Move-In and Move-Out Cleaning
Book a move-in/move-out cleaning today

Moving isn’t easy. The last thing anyone wants to think about on top of the endless moving to-do list is getting the home cleaned.
The final house cleaning is a vital in-between step whenever a home transitions. Whether you’re a homeowner who just closed on a house, a renter moving out, or a landlord with a new tenant, the move-in / move-out cleaning is essential.
After a long day of moving boxes, signing paperwork, and coordinating everything it takes to switch residences leaving the cleaning details to the professionals at Tidy Casa will feel like a breath of fresh air.
Let us take care of the move-in / move-out cleaning so you can focus on some TLC while the dust from the move settles.
Why Get a Move-Out Cleaning Instead of a Basic Cleaning?
The move-in/move-out cleaning service is the perfect home cleaning service for a transitioning home. This is because the move-in/move-out cleaning includes everything in the basic or standard cleaning service, with some handy additions that are especially important for empty homes.
The basic/standard cleaning includes cleaning the countertops, floors, bathrooms, kitchens, and other normal cleaning items. Having these areas cleaned is excellent for a typical currently occupied home.
Once the home is free of furniture, however, areas covered by things like drapes, couches, and beds in the past, like window blinds and baseboards, will have a lot of visible dust and debris from when they were covered.
This makes paying particular attention to these areas during a move-in/move-out cleaning critical to ensure the residence is ready for the next family.
Move-In/Move-Out Cleaning Includes
The move-in/move-out cleaning pays special attention to areas of the home that need extra attention when a house is empty. Those extras include everything in the list below.
- Everything in the standard cleaning
- Dusting ceiling fans (as needed)
- Dusting window sills
- Dusting blinds
- Cleaning the inside windows panes.
- Cleaning baseboards
- Sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming.
Extras Available Upon Request
Several extras are available à la carte for move-in/move-outs that need a little extra TLC. Let us know if you're looking for anything on this list. That way, we can allow enough time to get everything done.
- Inside oven
- Inside cabinets
- Inside refrigerator
- Wet wiping blinds
Remember, these extras are à la carte and not included by default. Please, make sure to let us know if they're needed so we can get them knocked out. 🙂
Don’t Wait, Book Your Move-in/Move-Out Cleaning Today
Move-In/Move-Out Cleaning Pro-Tips
We've done over 10,000 move-out cleanings over the last decade. That’s A LOT of homes and a lot of hard knock experience that taught us what makes a move-in and move-out experience go as smooth as butter.
Here are Tidy Casa’s pro tips for the PERFECT move-in or move-out cleaning.
TL;DR:
- Schedule services on different days: Cleaning works best when other services (like movers or carpet cleaners) aren’t in the way.
- Do the cleaning last, when the home is empty: Make cleaning the final step before handing over the keys.
- Leave a key for us: Avoid waiting around by leaving a key for the cleaners.
- Keep water and power on: Cleaning without water or power isn't possible—make sure utilities are running.
- Allow a few extra days for re-cleaning: Just in case anything needs a touch-up before moving out.
Follow these tips to make your move-in/move-out stress-free and spotless! 🧘🏻♀️
Schedule other services on different days🚚
Schedule any services like movers, carpet cleaners, plumbers or other services all on different days
It isn't easy to clean when other services are working, and we also know they feel the same way.
Please make sure we all get a bit of space to do a great job. Otherwise, people moving boxes in and out while we're cleaning can lead to a less than satisfactory experience.
Do the cleaning last ⏮️
The house cleaning should be the last or second-to-last to-do task before handing over the keys.
This is the first pro-tip because of how important it is that the home gets cleaned at the right time. Doing the cleaning last will GREATLY affect the quality of cleaning and your sanity.
Think about it. Deposits might not get back to you if the cleaning doesn’t happen last. Think about it when other services track dirt or create construction messes after the house cleaning. It will get dirty again.
Ideal moving schedule:
- Day 1: Pack up boxes - Get everything organized and ready for movers.
