End of Tenancy Cleaning is a classic professional service in the UK. Although perceived as a service, there are still people who undertake the task of End of Tenancy Cleaning completely independently. In both cases it is about cleaning a home - an apartment or a house - that has been rented. There is still controversy as to who is doing the cleaning itself - the tenant or the landlord. Rather, it is a matter that is settled in the contract and the personal arrangements between the two parties, with the tenant most often obliged to perform an End of Tenancy Cleaning immediately before leaving. However, the End of Tenancy Cleaning checklist is always the same. Cleaning is always thorough, top-to-bottom and detailed.
End of Tenancy Cleaning - Planning and Strategy
The action plan is part of the End of Tenancy. Especially if you plan to do the whole task yourself. If you decide to take advantage of faster and better professional cleaning services, you will also need to do a few things, but they will not cost you much effort, namely:
- Choose a professional company to trust. Follow the advice of friends who have already booked an End of Tenancy cleaning service, or do a thorough internet research. Good companies leave a special feedback form on their pages, where customers themselves can comment on the services used.
- Contact the selected company. After making sure that it offers End of Tenancy Cleaning, it is of the utmost importance that you give the maximum details and instructions for your requirements, property type, condition of the property, additional requirements, etc. Even if you forget something, don't worry. Usually, cleaning companies have reliable customer support, so you can always call back to complete your instructions.
- In most cases, a professional cleaning company will schedule a day to visit the home. In 90% of the cases, this is a free consultation and aims to form the right team and plan for action. During this consultation it is advisable to familiarize the company with your tenancy contract. Often, it contains additional requirements by the landlord. This is also a good time to discuss the details of the service - price, package of cleaning services, time and duration, emergency service, etc.
- What should I provide to the End of Tenancy cleaning team on the day of the appointment? Virtually nothing. This is also one of the benefits of having a professional service for that purpose. The company will not ask you to prepare any detergents, equipment or other. Not only do they have these, they also work with quality equipment that achieves up to 70% high efficiency compared to your standard vacuum cleaner and your two-handed pair, as well as environmentally friendly cleaning products that protect human health and the environment. However, it may be necessary to provide free parking space in front of your home precisely because of the large amount of equipment the cleaners bring and load in a special van. You do not need to be present during the cleaning service - yes, this is quite possible and useful to accomplish other relocation tasks - all you need to do is supply the team with a key to the apartment or house.
That's not how things go with the planning of DIY End of Tenancy Cleaning. Here's what you need to do to formulate the perfect strategy for this daunting task:
- Consider the time you have for End of Tenancy Cleaning. Keep in mind that this is a really time-consuming cleaning. Properties with up to 2 bedrooms will take at least one full day to handle. According to UK precision homeowners who have already passed the DIY End of Tenancy challenge, a single-story 3-bedroom house can be perfectly cleaned and deposit refunded in at least 2 business days. In this regard, if you are in a hurry, you may need to take a few days off.
- Given the things we said above, it would not be a bad idea to include helpers in your action plan. Be careful about your choice. Of course, it is easiest to involve the people closest to you (children, partner, friends etc.) in cleaning. If this is not possible or you need even more staff, remember which friend owes you a favor or stop arguing with your neighbors because they may be the only people who can help you with this task.
- Consider the cleaning supplies available. The End of Tenancy cleaning check will not pass successfully even if only if one spot is found on the carpet. We want to say that everything in the home really needs to shine with cleanliness. In this regard, standard universal cleaners may not work. Here is what you need to do: start touring room by room and write down exactly what you need for each of them. This way you will not forget anything, and you will not waste your time with extraordinary walking to the shop for degreaser or other preparation. What's more, different rooms may require different cleaning products. For example, if you have carpets in the living room, inspect them, as they may be delicate and cleaned with specialized equipment only (you will need to buy or rent one). In the bathroom, it is possible to have mold and scale, which are not removed with standard cleaning products.
- Once you've made the list of cleaning supplies you need, go to the market. Shop without thinking much about money and savings, because if your deposit is large, you will end up losing it due to poor cleaning.
- It is advisable to remove your personal belongings first before committing to cleaning yourself. This will make it easier for you to identify hidden spots and dirt. On the other hand, if you collect and move your belongings after cleaning, it may be possible to create new chaos and dirt just before inventory check.
