Avoid 7 Common Mistakes When Cleaning a Furnished Rental

Moving out of your rental property soon? Everything may go seamless until you realise the complexity of the final rental inspection. Most tenants lose a significant part of their bond money due to cleanliness. In QLD, landlords and property managers follow strict guidelines to ensure compliance and can withhold a part of your bond money in case of messy and grimy areas. This type of cleaning is known as end of lease or bond cleaning.

Responsible tenants leave no signs of dirt and stains behind. However, the real challenge comes when it comes to cleaning a fully furnished rental. With large furniture, electronic appliances and delicate heirlooms in place, it becomes difficult to address and eliminate dust and harmful debris. Unlike unfurnished properties, you have more surfaces to clean and more precision is required to protect breakable and valuable possessions.

However, People often make silly blunders that can turn into costly deductions, disputes, and penalties. Fret not! We’ve compiled a list of 7 common mistakes when cleaning a furnished property. Even the most trained bond cleaning Ipswich professionals pay extra attention when sprucing large furniture pieces, expensive window treatments and delicate heirlooms.

1. Apply Harsh Cleaners on Delicate Surfaces

Cleaning a furnished rental means dealing with delicate collections,  plush couches, wooden pieces, antiques, glass dining tables, mirrors and electronics. Unfortunately, most people use chemically laden cleaning products without reading the care labels, and as a result, they end up damaging their precious pieces. Applying ammonia based cleaners or bleach can cause permanent damage or hefty repairs. They may even lose their full bond money.

How to Fix? It is always good to read cleaning codes, care labels, and manufacturer instructions before cleaning leather couches, wooden cabinets, and tile grout. Using surface specific and mild cleaning agents can do wonders. You can tackle stains with white vinegar, pH neutral cleaners, soda crystals and baking soda for spotless results.

Tip: Do a patch test on a hidden surface to avoid damage.

2. Overlooking Areas Underneath & Behind Furniture

Leaving dust, grime and gunk behind or underneath a leather couch, dining table, and bed may withhold your hard earned deposited security. These spots are magnets for heavy dust, germs, and other grime, which can affect indoor air quality.

To avoid this mistake, make sure you carefully move the furniture by enlisting help from other family members. Don’t do it alone, as it could lead to physical injury. You can also use a long, extendable duster or a vacuum cleaner with a long brush attachment to access the area behind the furniture. Sweep and mop the floors for spotless results.

3. Leaving Windows Treatments Dirty

It is easy to overlook blinds and curtains when you have other important things to spruce up. That’s where tenants commit blunders and end up losing their bond money. While washing windows inside and outside is crucial, you can’t neglect beautiful and functional window treatments, especially blinds. Each slat accumulates a thick layer of dirt, which can become stubborn if not treated properly. Dirty and stained curtains also ruin the look and feel of the property.

Well, you can vacuum the Roman or Venetian blinds. For stains, wipe each slat using a microfibre cloth and vinegar solution. You can throw dirty curtains into a machine and wash them in lukewarm water to remove stains. You can always hire experts for a quality bond cleaning Ipswich to impress your landlord and secure your hard earned money.

4. Not Cleaning Bed Mattress and Frames

Amidst scrubbing or disinfecting floors, windows and door tracks, people often forget to clean the bed mattress and frames in the bedroom. When sprucing up your furnished property, pay attention to your mattresses. It may harbour dead skin cells, dust mites, allergens, and grime that can cause various health hazards, such as allergy triggers, worsen asthma symptoms, and lead to skin allergies, rashes, etc. This can even leave a bad smell in your bedroom.

You can sprinkle a cup of baking soda on the mattress and leave it overnight. Next, vacuum it up to remove white residue. This will neutralise the bad smell. For stains, blot the area with a microfibre cloth and vinegar. Also, dust the bed frames and wipe them down with a damp cloth. Follow the same approach when cleaning cotton upholstered furniture to banish stains and bad odours.

5. Neglecting Kitchen Appliances

A furnished property with all necessary kitchen appliances is what everyone wants. However, nobody wants to clean the expensive appliances. This can lead to bond money deductions and disputes. If you want to pass your rental inspection, clean both the inside and outside of your appliances to remove grease, caked-on grime, and gunk. You’ll need to clean :

• The Oven: Apply a thick coat of baking soda and spray vinegar after an hour. Submerge grease grills in hot, soapy water.
• A Microwave: Steam cleaning your appliance using vinegar, water and lemon juice. Use a sponge to remove stains and grime.
• Refrigerator: Empty the refrigerator, soak the drawers in hot, soapy water, and clean the interiors and door gaskets with vinegar.
• Dishwasher: Clean the filter and the inside of the appliance
• Other appliances: Don’t forget to clean the coffee maker, toaster, mixer, and blender.

6. Leaving Everything to the Final Hour

Procrastination is a serious blunder that may leave you in the middle of the process. You may lose your bond or even end up in a dispute due to your laziness. A furnished property requires more time and effort for a thorough bond cleaning in Ipswich. Most people leave the cleaning chores to the last moment and rush the process. This could lead to missing important spots.

TO avoid this, ensure you start the cleaning process at least 4 weeks prior to your final inspection day. Start with decluttering and check the lease agreement to understand specific cleaning obligations and responsibilities. Also, create a proper checklist to cover hidden areas, important spots and all rooms.

7. Failing to Hire Professional Cleaners

Some tenants believe they can handle everything without professional assistance. This is the biggest blunder. A property furnished with delicate and expensive items and valuable possessions is always difficult to clean. They may even end up damaging the landlord’s items or doing structural damage.

Therefore, it is always good to conduct proper research and look for a specialised bond cleaning company in Ipswich. They clean every nook and cranny with perfection, leaving no signs of dirt and grime behind, to help you secure full bond back.

Common Cleaning Mistakes in a Furnished Rental

Wrapping Up

Cleaning a fully furnished property requires a proper plan, a pre-approved checklist, effective strategies, and attention. Hopefully, this guide has helped you avoid common blunders when cleaning a furnished rental for the sake of your bond money.