Move-In Cleaning Checklist: What to Clean Before the Truck Arrives
By Extol Cleaning, owner Tamiris Kempner · Updated
A move-in cleaning checklist covers everything you can only reach while the home is empty: inside cabinets and drawers, appliances inside and out, baseboards, doors, light fixtures, interior windows, bathrooms and floors.
Why clean before you move in, not after?
Because an empty home is the easiest home you will ever clean. Once the truck is unloaded, cabinets fill with dishes, furniture covers the floors and boxes block the baseboards. Cleaning first means every shelf you stock and every rug you lay goes onto a surface you know is clean, not one the last occupant left behind.
A home can also look tidy at the walkthrough and still hide crumbs in the drawers, grease on top of the cabinets and a dishwasher filter nobody has opened in a year.
In Greater Boston this matters even more around September 1, when a large share of apartment leases turn over at once and the gap between one tenant leaving and the next one arriving can be very short.
A move-in cleaning is done in an empty home. Inside cabinets and drawers can only be cleaned properly when they are empty.
What should a move-in cleaning checklist include?
A complete checklist works top to bottom and room by room: dust high surfaces and light fixtures first, then wipe cabinets, doors and baseboards, then clean appliances inside, then bathrooms, and finish with floors. Working in that order keeps dust from falling onto areas you have already cleaned.
Here is the full list, grouped by room.
Kitchen
- Inside every cabinet and drawer, including shelf corners and the back edge
- Cabinet fronts, handles and the tops of upper cabinets
- Inside the refrigerator and freezer: shelves, drawers and door gaskets
- Inside the oven, the racks and the stovetop
- Inside the dishwasher, including the filter at the bottom
- Inside the microwave, if one is built in
- Countertops, backsplash and sink, including the drain area
- Range hood surface
Bathrooms
- Toilet inside and out, including the base and the hinges
- Tub, shower walls, fixtures and glass
- Inside the vanity and medicine cabinet
- Mirrors, sink and faucet
- Exhaust fan cover dusted
Bedrooms and living areas
- Inside closets: shelves, rods and the floor
- Light fixtures and ceiling fan blades
- Doors, door frames and handles
- Baseboards along every wall
- Interior windows, sills and tracks
- Light switches and outlet covers
Laundry
- Inside the washer, including the door seal
- Inside the dryer drum and the lint trap area
Floors, last
- Vacuum every room, closets included
- Wash hard floors
A good move-in checklist ends with the floors. Everything above them gets cleaned first so the dust lands somewhere you have not cleaned yet.
Which spots do people forget most often?
The spots people forget are the ones you never touch once you live there: the dishwasher filter, the washer door seal, the tops of upper cabinets, the tracks of interior windows, door tops and the baseboards behind where the bed and sofa will go. Clean those now, because once the furniture is in, they stay hidden for years.
A quick way to catch them is to look at the home from three heights:
- Floor level. Crouch down and look along the baseboards, under the radiator covers and at the bottom of the door frames.
- Eye level. Check switches, handles, the inside of closets and the window tracks.
- Above your head. Look at the top of the fridge, the top of the cabinets, light fixtures and the top edge of each door.
Most leftover dirt in an empty home sits either below the knee or above the head. Eye-level surfaces are usually the cleanest part of the house at a walkthrough.
How do you plan the timing around moving day?
Schedule the cleaning after the previous occupants are fully out and before your first box comes through the door. Ideally that means a day or more between the keys and the truck. If the dates are tight, clean the kitchen and bathrooms first, since those are the rooms you will need on the first night.
A simple plan looks like this:
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| As soon as you have the move-in date | Book the cleaning for after the keys and before the truck |
| At the walkthrough | Note problem spots: oven, fridge, bathrooms, floors |
| Cleaning day | Empty home, utilities on, access arranged |
| Moving day | Unpack the kitchen and bathroom first onto clean shelves |
If you are hiring a cleaning service, book at least 24 hours ahead, and earlier for the end of the month when many people move at once. You do not need to be there in person: a key or a door code works for many cleaning companies, including Extol Cleaning.
Not sure how much cleaning your new place needs? Call (781) 528-7227Text us and describe the home; Extol Cleaning prefers to see it before quoting, and can quote without a visit when that is not possible.
Water and power should be on for cleaning day. Without running water there is no way to clean the bathrooms or the inside of the appliances.
