Cleaning tips

[MrsWarleggan]

Posted for traffic!

Moving out of rental in a few weeks time and with the joys of children over 4 years we have hand prints (think up the side of stairs, around light switches etc) our letting agency basically want a brand new house on our check out appointment or they will take all our deposit.

Can I ask for your foolproof cleaning techniques that won't take of paint.... I refuse to give them any money!!

TIA 😊

Magic eraser spongy things.

Hire a cleaning company to do an end of tenancy clean. Takes the pressure off you.

Failing that- the pink stuff paste in the tub is a thing of wonder. Gets rid of every kind of mark.

But yeah, hire someone else to do it.

Repaint?

I know it’s extra cash when you’re moving but we moved out of our rented house in June and paid a couple of cleaners to blitz the place and it was so worth it. Big agencies were asking for loads of money but we asked for recommendations on next door/local fb groups and found a really reasonable quote. They did the oven and everything. It really took the stress off moving, I hate when you’re all excited about moving somewhere new and get bogged down with cleaning the old place. It’s just added mental load.

But if not, I recommend the pink stuff for general cleaning, elbow grease degreaser for kitchen, cillit bang for bathroom scrubbing. Tiktok is also awash with great tips (clean tok) and Instagram has a lot of cleaning accounts if you search the hashtags. Best to do one room at a time and just go for it really. Ideally if you have time and move out before your tenancy ends so you have a couple of days to scrub the empty place without furniture/belongings in the way.

Melamine sponges. Lots of them. Definitely squeeze the water out well before you wipe light switches!

Use diluted Zoflora to wipe radiators and doors etc.
Smell lingers for ages!!

Thanks for the tips. Unfortunately we can't afford even a cheap alternative to a tenancy clean so it's all on us! We have two weeks from getting the keys to moving out and a whole day before giving the keys back so we do have some time. The place isn't in anyway shape or form filthy but it's those bits that you forget to do as part of the normal house clean (round switches etc). It's only a 2 bed rabbit hutch terrace so shouldn't take too long 🤞

The check out list the letting agent has given us is ridiculous. Short of redecorating the place for the landlord I'm not sure what they want. The bloody carpet is 25 years and a horrible green colour and they are expecting it too look like a CarpetRight show room 🙄

In our 15 years of renting we have never not had all our deposit back.... I sense this one may be different!

They simply cannot expect 25 year old carpet to be returned as new. They’re very stupid if they think they can enforce that. Hopefully your deposit is protected?

What condition was the property in when you moved in? Do you have photos?

Take loads and loads of photos. Before and after you've cleaned. Compare them to the photos when you initially took the house on (assuming you took photos as I would on the way into a house) and then they can't argue if it all looks the same. Magic erasers definitely for walls etc.

Deposit is protected in the normal deposit scheme.
We have a copy of the inventory and photos of the place. We have had property inspections every 6 months, apart from during lockdown and have always been reported back as rating outstanding. Apart from once where we were told there was a small amount of mould under the taps on the bath that needed cleaning. The landlord has also been in a few times and never mentioned any issues.

We also re-laid the patio (at our own cost, but we wanted to do it) as all the slabs were massively un even you couldn't sit on it, and re-seeded the lawn as it was all patchy and dead. We've been told we most mow the lawn and weed or we will be charged for a gardener to do it........ Its been monsoon weather! How are you supposed to mow a lawn when it's sodden!!!!

The list they have sent is exhaustive!

If I were the landlord I would at least put a lick of paint around (it's ALL magnolia), even without the marks, after at least 4 years it's all looking rather tired, and perhaps invest in some dark, hard wearing carpets but he just wants someone in quick to keep paying in to his pension fund (his words!) 🙄