An empty house shows everything. Marks that were hidden behind the couch, the grease line above the stove, the dust on top of the fridge, the inside of the drawer nobody opened — with the furniture gone, it's all there in plain sight, and it's exactly what a landlord, a property manager or a buyer's final walk-through is looking for. Here's the list we work from on every move-out clean across Round Lake, Gurnee, Mundelein and the rest of Lake County, and the items people most often miss.
Start with the kitchen, because it's where deposits are lost. The inside of the oven — racks out, floor, walls and door glass — is the single most-checked item on any inspection. The refrigerator and freezer, emptied, with every shelf and drawer washed and the seals wiped. Inside the microwave and the dishwasher, including the filter. Every cabinet and drawer, inside and out, top shelves included. The range hood and its filter. Behind and under the stove and fridge if they can be pulled out — that's where the grease and the crumbs go. Then the sink, the backsplash, the counters and the floor, including under the appliances.
Bathrooms are next. Tub and shower scrubbed to the grout, with the soap scum and hard-water scale actually removed from the glass and the tile, not just wiped. Toilet cleaned inside, outside, behind and around the base. Sink, vanity and mirror. Inside the medicine cabinet and every vanity drawer. Exhaust fan cover. Floors, including behind the door and around the toilet base where the mop never reaches.
Then the things in every room that get forgotten. Baseboards — every foot of them, wiped, not just dusted, because scuffs and pet hair along the bottom of the walls are the first thing an inspector's eye goes to. Door frames, doors and the tops of doors. Light switches and outlet covers. Ceiling fans, light fixtures and vents. Window sills, window tracks and the glass, inside at least. Inside every closet, including the shelf and the rod. Blinds, if they're staying. Walls spot-cleaned for fingerprints and marks — and if there are nail holes, patch them before we clean, not after.
Floors are last, always. Carpets vacuumed with the edges done — an edge tool along every baseboard, because that's where the line of dust sits. Hard floors swept and mopped, corners and closets included. If a lease requires professional carpet cleaning, schedule that after the general clean, not before, so nothing gets tracked back over it.
Don't forget the outside of the inside: the garage, swept and clear of debris, with any oil stains treated; the basement, cobwebs down and floors swept; the laundry area, behind and under the machines; the utility closet; and the front door, the porch light and the mailbox. Landlords walk in the front door first, and buyers do too.
Timing matters as much as the list. The clean should happen after the movers have gone and before the walk-through — usually the day between, with the utilities still on so there's water and light. We schedule move-out cleans to the handover date, work from this checklist, and leave the place ready for photographs or an inspection. If you're moving out anywhere in Lake County, call A Real Maids at (224) 656-3531 and we'll give you a flat price for the whole job.