What does a move-in cleaning look like in a real home?
It looks like a home that seemed fine at the walkthrough and turned out not to be. That is the most common story with move-ins: the place is empty, the surfaces look clear, and only up close do you see what the last tenants left behind.
One Extol Cleaning client described exactly that situation:
"They cleaned my apartment before I moved in. The last tenants had left it in a less than hygienic state. They did an unbelievably fantastic job and I will hire than as my regular cleaners." John F., September 2025 (Google review)
A move-in cleaning is a reset: from the last occupant's dirt to your clean starting point.
Should you clean it yourself or hire a move-in cleaning?
Do it yourself if the home is small, in good shape and you have a free day before the move. Hire a cleaning if the home was left dirty, the move-in date is close to the move-out date, or you need your own time for packing, utilities and the truck. Both work; the deciding factor is usually time.
If you clean it yourself, bring:
- A vacuum with attachments for corners and window tracks
- Microfiber cloths, several per room
- An all-purpose cleaner, a degreaser for the kitchen and a bathroom cleaner
- A non-scratch scrub pad and an old toothbrush for tracks and drains
- A step stool for the tops of cabinets and fixtures
- Gloves and trash bags
If you hire a cleaning, ask what is included before you book. With Extol Cleaning, a move-in cleaning includes everything in a deep cleaning (the oven, the fridge, interior windows, baseboards, doors and light fixtures) plus the inside of the cabinets, the washer, the dryer and the inside of the dishwasher with its filter. Walls are dusted and spot-cleaned where needed, not washed. Exterior windows are always an add-on.
Extol Cleaning brings all supplies to a move-in cleaning, with an eco-friendly option if you prefer it.
Want the move-in cleaning done for you?
If you would rather spend moving week on boxes and utilities, see what is included in Extol Cleaning's move-in cleaning service for empty homes. Extol Cleaning is a women-owned, insured cleaning company based in Malden, MA, serving Greater Boston, the North Shore and Salem, NH. Tamiris Kempner has been cleaning homes since 2019 and opened Extol Cleaning in 2023.
The basics: Monday to Friday, 7am to 10pm, with weekends only by special arrangement. Book at least 24 hours ahead. Payment by Zelle, Venmo, card, check or cash. If something was missed, tell Extol Cleaning within 24 hours and they come back to re-clean it at no cost. The team speaks English and Portuguese.
Call (781) 528-7227Text us to get your move-in cleaning on the calendar before the truck.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a move-in cleaning and a deep cleaning?
A deep cleaning focuses on the oven, fridge, interior windows, baseboards, doors and light fixtures in a home that is lived in. A move-in cleaning includes all of that, plus the areas you can only reach when the home is empty: inside the cabinets and drawers, the washer, the dryer, and the inside of the dishwasher including the filter.
Can you clean inside the cabinets if my things are already there?
Inside cabinets are cleaned only when the home is empty. Once dishes, food and boxes are inside, the cabinets cannot be cleaned properly without unpacking everything. That is the main reason to schedule a move-in cleaning before the truck arrives instead of after. If you have already moved in, a deep cleaning is usually the better fit.
Do I need to be there during the move-in cleaning?
No. Many people are still finishing the move-out at their old place on cleaning day. Extol Cleaning can enter with a key or a door code that you arrange in advance. Just make sure water and power are on, so the bathrooms and the inside of the appliances can be cleaned properly.
How far ahead should I book a move-in cleaning?
Book at least 24 hours ahead, and earlier if your move falls near the end of the month or around September 1, when many leases in Greater Boston turn over at once. Extol Cleaning works Monday to Friday, with weekends only by special arrangement, so plan your dates with that in mind.
Are the walls and exterior windows included?
Walls are dusted and spot-cleaned where needed; they are not washed top to bottom. Interior windows are part of a move-in cleaning. Exterior windows are always an add-on, so if you want them done, mention it when you ask for your estimate and it can be added to the visit.
What if something was missed?
Walk through the home after the cleaning. If anything was missed, tell Extol Cleaning within 24 hours and they come back to re-clean that area at no cost. It is a good idea to check the inside of the appliances and cabinets first, since those are the areas you will start using right away.
Extol Cleaning, owner Tamiris Kempner. Updated October 27, 2026.