- Day 2: Truck and movers come - Truck gets loaded, and all the furniture is removed. This is important because areas that weren’t exposed before, like the baseboards behind the couch or bed or the floors underneath, will have a nice thick layer of dust. If furniture is still in the home, these won’t be able to be cleaned.
- Day 3: Repairs and painting - Patch any holes, replace blinds, and paint. Now is the time to reset the home and tackle all the little projects.
- Day 5: Home cleaning - This is where we get the most bang for your buck. The home is in good shape. Meaning no more technicians coming and going, the home is completely empty, Then, it’s officially ready to be cleaned.
- Day 6: Carpet cleaning - While this isn’t always a necessary step, carpet cleaners can get the final layer inside the carpets that our vacuums can’t reach. Having the home cleaned before will make their job easier, and you’ll have better results from both cleaning services.
- Day 7: Hand over the keys - Finally, now is the time to hand over the keys
Having services in this order will result in a like-new living space and a zen state of mind throughout the whole process.
Leave a key🔑
Move-in/move-outs should happen in an empty home.
When the home is empty, it can feel like an eternity waiting through our hour-long arrival window in an empty house.
Especially if the Internet is shut off and there's no Netflix! 🙄
That’s why we ALWAYS suggest leaving a key to get in.
There are TON of things to get done during a move and the last thing anyone needs is to be waiting around for the cleaners to show up.
Leave the key, under the mat, in the mailbox, or a lockbox if one is available.
As long as we know where the key is, we'll be set up for success, and you’ll have one less thing to worry about.
Have running water and power💡
It’s easy to forget water or power is getting shut off. Because of this, we’ve talked into more than a handful of homes that don’t have running water or power when we show up. Especially for move-out cleanings.
Not having power or water makes for a not-so-great experience for everyone. We need both to succeed!
If you're having either of these turned on, make sure to schedule the cleaning for at least 24 hours after the turn-on date.
For example, if the water is being activated on a Tuesday, schedule the cleaning no earlier than Wednesday.
This way, the utility company has plenty of time to turn on the water or power. This will save us all headaches later.
NOTE: If we don't have running water or power, we'll need to reschedule the service. Rescheduling may result in a cancellation fee.
Leave a few days after in case a re-cleaning is needed📅
It doesn't happen often, but if items are missed during the cleaning or someone in our office calls out sick, it's helpful to still have access to the home a few days after the scheduled cleaning.
That way, if we need to do a re-cleaning or reschedule for any reason, we have a small buffer to figure things out.
This is the insurance policy to keep the move perfectly zen, even if the wrose case happens. 🧘
Get a Move-in/Move-Out Cleaning Quote
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Frequently Asked Questions About Move-in/Move-Out Cleanings
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What’s the difference between a move-in/move-out and a regular cleaning?
Move-in/move-out cleanings include a few extras to ensure a home is ready for the next resident. The extras included in the move-in/move-out cleaning include:
- Baseboards
- Inside windows
- Window sills
- Ceiling fans
Everything for the move-in/move-out cleaning is done to ensure the home looks as good as new for the next resident. More information can be found on your move-in/move-out page here.
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What is the difference between a deep clean and a move-out clean?
While there is a lot of overlap between move-in/move-out and deep cleanings, they are different. A move-in/move-out cleaning is designed to prepare a home for transition between families, focusing on the areas that are hard to clean with furniture in the home. Deep cleanings typically focus more on items that only need cleaning every 6-12 months. While there is a lot of overlap between the two, we suggest sticking to the move-in/move-out cleanings for empty homes and the deep cleaning service for bi-annual spring cleanings.
While both move-in/move-out cleanings include standard cleaning items, move-in/move-out cleanings will focus on cleaning the baseboards, blinds, and inside window panes. Deep cleanings tend to focus on baseboards, blinds, doors, AC vents, light switches, and power outlets.
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How do I clean my house after moving out?
When moving out of a home, most home buyers or landlords expect to see a typical list of items cleaned. Those items include all the typical cleaning items like sweeping, mopping, and dusting, as well as cleaning the baseboards, blinds, inside window panes, cabinets, and inside the fridge. It’s important to note that most landlords of new buyers will typically also require professionally steam cleaning the carpets in addition to the other cleaning items. Because of the required equipment to steam clean carpets, these two services are usually performed by different companies.
