ServicesMove-In Cleaning
Move-In Cleaning in Pico Rivera
Before your furniture shows up, we work through the empty rooms: shelf by shelf, behind the range and down to the tub drain. You see photos of each room as we found it and as we left it, so you know exactly what you are moving into.
Why the empty days matter
A house between owners is the easiest it will ever be to clean. No sofa blocks the baseboards, no dishes fill the cabinets and nothing sits on the bathroom floor. Once you move in, the shelf liner, the grease film on the range hood and the hair in the tub trap get buried under your own things and stay there.
Move-in cleaning is a full top-to-bottom clean of the empty space. The previous occupant may have cleaned, but a move-out wipe usually skips the inside of the oven, the tracks under sliding doors and the dust on top of the upper cabinets. We go after those spots because they are where old residue, pet hair and dead insects collect.
We photograph each room as we find it and again when we finish. You can see the condition of the kitchen and bathrooms before you arrive, which also helps if you need to raise something with the seller, landlord or agent.
What a move-in clean covers
- Every cabinet and drawer
- Shelves and drawer bottoms get vacuumed first to pull out crumbs, grit and the odd dead bug, then we wipe the boxes, door faces and hinges. Doors near the stove often carry a tacky layer of cooked-on grease, so they get a degreaser and a clean-water rinse wipe. Your dishes go onto dry shelves with nothing left behind.
- Appliances
- We clean the oven interior and racks, the cooktop and the range hood filter, and we empty and wipe the refrigerator and freezer, including the door gaskets where mold likes to start. The dishwasher filter and door edge get cleaned too, since food buildup there causes odors.
- Bathrooms
- Tubs, showers, toilets, sinks and mirrors are scrubbed and disinfected. Mineral scale from hard water builds up on fixtures and glass across the area, so we treat it with a descaler instead of scraping, which protects chrome and glass finishes.
- Floors, baseboards and trim
- We vacuum and mop hard floors, vacuum carpet edge to edge, and hand-wipe baseboards, door frames and light switches. These are the surfaces hands and pets touched most.
- Windows, tracks and vents
- Interior window glass and sills get cleaned, and we clear the dirt and grit from sliding door and window tracks so they run smoothly. We also dust return vent grilles and ceiling fan blades before they spread dust into a freshly cleaned room.
Signs your new place needs a move-in clean
Grease on the cabinet faces
If the doors near the stove feel tacky, cooking residue has built up for months. It attracts dust and will transfer onto your hands and dishes.
A smell when you open the fridge or oven
Odors usually mean old spills, a dirty drip pan or mold on the gaskets. Those need cleaning, not an air freshener.
Dark lines in tub and shower corners
Gray or black buildup in grout and caulk corners is soap scum and mildew. We clean it and tell you what stays behind, so you know if the caulk itself needs replacing.
Dust or pet hair in the corners
Hair along baseboards and inside closets matters if anyone in your family has allergies. It is far easier to remove before rugs and furniture go down.
The listing looked cleaner than the keys
A home often sits empty for weeks before closing. Dust settles, insects get in through door gaps and the place you toured is not quite the place you get the keys to.
What sets the price of a move-in clean
Every quote is built from the home itself. A two-bedroom condo that was kept tidy and a four-bedroom house left with a greasy oven are different jobs. We ask a few questions on the phone so the price reflects the actual work.
Square footage and room count
More bedrooms and bathrooms mean more surfaces, fixtures and floor area. Bathrooms usually take the most time per square foot.
Condition left by the last occupant
Heavy grease, built-up hard water scale or pet hair add hours. A clear description on the phone helps us quote accurately.
Appliances included
A heavily soiled oven or a refrigerator left with food inside takes longer to clean than one that was emptied and wiped.
Extras you add
Interior windows throughout, inside the garage cabinets or a laundry room with a washer and dryer to clean can be added. We list each one so you see what you are paying for.
How the day runs
- 1
A short phone call
We ask how many bedrooms and bathrooms the place has, roughly how it was left and when you get the keys. From that you get a free quote, and we pick a time before your furniture is scheduled to arrive.
- 2
Walk-through and condition check
When we arrive, we walk each room and photograph its condition, including the inside of appliances and the bathroom fixtures. Anything beyond cleaning, like a cracked tile or a leaking trap, gets recorded so you can deal with it.
- 3
Top-down cleaning
We work from ceiling fans and upper cabinets down to the floors, so dust and debris fall onto surfaces we have not cleaned yet. Kitchens and bathrooms get the most time because they hold the most buildup.
- 4
Final check and handover
Before we leave, we walk every room a second time and send you the complete set of before-and-after photos. Spot something that falls short? Report it within 24 hours, and we look at the photos and the area together with you to settle on a fair fix.
Move-in cleaning questions
Does the house need to be empty?
Ideally, yes. An empty home lets us reach inside cabinets, along every baseboard and under where furniture will sit. If a few boxes are already there, we can work around them, though those spots will not be cleaned underneath.
How is this different from a deep cleaning?
Our deep cleaning happens while people are living in the house, so we clean around beds, couches and full closets. Move-in cleaning starts with bare rooms, which means we get inside every cabinet, drawer and appliance with nothing in the way. If you are leaving your old place, our move-out cleaning covers that side of the move.
Do I need to be there?
No. Many customers arrange access through their agent or a lockbox. Because you get the before-and-after set for each room, you can check the results even if you are still packing across town.
What if something gets damaged while you are cleaning?
We are careful with new fixtures and finishes you may not have inspected yourself yet, and we are insured. If anything happens, tell us right away and we will sort it out with you directly.
What if you find damage that was already there?
We do not repair it, but we photograph it and tell you. A cracked oven glass, a loose toilet or water staining under the sink is worth knowing about early, especially if you are still in contact with the seller.
Book your clean before moving day
Tell us your move-in date and the size of your home. We will give you a free quote and a time that fits before your furniture arrives.