Parts of the apartment can and should be cleaned before the actual day of moving. For example, all cupboards and drawers can be cleaned when they are emptied. It is also easier to clean the walk-in closet when it is emptied.

It is easiest to clean the apartment when all furniture and belongings are out of the way as it is nearly impossible to avoid dirt getting in to the apartment when moving. Leave all the required cleaning equipment in the old apartment after taking your belongings to your new home.

You can prepare a checklist in advance or check the Lumo cleaning instructions before moving out to ensure that everything that needs to be done is performed.

Lumo building managers know from experience which items on the cleaning checklist tend to be forgotten and what still needs to be fixed in the apartment after the cleaning. The TOP 5 oversights are:

• the refrigerator and freezer doors have been left closed
• the oven is dirty
• the floor drains have not been cleaned
• the grease filter on the extractor hood has not been cleaned
• movable property has not been properly recycled.

Make sure you don’t end up on the TOP5 list!

If possible, get a friend or your entire family to help you with the cleaning. It is much faster to do everything when there is help available. Play some nice music on your phone to swing your mop and cleaning cloth to.

You should defrost your refrigerator and freezer well in advance before moving out and cleaning. Remember to wipe the backs of the appliances.

If it is not below zero outside, remember to plan what to do with the food in the freezer. If it is possible for the food in the freezer to thaw during your move, you could perhaps try to eat everything in the freezer well before your move. Perhaps a friend of yours has space in their freezer that you could use temporarily.

Any grime in the oven must be removed. This also applies to sheet pans.

It is a good idea to clean the oven well before moving, for example, when you are no longer planning to use the oven.

Good and inexpensive tips for cleaning the oven can be found on the Martha Organization website in Finnish. Finalise cleaning the oven and the stove by cleaning the back of the stove. Check the exhaust air valves and, if necessary, remove any dust and grease on them.

At the end of the cleaning process, clean the counters of the kitchen and the sink and wipe the tiles and the tap.

Check out tips for cleaning the kitchen here.

Wash the toilet bowl carefully, including the seat and the cover. In addition to the washing basin, clean the taps in the shower. Don’t forget the mirror, reward yourself with a bright smile on a clean mirror.

Cleaning the floor drain might not be the most pleasant task, but it is important nevertheless. Just put on some rubber gloves and do it! Then, it is time to look up: remember to wipe the exhaust air valves.

If your apartment is equipped with a sauna, wash the benches, wipe the glass door and clean the floor drain and the exhaust air valves. The next person to go to the sauna will be grateful.

This is how you clean the bathroom!

When the moving lorry has taken your belongings away, it is easy to vacuum the empty apartment. Continue by washing the floors or wiping them with a moist cloth. There may be stains or fingerprints on the doors, wipe them off. Don’t forget the front door of the apartment. In addition to doors and door frames, any possible stains on the walls should be removed. Wash and disinfect the door handles.

Check once more that the skirting boards, switches and power sockets are clean and free of dust. Wash at least the interior surfaces of windows. If it is warm and you cannot see outside well, it would be nice if you washed them on the outside as well.

Remember at least these things when cleaning the living areas!

People sometimes talk about people who only remember their belongings in the storage space at the last minute when moving out. It is easier to move and clean your home if you go through your stuff in the storage space well in advance; there is surely a surprising number of items that you do not need and can be given to other people.

You should at least vacuum the space when moving out.

Don’t forget to clean the storage space and balcony!

Before moving out, it is a good idea to ensure that the balcony or the yard of the apartment is clean, empty and free of belongings. It is nicer to start your life in your new home when all the favourite toys of your children are with you.

If you feel like you don’t have enough time or energy to clean your home thoroughly before moving out, you can request a professional to help you. Lumo’s cleaning services are an affordable solution. It makes it a lot easier to move when you don’t have to pay attention to the cleanliness of the apartment in the middle of everything.

Request cleaning services online at least five business days before the preferred date. There are specific prices for the cleaning services, which are provided on business days. The apartment must be empty on the day of cleaning. Hand over the keys to your old home only after the cleaning has been performed.

By hiring professionals to clean for you, you ensure that the apartment is in the condition required by your tenancy agreement when you move out.

Cleaning services can be ordered when you move out of your Lumo home. Additionally, when you move into a Lumo home, you can order a cleaning service for your old home, even if it's not a Lumo home. See city-specific availability and prices for cleaning services on My Lumo service.