Whether you are trying to recover more of your security deposit or you are leaving your appliances to new owners, you want to be sure your appliances are clean before moving day. Cleaning your household appliances is not that difficult. All you need are a few appliance cleaning tips from these apartment movers:
How to Clean Your Oven
If your oven is self-cleaning, follow the directions of the manufacturer. Some models have steam cleaning options, while others still run a high-temperature cycle. After running the cleaning cycle, let your oven cool and wipe the ashes.
If you don’t like the self-cleaning cycle or have a standard cleaning oven, you could use a commercial oven cleaning product, but you have other options. This method uses baking soda, vinegar.
- Mix just enough water with your baking soda to make a paste
- Apply the paste to the surface of your oven (not the heating element)
- Leave the paste in your oven for 12 hours
- Wipe out the baking soda mixture
- Put full strength vinegar in a spray bottle
- Spray any baking soda residue with vinegar
- Wipe the oven with a clean cloth, adding more vinegar as needed
Cleaning Your Oven Racks
Typically, cleaning oven racks take a lot of elbow grease and several steel wool pads. To make the job easier, soak your racks in your bathtub with dishwasher detergent to remove the grime.
- Line your tub with old towels to protect your tub
- Fill Your tub with hot water (enough to cover the racks)
- Add ½ cup of dishwasher detergent and mix
- Put the racks in the tub and soak for a minimum of 4 hours
- Wipe the grime away
- Scrub any difficult areas with a scrubbing pad.
- Rinse, dry and put the racks back in
- Clean the exterior with an all-purpose cleaner or stainless steel polish
How to Clean Your Stove
How you clean the top of your stove will depend on the type. You can typically clean the top of an electric stove with an all-purpose cleaner, baking soda and lemon, or mild dish soap. If your stove is gas, soak your grates in a grate cleaning solution. Wipe the top of the stove using an all-purpose cleaner. With a gas stove, the gas connectors can be fragile. You may want to contact your gas company to be sure it is safe before moving the stove to clean behind or under the unit.
How to Clean Your Refrigerator
Your refrigerator is not that difficult to clean. While some people may prefer to use an all-purpose cleaner, others prefer not to use chemicals near their food. You can use a mild soap and water, or you can clean your refrigerator with vinegar and water.
- Turn off your freezer a while before starting
- Remove the shelves, drawers, and bins
- Washed in the sink with soapy water
- In a spray bottle, mix a solution of half water and half vinegar
- Spray the interior
- Wipe your refrigerator clean with a dry cloth
- Wipe the crevices of the door seal
- Replace the shelves and bins
You can use these tips again when you move to your new home if the appliances are not cleaned to your standards. Cleaning your large appliances is not that time consuming when you have cleaning techniques that make the job easier.
Once you’re appliances are cleaned, they’ll be ready to transport by long distance moving companies or ready for you to turn over the keys to the new tenant or owner.