A Move-In Cleaning Checklist for a Fresh Start

Take advantage of the empty rooms

Before the boxes arrive, you can reach baseboards, closet corners and floors without moving furniture. Walk through each room and note anything the previous occupants left behind, especially inside drawers and cabinets.

Start high with shelves, fan blades and vents, then work down toward counters and floors. This keeps falling dust from landing on finished surfaces.

Give the kitchen and baths extra attention

Clean the inside of the refrigerator, oven, drawers and cabinets before food and dishes go in. In bathrooms, check shower tracks, fixtures, mirrors and the space behind the toilet. These details are much easier to handle before you unpack.

Check new construction differently

A newly built house can still need a careful clean. Fine construction dust settles in window tracks, on cabinet tops, along trim and around return vents after the final walkthrough. Use a vacuum and soft cloths to pick it up rather than spreading it around.

Once the empty-house work is done, you can move in knowing the surfaces you touch every day have had a proper first pass.