Visit your landlord or real estate and obtain a copy of your move-in inspection. If you did not do a move-in inspection, ask for a copy of the move-out inspection form. Go through the list, item by item, and check to see if you’ve incurred any additional damages that weren’t there when you moved in.

Walk through the apartment again with the landlord or property manager to confirm what needs to be cleaned or repaired in order for you to get your bond back and to avoid damage or cleaning fees. Write down what the person specifies and have him/her sign off on it to verify that what you wrote down is all you’re responsible for and so you don’t get any surprises when you go to hand in your keys.

Remove all staples, nails and blutac  you have stuck into the walls, ceilings, or doors of the property. Using sugarsoap, go through each room and remove any scuff marks on the walls,light switches,powerpoints, floors, or doors. (Warning: Test the sugarsoap first, as it can clean some paints right off the wall.)

Clean the kitchen.]] Fill the sink with warm water and add dish detergent to the water.

The refrigerator – Remove all of the shelves and drawers from the refrigerator and freezer and place them in the dishwasher or wash them by hand. Dip a sponge into the dishwater and wipe down the interior of the refrigerator and freezer, being certain to remove any food build-up. Don’t forget the little compartments where you kept the butter and eggs! Then wipe down all of the shelves, dry the shelves, and place them back in the refrigerator.

The oven – While you can set the oven to self-clean if that option is available, the better way would be to use one to two cans (depending on whether you EVER cleaned the oven while you lived in the apartment) of oven cleaner to get the oven really clean. Read the safety directions carefully, many oven cleaners require protective equipment (gloves & goggles) and strong ventilation. Do not ignore the directions on the can. Place newspaper in front of the oven, slightly underneath the door or drawer and extended out to protect your floor from dripping cleaner. Evenly apply both cans to the inside of the oven, the grates, the broiler sheets, etc. Throw the drip pans from the stove in there and coat them too. Let sit for 24 hours. Do not turn on oven! Using a sponge and paper towels, wipe down all surfaces. Rinse with clean water. Clean the vent above the stove and be certain that the light bulb in the overhead hood is in working condition,clean the filter in the range hood as well.

The cabinets – Using a multi-purpose cleaner that is safe to use on your cabinets, wipe down the interior and the exterior of the cabinets.

The light fixtures – You should then check to make sure the light fixtures are clean and do not have any dead insects in them. If there are glass fixture covers, give them a wipe. Think twice before throwing them into the dishwasher, because thermal stresses and harsh detergents may damage the glass.

The surfaces – Make sure you wipe down the exterior of the refrigerator, the stove range (including underneath the drip bowls), and all of the counter tops. Also, wipe down the exterior and interior of the dishwasher, microwave, and any other appliance provided by your landlord/real estate (including the surface of any washer or dryer).

The sink – Drain the water from the sink and clean the sink and wipe down the faucet. If the sink is stainless steel or porcelain, a powdered cleanser works great! An old toothbrush or other small brush can be very useful for scrubbing around the edges of fixtures and the sink.

The floor – Sweep and then mop the floor. To do a really good job, you should pull out the stove and refrigerator and clean that part of the floor too. Be extra careful when pulling these appliances as they can scratch wooden floors, damage linoleum or break tiles. You will also find all kinds of gross stuff on the sides of the appliances and cabinets when you do that and insects underneath.

Clean the bathrooms

Thoroughly clean the sink, tub, toilet and shower. Make sure you have removed any buildup and wiped down the fixtures.

Clean the mirrors, medicine cabinet and any vents or light fixtures in the bathroom. Make sure you don’t use mirror cleaner with ammonia in it. Check to make sure the light fixtures are clean and that the light bulbs work. Again, throw those glass light fixture covers in the dishwasher.

Sweep and mop the bathroom floor. Be especially careful around the toilet.

Repeat for each bathroom.

Clean the bedrooms. Wipe down any closet shelves provided and clean any mirrors. If you have carpet, you should Call KPs . If you do not have carpets, you should mop. If floors are wooden, use an oil soap. Repeat for each bedroom.

Turn your attention to the living room and dining room. Clean the windows and the wash the blinds. Clean the blades of the ceiling fan and/or any light fixtures in the room. Vacuum or mop the floors.

Sweep and clean the exterior (including any balcony, patio, and doors) and remove any remaining garbage bags from the apartment. Be sure that outside lights are working. Put garbage bins on curb, if appropriate, for pickup.

Take pictures of the property and keep for your records in case the landlord/real estate says you damaged the place. Send the photos and a written description to the landlord or property manager and ask them to sign off on it. Send one to yourself at the same time and leave the package unopened. If the landlord or property manager won’t sign off, the postmark on the envelope may help prove the date of the cleanliness of the property upon leaving.

Go to your move-out inspection. Be sure to get a copy of the move-out inspection for your records and return the keys