ServicesMove-In Cleaning
Move-In Cleaning in Bell Gardens
We clean your new home while it is still empty, inside every cabinet, drawer and appliance, so you unpack onto clean shelves. We look at what the last occupant left behind, figure out what each mark actually is, and use the method that removes it.
A clean start before the boxes come in
Move-in cleaning is a top-to-bottom clean of a vacant house or unit. With no furniture in the way, we can reach the places a regular visit never touches: the back corners of closet shelves, the tracks under sliding doors, the floor where the refrigerator used to sit.
A home that looks clean at a showing often isn't. A gray film on cabinet doors is usually cooking grease that has trapped dust. A white crust around faucets is mineral scale from hard water, not soap. Black spots in shower grout can be mildew or just stained sealant. Each one needs different chemistry, so we identify it first instead of scrubbing everything with one product and hoping.
Once you move furniture in, this chance is gone. Most people book move-in cleaning between getting the keys and the moving truck arriving.
What we clean in an empty home
- Cabinets, drawers and shelves
- We vacuum crumbs out of drawer corners, then wipe inside and out. Grease on kitchen cabinet faces gets a degreaser rather than an all-purpose spray, which only smears it.
- Appliance interiors
- We clean inside the oven, refrigerator, freezer, microwave and dishwasher. That includes pulling the refrigerator drawers and checking the dishwasher filter, two common sources of a lingering smell.
- Bathrooms, down to the fixtures
- Toilets, tubs, showers, sinks and mirrors are cleaned and disinfected. Mineral scale on glass and faucets gets an acid-based cleaner suited to the surface, and we treat mildew in grout separately from soap scum.
- High dust and vents
- Ceiling fan blades, light fixtures, return-air grilles and the tops of door frames hold dust that falls once the air moves. We clean these first so nothing settles on finished surfaces.
- Baseboards, doors and switches
- Baseboards, door faces, light switches and outlet covers get wiped by hand. These spots carry the most fingerprints from the previous move.
- Floors last
- Hard floors are vacuumed and mopped with a cleaner suited to the material, and carpets are vacuumed edge to edge. If a carpet stain will not lift, we tell you plainly rather than leave you guessing.
Signs your new place needs more than a quick wipe
Sticky cabinet doors
If the handles or door edges feel tacky, that is grease bound with dust. It will not come off with a dry cloth.
An odor when you open the fridge
The source is usually a spill dried under the crisper drawers or in the door gaskets, not the main shelves.
White crust on faucets and glass
Hard water is common across the Los Angeles area, and the scale it leaves builds up fast on shower doors and aerators. Removing it early keeps it from etching the glass.
Dark grout or caulk lines
Some of this is mildew we can treat. Some is caulk that has failed and needs replacing, and we will point out which is which.
Hair and dust in closet corners
Pet hair and lint collect where vacuums rarely reach. You want it gone before clothes and linens go on those shelves.
What sets the price of a move-in clean
We price the job after hearing about the home, not from a flat chart. The biggest variable is how the last occupant left it. We give you the quote by phone so you know the number before we arrive.
Size and room count
More bedrooms and especially more bathrooms add time, since bathrooms take the most detailed work.
Condition left behind
A unit that was cleaned before handover goes faster than one with baked-on oven grease or months of shower scale.
Appliance interiors
Ovens and refrigerators are the slowest items in a move-in clean. A heavily used oven can take as long as an entire bathroom.
Hard water buildup
Thick mineral scale on glass and fixtures needs repeat applications and dwell time, which adds to the job.
How a move-in clean runs
- 1
Your free quote by phone
Tell us the size of the home, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and what condition you found it in. We ask about appliances and hard water so the quote reflects the real job.
- 2
A walk-through on arrival
We look at the trouble spots first: the oven, the shower glass, any odors. Knowing what each problem is lets us pick the right product before we start.
- 3
Top to bottom, dry to wet
We dust high areas and vents, then clean cabinets, appliances and bathrooms, and finish with floors. Working in that order means nothing falls on a surface we already cleaned.
- 4
Final check with you
We go over the home with you or send you photos of the finished rooms. Anything cleaning cannot fix, like etched glass or worn caulk, we note so you can decide what to do next.
Move-in cleaning questions
Do the water and power need to be on?
Yes. We need running hot water for bathrooms and floors, and power for vacuums and lights. If the utilities are being switched over, schedule the clean for after they are active.
Should I book before or after the movers?
Before, if you can. An empty home lets us reach inside closets, behind where appliances sit and along every baseboard. Once boxes are stacked against walls, those areas get skipped.
Can you remove the white spots on the shower glass?
Usually. Mineral scale sitting on the surface comes off with the right cleaner and some dwell time. If the minerals have etched into the glass, the cloudiness is permanent damage, and we will tell you that instead of scrubbing at it.
Is this the same as move-out cleaning?
The checklist is similar, but the goal differs. Move-out cleaning is about handing a home back in good shape, while move-in cleaning is about getting a home ready for you to live in. If you are leaving one place and entering another, ask about both on the same call.
Do I need to be there?
No. Many people leave access arranged and meet us at the end, or we send photos. Just let us know how we will get in when you call for your quote.
Get the new place clean before you unpack
Tell us about the home and what you noticed on your walk-through. We will explain what we expect to find and give you a price before the job is booked.