When you move out, the home gets judged empty, and an empty room hides nothing. Crumbs at the back of drawers, dust along baseboards, and fingerprints around light switches all stand out once the furniture is gone. Before you start, reread your lease's move-out section; many spell out exactly what's expected.
In the kitchen, empty and wipe out every cabinet and drawer, including the shelf liners. Clean the countertops, backsplash, and sink, and wipe the fronts of the refrigerator, dishwasher, stove, and microwave. Grease around the stovetop and range hood is one of the most common things walkthroughs flag.
In the bathrooms, clean the toilet inside and out, including the base and behind it. Scrub the tub and shower to remove soap scum, clean the sink, faucet, and mirror, and wipe out the vanity drawers and medicine cabinet. A dry towel over chrome fixtures at the end makes a surprising difference.
Everywhere else, wipe baseboards, door frames, doors, and light switches, then clean out closets and shelves. Finish with floors: vacuum carpets, then mop hard floors from the farthest room back toward the front door so you're not walking over clean floor.
Short on time before move-out day? A professional move-out clean covers all of the above in a single visit. Book a few days ahead of your lease end so there's room for the walkthrough. We schedule move-out cleans Monday through Saturday across Greater Houston.