- And now it's time to plan for the cleanup itself. It's a good idea to go room by room, just like you did on a preview, to decide what product to use. You can safely use the End of Tenancy checklist maintained by professional cleaning companies. This will save you time making your own schedule and also ensure that you do not forget anything, as cleaning companies are extremely precise in their work and because of the 48-hour guarantee they provide, they will strictly comply with the required standards.
Classic End of Tenancy Cleaning checklist - what does the whole service and cleaning of the individual premises include?
The standard plan is to keep an End of Tenancy list of requirements that you can safely follow. If you are going to clean without professional help, begin with some basic tasks and hygiene missions. Then it goes to cleaning room by room. Here are the standard End of Tenancy tasks (they are performed in every room of the property):
- Checking the walls for scratches and smudges they have to be removed immediately or repaired (the latter are not required by the tenant and are only used for timely signaling the client in order to properly take quick measures)
- Remove cobwebs
- Wiping dust - everywhere, including inside the furniture (eg in drawers, closets, cabinets, etc.)
- Wiping and cleaning switches, handles, windowsills
- Window Cleaning - the inside part only
- Thoroughly clean the upholstered furniture - steam cleaning, stain removal
- Thoroughly clean the carpets - steam or dry cleaning, stain removal, depending on the type of fabric
- Cleaning appliances. Some of them may require disassembly for deeper cleaning (for example, the oven, which is a top priority during inspection).
- Cleaning the doors, if necessary.
- Cleaning the flooring, regardless of type.
- Cleaning the terrace/balcony
- If agreed between the tenant and the landlord, cleaning is also done in front of the house (porch, garden furniture, yard, garage)
- After cleaning any room, it is ventilated
Now see what the End of Tenancy Cleaning includes in the separate rooms.
EOT kitchen:
- Wiping and cleaning countertops, shelves with particular diligence in the area, which is preparing
- sink wash and monitor the scale and stains from water
- Empty all bins
- Remove stains from stale, burnt food and remaining greasy stains or mold around the sink
- Careful cleaning of the refrigerator after it is emptied and thawed
- Remove bad odors if necessary
EOT bathrooms (bathroom and toilet)
- Cleaning of shower, bath, shower, sink and bathroom furniture
- Thorough inspection and removal if available mold and scum, and stains from water
- Wiping mirrors or other glass surfaces
- Empty dispensers and cleaning
- Mop the floor and washing of carpets, if available
- Cleaning shower curtains
EOT living room and living
- Thoroughly remove items available in all sections and cabinets and wiping the furniture and shelves
- inspection sofas and need specialized service upholstery cleaning (dry or steam depending on
- Cleaning the flooring according to its type
- more cleaning the TV, stand or table for the TV with
- Moving the furniture to clean the space they have covered
EOT bedroom:
- Cleaning the mattress - basic - if necessary, may be required and specialized mattress cleaning service
- Turndown and laundering of linen
- Cleaning and dressing mirrors, if available
- Wiping blinds
- Laundering curtains
- Remove any spots b h regardless of their origin
- Cleaning floors, plus cleaning of the carpet, if available such
- Airing
Aside from ventilating the premises and making sure there are no residual unpleasant odors? In fact, yes, the tasks for you continue. The following is actually an assessment of everything done under the plan so far. The check is usually done by the landlord. He will, as well as you, inspect the entire home with precision and detail. If you find a small irregularity, you risk your deposit. However, do not despair if the cleaning service has been entrusted to a professional company. This service is always bound by a special guarantee that comes into play in such cases. If the inspection reveals any irregularities, you have a certain period within which to contact the cleaning company. They will send a team to check on the spot for this irregularity. In compliance, the company will bear the full cost of re-cleaning. That way you as your client will get your deposit back.
End of Tenancy Cleaning is an extremely detailed and delicate task. As you have already seen, it involves a number of tasks that a removal practitioner would categorically cope with on their own. Using a professional service will save you not only a lot of effort and time, but also any trouble. You have to admit that the cleaning tasks listed here are quite difficult, and for some people, especially those who do not like to clean very much, even daunting. Do not risk your deposit, but take it with a smile and make sure to leave the property in a good relationship with your landlord. In any case, we wish you a successful End of Tenancy Cleaning!
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