A professional cleaner has spotted a “stressful” detail in almost every renter’s home before they move out.
Kacie Stephens walks through thousands of properties every year to do a regular service or a once-off end-of-lease clean.
One of the most common things she has noticed during bond cleaning services is that tenants often don’t move their personal belongings out of the home until the day they must return the keys.
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“How does a professional cleaner handle walking into a ‘move-out clean’ or end-of-lease clean, and the client has not quite moved out?” the Melbourne cleaner said in a video.
“Because this happens quite often… It always amazes me how many people leave everything to the very last day of a tenancy: removalist, cleaners, keys back and more.
“That is the most stressful way to do it.”
During one of her latest jobs, Stephens was hired to do a “bachelor pad” end-of-lease clean.
“I think it wasn’t too bad, other than they hadn’t quite finished moving out,” she said, laughing.
The video shows a kitchen with cookware on the stove, rubbish strewn over the benchtops and canned foods, condiments and staples left untouched in the walk-in pantry.
Before a professional cleaner arrives to do the major task, tenants are expected to move everything out.
The business owner of The Big Clean Co cleaning service has urged renters to give themselves at least one day between when the removalist comes and when the keys go back to the real estate agent or landlord.
She says giving yourself time will allow you to prepare for any unexpected things and to ensure you have “done absolutely everything you need to do” before moving out.
When a professional cleaner arrives at a property and it’s nowhere near ready for end-of-lease cleaning, Stephens says she usually offers the client three options.
“One: Client pays more money immediately for the cleaner to take it all out of the house.
“Two: The cleaner can start on another area while the client moves it themselves.
“Three: The cleaner can push most of it to the side and go around it.”
Stephens previously shared an end-of-lease cleaning guide to help tenants get their full bond back after moving out.
“Moving out of a rental? Here are the top five things that property managers have hawk eyes for that you can complete before move out day. It’s drilled into our brains to not miss these things,” she said.
One of the places renters always forget to deep clean are the window tracks.
“Property managers are obsessed with window tracks,” she said.
“The best way to clean window tracks is to vacuum the excess out (using a small attachment), then place a cloth over the end of a toothbrush to clean.”
She has urged tenants to remove the hidden soap scum, mould or rust stains in the edges around the shower screen.
Stephens says ovens are often neglected.
“Use a toothbrush to get into the corners of the oven,” she explained, adding that ovens require a deep clean inside and out.
The cleaner suggested you need to soak the “greasy” cook top knobs, if they come off, in soapy water — and ensure you thoroughly clean the area.
Other places to clean include exhaust fans and ceiling fans, as they collect a lot of dust over time.
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