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Cleaning Tips & Tricks!

Who Wants to Clean Your Apartment?!?


This isn’t our favorite part of checking-out, but making sure your apartment is clean when you leave is very important. To help you with this, we have laid out a check list for each area of your apartment. Following these steps will ensure that you are not charged a cleaning fee at the end of the year. Please use these as a guideline for getting your apartment ready for check-outs. 
To help you further, there will be a cleaning kit available at your front desk for you to check-out with your ID. Please take advantage of these items! These items will only be available during check-out months (December/May).

Step 1: Cleaning Your Bathroom

  • Get some bleach or tile cleaner and spray all of the walls, floor and door(s). You can let it set for 10 minutes to ensure better grim/dirt removal.
  • Take down your shower caddy, throw away left over soap- LEAVE NOTHING inside the shower.
  • Empty all of the vanity drawers/cabinets (be sure to leave them open when you are through so you know they are empty).
  • Take a damp cloth and wipe out all vanity drawers.
  • Spray bleach or tile cleaner in your sink and wipe it out as well with a damp cloth.
  • Spray cleaner on vanity top and wipe down.
  • Clean mirror.
  • Spray cleaner in toilet and scrub with toilet brush (flush when done).
  • Wipe off seat and top of toilet with a damp cloth.
  • Sweep floor (scrub areas that are marked with cleaner and rag/mop).
  • Gather all shower mats/toiletries/left over items.
  • Wipe any marks on the walls with a damp cloth (be careful not to use too many chemicals, it can take off the paint!)- DON’T USE BLEACH!!
  • Gather all trash (take to dumpster).
  • Make note of any broken items/burnt out lights in this area.

Step 2: Cleaning Your Room

  • Remove all personal belongings from desk rolling cart (be sure to leave drawers open when you are through so you know they are empty).
  • Take down any/all pictures/decorations/items on the walls (remove all 3M hooks and any adhesives as well).
  • Remove all bedding from mattress, turn mattress over to check bad slats and box spring (if applicable).
    You can leave your mattress on its side if you wish (this will help the RAs check it quicker during check-out).
  • Wipe down desk top and top of desk rolling cart with a damp cloth.
  • Vacuum carpet (you can check-out a vacuum from your RA).
  • Move all furniture back to original position (desk against wall, bed against wall, desk rolling cart and chair- under desk).
  • Open window blinds all the way (roll up so window is completely visible).
  • Close and lock window.
  • Wipe any marks on the walls with a damp cloth (be careful not to use too many chemicals, it can take off the paint!)- DON’T USE BLEACH!!
  • Gather all trash (take to dumpster).
  • Make note of any broken items/burnt out lights in this area.

Step 3: Cleaning the Common Areas (all roommates are responsible for these areas)\

  • Your Living Room
    • Take down any/all pictures/decorations/items on the walls (remove all 3M hooks and any adhesives as well).
    • Remove all personal belongings from the entertainment center, side table and coffee table.
    • Look under all couch/chair cushions to check for any forgotten items.
    • Remove all rugs/personal items from the floor/area.
    • Wipe down all shelves and top of entertainment center, side table and coffee table with a damp cloth.
    • Open window blinds all the way (roll up so window is completely visible).
    • Close and lock windows.
    • Vacuum carpet.
    • Move all furniture back to original position (all items should be against the wall).
    • Wipe any marks on the walls with a damp cloth (be careful not to use too many chemicals, it can take off the paint!)- DON’T USE BLEACH!!
    • Gather all trash (take to dumpster).
    • Make note of any broken items/burnt out lights in this area.
  • Your Kitchen
    • Take down any/all pictures/decorations/items on the walls/cabinets (remove all 3M hooks and any adhesives as well).
    • Empty all of the drawers/cabinets (be sure to leave them open when you are through so you know they are empty).
    • Take a damp cloth and wipe out all drawers and shelves.
    • Remove all food from refrigerator (including bottom drawers) and freezer.
    • Spray cleaner and wipe down shelves, door, drawers and bottom of refrigerator/freezer.
    • Remove oven racks, clean them with soap and water (you can put them in the sink for now).
    • Spray over cleaner (ex. EasyOff) on inside oven door, inside bottom of oven and sides of oven. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
    • Take damp cloth and wipe all cleaner from inside oven.
    • Remove drip pans from under each burner on top of the stove (life up burner, and pull towards you/away from where burner connects to stove top).
    • Spray cleaner (you can use oven cleaner here as well) on each pan and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
    • Take a damp cloth and wipe all cleaner from drip pans, rinse in sink.
    • Replace drip pans on top of stove.
    • Lift up top of stove and clean all dirt under (be sure to put it down when you are finished).
    • Replace burners on top of stove (insert end into hole (silver) and push, line up the slats on drip pan with bottom of burner).
    • Take all items out of bottom oven drawer.
    • Take glass turn-plate out of microwave, wash it.
    • Spray cleaner on the inside of the microwave (sides, bottom, door).
    • Take damp cloth and wipe out all cleaner from microwave until all food-residue is gone.
    • Put glass turn-plate back in microwave.
    • Open dishwasher and pour some bleach in, run a full cycle.
      • When the cycle has finished, leave door open/cracked please.
    • Spray cleaner on counter top and wipe down.
    • Take a damp cloth and wipe off top of kitchen table.
    • Wipe any marks on the walls with a damp cloth (be careful not to use too many chemicals, it can take off the paint!)- DON’T USE BLEACH!!
    • Wipe off front door, take down any hooks/decorations
      • Take door decs/decorations off of front door as well
    • Sweep and mop the floor (scrub areas that are very dirty/marked).
    • Spray bleach or cleaner in your sink and wipe it out as well with a damp cloth.
    • Run garbage disposal as you drain your sink to make sure it works.
    • Gather all trash (take to dumpster).
    • Make note of any broken items/burnt out lights in this area.