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Bond Cleaning Checklist — Things To Do To Get Your Bond Back

Moving to a new home is exciting, but it’s also a really busy and stressful process with lots of different things to remember and take care of in a short span of time. If you’re moving out of a rental property, one of your most important tasks is vacate cleaning. If you want the best chance of getting your bond back, you’ll need to clean your home to a high standard, and take care of all the areas listed in your rental agreement.

If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by the thought of this, don’t worry — Jim’s Cleaning is here to help with our handy bond cleaning checklist. If you follow all these helpful tips, you’ll soon have your rental home looking as good as new. And don’t forget — if this all seems like too much to handle with all the chaos of moving house, you always have the option of calling professional home cleaners.

How to make vacate cleaning easier

Bond cleaning can seem daunting, but there are things you can do to make it easier. Here are a few tips to help you break the task down into a more manageable system:

1. Organise your time in advance

Bond cleaning should never be left until the last minute. Trust us, it will take longer than you think! You’ll never do the job well enough if you leave everything until moving day is nearly here. Instead, start planning your vacate cleaning weeks in advance. This will help you manage your time more effectively. If you aim to carry out one cleaning job per day, for half an hour or less, it’s amazing how quickly you’ll see an improvement in the cleanliness of your home.

2. Tackle one room at a time

It’s easy to panic and try to take on the whole house at once. However, if you do this, you’ll end up missing out some vital areas that could prevent you from getting your bond back. It’s much easier to break down your bond cleaning room by room and making sure every detail is perfect in one room before moving onto the next. This will also make the task of vacate or bond cleaning more manageable for you.

3. Make sure you have the right supplies

You can’t do a good bond cleaning job without the right equipment. Here’s a list of things you’ll need for your vacate cleaning include:

  • Dish soap
  • Kitchen and bathroom cleaner
  • Disinfectant
  • Oven cleaner
  • Vacuum
  • Steam cleaner
  • Brushes and dustpan
  • Mop and bucket
  • Cloths and paper towels

Don’t forget gloves, as some of these jobs can get messy! And you may also need a ladder to get to those hard-to-reach spots like the tops of the kitchen cabinets.

4. Consider moving your furniture first

If you’re taking your furniture with you to your new home, it makes sense to move it out before carrying out your bond cleaning. If the furniture is staying in place, you’ll need to remember to clean underneath and behind it, as these areas will all be checked by your landlord or property manager. Please note this may also apply to the oven. So, if possible, you’ll need to move that away from the wall safely and clean behind it too.

The ultimate bond clean list

Once you’ve made the proper plans, it’s time to start checking off your bond clean list. Here are some of the main tasks you will need to focus on when carrying out your bond cleaning:

1. Kitchen

The kitchen is usually the most problematic room in the home, so it makes sense to tackle it first as it’s likely to take the longest. You’ll need to make sure all the visible surfaces are sparkling, including the sink, tap and countertops. Wipe down all the cabinet doors to make sure there are no traces of dirt or grease. Once you’ve emptied the cabinets, you need to clean inside them and on top of them too.

Then it’s on to the dirtier jobs — the stovetop and oven. These must be completely free of any residue, as must the microwave. When you’re happy with the results with the clean, you can finish off the kitchen floor by sweeping and mopping the floors with a cleaner.

2. Bathroom

The bathroom is another room the landlord will definitely check at the end of your lease. You’ll need to get your gloves on and scrub the toilet thoroughly before disinfecting it. Make sure that all stains and soap scum are removed from sinks, bathtubs and shower screens — they should sparkle when you’re finished!

Also remember to clean the tiles (including the grout), wipe down the taps and countertops, and clean any drawers or cabinets inside and out. Don’t forget to polish the mirror before mopping and sweeping the floor.

3. Living rooms and bedrooms

While these rooms don’t need such heavy-duty cleaning, there is still a lot to do here. All the woodwork must be wiped down, including doors, door frames, window frames and skirting boards. If you have blinds, you’ll need to dust them, wash the curtains, iron and re-hang them. You’ll also need to wipe and dust all shelves and cupboards and clean the windows without leaving any streaks.

Hard floors are easier to clean; you can simply vacuum, mop and sweep. However, if your home has carpets, you’ll need to steam clean them to make sure you’re leaving them in as good a condition as when you moved in.

4. One last look

Once you’ve finished your bond clean list, you’ll need to take a last look around to check that you haven’t missed any details. If you think anything needs more work at this stage, it’s worth doing, just so you can be sure of getting your bond back. However, if you’re uncertain that you’ve done a good enough job, you can always call in a professional end of lease cleaner at any stage.

FAQs

Why do you need a professional bond cleaning service?

There are good reasons to call in a professional cleaning service. Firstly, they can save you a lot of time. Professional cleaners do these kinds of jobs every day, and they have all the right tools for the job. They will be able to clean your home to a professional standard much faster than you. This is vital when you’re busy preparing to move house, especially if you’re working too.

A professional cleaning company can also save you money. Obviously, you’ll need to pay them, but your home will be cleaned to the highest standards, so you’ll have a much better chance of getting your bond back.

Thirdly, having your vacate cleaning done professionally is much safer than trying to tackle it yourself. You’ll be working with harsh cleaning chemicals and potentially having to climb ladders, so there is the potential for accidents and injuries. Professional cleaners have been trained, and they have plenty of experience and have all the right equipment to get the job done safely and effectively.

Do you have to get a professional clean at the end of a tenancy?

No. There is no legal requirement to have a property professionally cleaned at the end of your tenancy — you can choose to do it yourself. However, your landlord or property manager will expect the property to be cleaned to professional standards, so this is worth keeping in mind. If you don’t have the time, equipment or skills to meet these standards, it’s better to call in the professionals to give you the best possible chance of getting your bond back.

What should you consider when deciding bond cleaning?

Choosing a bond cleaning company can be difficult, as there are many options available. However, some will be much better than others. There are some questions you need to ask before making your decision:

  • How much experience do they have of vacate cleaning?
  • Are they insured?
  • Are they police checked so you can feel safe letting them into your home?
  • What bond cleaning services do they provide?
  • Do they offer good value for money?
  • Are they based locally so they can arrive on time?

An established, well-respected company like Jim’s Cleaning will be able to answer all these questions easily, putting your mind at ease.

Is it important to get vacate cleaning done professionally?

Professional cleaning firms are highly experienced when it comes to vacate cleaning. They carry out hundreds of end of lease cleans every year. This level of experience means that the cleaners know what landlords and property managers expect, so they will concentrate on all the right tasks. They also have professional cleaning products and equipment, enabling them to do an extremely thorough job in a short amount of time.

What does a professional end of tenancy cleaning include?

Every job is different. Your landlord or property manager may have left a checklist of cleaning jobs they expect to be completed. If this is the case, a good cleaning company will give extra effort to do these tasks.

However, in general, bond cleaning includes jobs such as:

  • Thoroughly cleaning the bathroom and kitchen
  • Vacuuming, sweeping and mopping floors
  • Cleaning and dusting all surfaces, including cupboards
  • Washing windows

If you need other specialist services such as carpet cleaning or upholstery cleaning, a company like Jim’s Cleaning will also be able to take care of these for you.

Where are our vacate cleaning services available?

We have franchises based all over New Zealand. Wherever you live, Jim’s Cleaning can easily reach you to provide professional, affordable end of lease vacate cleaning at affordable rates.

Find out more about bond cleaning

If you’re moving home and need a professional bond clean, the team here at Jim’s Cleaning are always happy to help. You can call us on 0800 454 654 or request a quote online — we’re looking forward to helping you get your bond back!