A move-out clean is the one cleaning job with money riding on it. For renters it's the security deposit; for sellers it's the buyer's final walkthrough. Either way the standard is the same: the home should look like nobody ever lived in it. This is the checklist our teams work from on move-in and move-out jobs across Prince George's County.
Before you start
- Empty the home first. A move-out clean around boxes is not a move-out clean. Schedule it for after the movers.
- Keep the utilities on. No water and no power means no clean. Cancel them for the day after.
- Get the walkthrough standard in writing. Maryland landlords must give you the chance to be present at the inspection — ask what they check.
Room by room
Kitchen
- Inside and outside of every cabinet and drawer, including the tops of upper cabinets
- Inside the oven, under the burners, and the range hood filter
- Inside the refrigerator and freezer — pull it out and clean behind it
- Dishwasher filter and door seal
- Sink, faucet base, and the caulk line
Bathrooms
- Grout, tile, and the shower door track
- Inside the medicine cabinet and vanity
- Exhaust fan cover
- Toilet base and the floor behind it
Everywhere else
| Item | Most often missed |
|---|---|
| Baseboards and door frames | Scuffs at ankle height |
| Light switches and outlet covers | Grime on the plate edges |
| Window tracks and sills | Dead insects and dust in the track |
| Closet shelves | Hanger marks on the rod, dust on the top shelf |
| Blinds | Each slat, both sides |
| Vents and returns | The grille, not just around it |
Inspectors look where people don't: the top of the door frame, inside the oven drawer, behind the toilet. Clean the places you would never look at yourself.
Move-in cleans are the same list, in reverse
If you're the one moving in, run this list before the boxes arrive. A previous occupant's "professional clean" is often a surface wipe. Cabinet interiors, the refrigerator seal and the bathroom exhaust fan are the three things we most often find untouched.
Whether it's your deposit or your buyer's walkthrough on the line, the goal is a home with no evidence anyone ever lived in it.
