-going basis think about investing in a small, hand-held steamer, this will save you a lot of elbow grease. Otherwise you can console yourself with the thought of how many calories you’ll burn – there are plenty of cleaning/calorie burning calculators out there to help motivate you!
At this stage you may want to consider all natural cleaning, using store cupboard items such as bicarbonate of soda, white vinegar, lemon juice, castile soap, etcetera – with a bit of research the results can be just as good and it will be softer on you and the environment.
A good cleaning kit should consist of a small scrubbing brush (good for round taps), j-cloths, a micro-fibre dusting cloth and chamois cloth for the windows (although newspaper really does work), scouring pad, floor cloth, mop/bucket and vacuum cleaner..put them all into a box or big bag so that you have everything to hand.. Remember to buy rubber gloves, some overalls and a nice hand cream (for the end of the job) be kind to yourself, you’ll work better the next time.
Finally – a timer in your kit can help you work to the clock, remind you to work fast and give you a good idea how long jobs take for when you’re estimating the next property.
Bleach is a great all rounder for kitchens and bathrooms – but with a rental property this should be used cautiously – it’s so easy to stain carpets, curtains or bathroom fittings. Lime scale removers will be imperative after a long term tenancy – there are some great ones on the market – just don’t leave them on too long or they can eat into the enamel.
When you first start the job always clean the kitchen sink first so that you have somewhere clean to work from..
As with all cleaning jobs the basic rule of thumb is open the windows, let in some fresh air…it’s good for the property to have a change of air and the added oxygen should help you work faster!
