How to clean appliances before you move out
To clean appliances before you move out, start the slow jobs the night before: coat the oven inside with a baking soda paste, and empty and switch off the freezer so it defrosts overnight. On cleaning day, wipe out the oven, wash the fridge and freezer, degrease the stovetop and hood, then do the microwave, dishwasher and washer. Finish with the floor behind and under each one.
What do you need?
- Baking soda, dish soap and white vinegar
- Microfiber cloths, a non-scratch scrub pad and an old toothbrush
- A plastic scraper or spatula
- Old towels for the freezer and for sliding appliances out
- A degreaser for the hood and stovetop
- A vacuum with a crevice tool
- Rubber gloves
What order should you clean them in?
- The night before: paste the oven, empty and switch off the freezer, towels around its base.
- Fridge and freezer, once the ice has melted.
- Oven, wiped out.
- Stovetop and hood.
- Microwave.
- Dishwasher.
- Washer and dryer, if they stay with the unit.
- Behind and under, then the kitchen floor last.
How do you clean the fridge and freezer?
Throw out the food, take out the shelves and drawers and wash them in warm soapy water. Wipe the inside with warm water and a few spoonfuls of baking soda, then the door seals, where crumbs and mildew hide. Dry everything before it goes back in. For the full walkthrough, see our fridge cleaning guide.
Ask your landlord whether to leave the fridge on or off. If it's going off, prop the doors open so it doesn't smell.
How do you clean the oven?
The paste does the work overnight. In the morning, scrape it out with a plastic spatula, wipe with a damp cloth until the white is gone, and spray a little vinegar on any spots that still fizz with baking soda. Racks soak in the tub on an old towel in hot water and dish soap. Our oven guide has the details, including when to use self-clean.
How do you clean the stovetop and range hood?
Lift off gas grates or drip pans and soak them in hot soapy water. Wipe the top, then the knobs, pulled off if they come off. Degrease the hood and soak its metal filter in hot water with dish soap and a little baking soda. On a gas range, if you smell gas at any point, stop and leave, and call the gas utility from outside.
How do you clean the microwave and dishwasher?
- Microwave: heat a bowl of water with a splash of vinegar for a few minutes, leave the door shut five more, then wipe. Wash the turntable in the sink.
- Dishwasher: pull out and rinse the filter at the bottom, wipe the door seal and edges, clear the spray arm holes with a toothpick, then run an empty hot cycle.
How do you clean the washer and dryer?
Wipe the washer drum, the door seal or lid and the detergent drawer with warm soapy water, then run an empty hot cycle with the cleaner your manual recommends. Leave the door open to dry. For the dryer, clean the lint screen, wipe the drum and vacuum the lint trap opening.
What about behind and under?
Slide each appliance out on a towel or a sheet of cardboard so the floor doesn't scratch, unless it's tight on a gas line. Vacuum the dust and crumbs, wipe the floor and the wall, and slide it back. In a narrow rowhome kitchen there's often only room to move one at a time, so do them in turn.
Want help with the move-out clean?
Book Move-In / Move-Out Cleaning online. If the appliances are a priority, ask about them when you book and put them in your booking notes. Our move-out cleaning checklist covers the rest of the unit.
FAQ
How far ahead should I start cleaning appliances before moving out? Start the night before your cleaning day. Coat the oven with a baking soda paste and turn off and empty the freezer so it can defrost overnight. The next day both wipe out much more easily.
Should you leave the fridge on or off when you move out? Check your lease and ask the landlord. If you turn it off, prop the doors open after cleaning so it doesn't grow mildew or start to smell.
How do you clean a washing machine? Wipe the drum, the door seal or lid and the detergent drawer with warm soapy water, then run an empty hot cycle with the cleaner your manual recommends. Leave the door open afterward to dry.
Do I need to pull out the fridge and stove? If you can do it safely, yes, because the floor and wall behind them are part of the unit. Slide them out slowly on a towel or cardboard so the floor doesn't scratch, and don't strain a gas line.
Book a cleaning
Our service area: every Philadelphia neighborhood, plus the Pennsylvania suburbs within about 30 miles of Center City, in Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks and Chester counties. Book online at phillyscleanteam.com/book-now, or call or text (215) 798-7576, 9 AM to 9 PM, every day.