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What is included in the deep cleaning of a house?
Deep cleanings include everything a standard cleaning does but with more detailed work, which includes the following.
- A dusting of the baseboards
- Dusting blinds
- Wiping down doors
- A dusting of AC vents
- Wipe down light switches
- Wipe down power outlets
- Ceiling fans, if requested, they’re easy to overlook when they’re running.
More information on the deep cleaning service can be found on our deep cleaning page.
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Can a landlord charge you for cleaning after you move out?
Yes, it’s very typical for landlords to charge for move-out cleanings after a tenant vacates a home. That said, most landlords prefer to pass that chore onto the residents. This can be accomplished by hiring a professional cleaning service or by the resident doing the cleaning themselves. Professional cleaners will have more experience to help get the job done right the first time and decrease the chances a landlord may come back with additional fees.
All landlords are different and will have different rules. It’s essential to consult with the landlords before making plans to purchase a move-out cleaning service. Some landlords may have preferred vendors or checklists that need to be addressed to avoid charging any additional fees after moving out.
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Do you have to clean the oven when you move out?
Most landlords will require cleaning the inside and outside of appliances like ovens, refrigerators, and microwaves. It’s important to note that most modern ovens have self-cleaning features, which can make removing any chemicals inside the oven a challenge. If chemicals are not removed properly, it may result in chemical smells the next time the oven heats up, which is a great way to ruin dinner.
It’s essential to check if the oven has a self-clean, auto-clean, or clean button on the control face. This is the giveaway that the oven needs to be put into a self-cleaning mode so it can clean itself. This will typically lock the oven down for 3-6 hours while it heats up to remove any gunk that may have built up. Once this process is completed, all that’s left to do is wipe away the dust that would have accumulated at the bottom of the oven.
NOTE: Do not use self-clean mode if any chemicals are still inside the oven. This may result in permanent damage to the oven.
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What is the fastest way to clean your house professionally?
The easiest and fastest way to clean a house is to hire a professional to do the cleaning service. More than professional cleaning supplies, professional cleaners have a world of experience most of us don’t. This allows them to move through a house much quicker. Most professionals can complete house cleaning within 2-3 hours, whereas someone without that experience may take 5-8 hours to do the same quality of work.
Suppose the affordability of a professional cleaner is a consideration. The best thing to do is to clean/dust from top to bottom. Meaning dusting higher selves, then countertops, then floors. Focus on the more essential payoff items that make the most difference. Sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, making beds, clearing out the dishes, and wiping down the countertops. While not being a complete professional cleaning, these items will significantly impact how the space looks.
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What does a typical move-in and move-out cleaning require?
Move-in/move-out cleanings include everything the standard cleaning does but with more detailed work focusing on areas that are hard to get while there’s furniture in the home. Those things include:
- Dusting the baseboards
- Dusting blinds
- Wiping down doors
- A dusting of AC vents
- Wipe down light switches
- Wipe down power outlets
- Ceiling fans, if requested, they’re easy to overlook when they’re running.
More information on the deep cleaning service can be found on our move-in/move-out cleaning page.
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Am I required to be home for the cleaning?
No, giving the cleaning team access is perfectly acceptable without you being present. Because moving can be so much work, we typically encourage clients to give us access to the home so they won’t have to wait in an empty home while we clean. That can be done by either leaving a key under the mat, in a lock box, or by using a door or garage code to gain access. As long as we know how to get in we’ll be able to get started while you focus on other more important moving items. We’ll even lock up when we’re done.
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How long will does a move-in/move-out cleaning take?
Move-in/ move-outs require more detailed work than a typical cleaning. Because of this, we assume a move-in/move-out will add an hour or two to the time of a standard cleaning. A one bedroom / one bathroom would take around two-three hours, whereas a three bedroom could take up to three or five hours.
All homes are different and have their unique challenges, and all cleaners move at different speeds. That’s one of the reasons we use flat-rate pricing. It allows us the time to get the job done right.