Our Top Apartment Cleaning & Maintenance Tips

Apartment cleaning and maintenance saves residents and property managers both time and money. Studies have shown that practicing preventative cleaning and maintenance reduces service requests by 13.4% and lowers maintenance costs by 8.8%. 

That’s a lot of resources you could potentially save! But what are the other benefits, and how do you start on your cleaning and maintenance journey? 

Fortunately, we’ve got the answers. Today, we’ll share our most important apartment cleaning and maintenance tips–tips that will prevent future problems and lighten the load of your current ones. 

Benefits Of Frequent Cleaning & Maintenance

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s look at the most common benefits for residents and property managers of frequent and preventative cleaning and maintenance. 

Get Your Deposit Back 

59% of renters don’t expect to get their security deposit back. Most residents focus on cleaning and fixing their rentals before leaving, only to find the place isn’t salvageable. It’s because most of us don’t realize how much dirt and damage we accumulate unless it’s a big, glaring mess. 

By cleaning and maintaining your apartment regularly, you’re one giant step closer to getting your full security deposit refunded. 

Improve Mental Health 

A clean home offers many mental health benefits. It lowers stress and releases endorphins. The reduced clutter also helps you focus on tasks instead of being distracted and bothered by the mess around you. By regularly cleaning and maintaining your apartment, you’re guaranteed to improve your health and your quality of life. 

Deal With Less Work

Regular cleaning and maintenance might sound like more work, but we promise it’s not. While cleaning more, you’ll do much less work each time. 

Maintenance will also be much easier. By regularly catching maintenance issues and fixing them right away, you won’t have to struggle with an expensive and time-consuming maintenance issue that you constantly put off. 

Maintain Property Value

As a property manager or an apartment owner, maintaining the property value is paramount. 

Whether incentivizing your residents to clean and maintain their rental with inspection software or you’re an owner living in the apartment you hope to sell, regular cleaning and maintenance is a surefire way to improve and maintain your property value. 

Prevent Major Maintenance Issues

Finally, regular maintenance will prevent minor problems from becoming big, expensive ones.  

Let’s say your apartment has a mold problem in the bathroom. It’ll be a quick fix if you catch the mold problem early on. But if you leave it, it could devolve into an apartment-wide mold growth that damages wood integrity, impacts your health, and becomes a recurring problem because of hidden mold patches. 

When you, as the resident or the property owner, fix apartment maintenance issues immediately, you’ll save a lot of time, stress, and money. 

Try These 11 Apartment Cleaning & Maintenance Hacks Today

Now that we’ve covered all the benefits of regular cleaning and maintenance, here are apartment cleaning and maintenance hacks that’ll change your life. 

1. Create A Maintenance And Cleaning Checklist 

One of the best ways to keep track of your cleaning and maintenance is to create a checklist. Create a cleaning checklist that covers all the tips outlined below and ensure you check them off regularly.

You can also create an apartment maintenance checklist to cover all other bases. If you’re renting, work with your property manager to make an inspection list to catch leaks, mold, or pests quickly. To learn more, familiarize yourself with these common maintenance tips for residents. 

2. Remove The Trash

Take out the trash every few days. This will prevent the garbage from piling up, making it difficult to take it outside. It’ll also prevent nasty smells and spoiled food from attracting insects. 

If you’re getting rid of food waste in your trash, wrap it in smaller bags to prevent the smell from spreading and settling into your apartment. Or, if you have the space, create a little compost heap outside.

3. Clean The Walls

Most people forget to clean and check their walls. Regularly use a duster to remove accumulated dust, and wipe down your walls with a damp cloth when deep cleaning your home. 

For maintenance, regularly check for water damage or chipped paint. If you notice any issues, contact the property owner or contractors to fix the problem immediately. 

4. Wash The Floors 

Sweep or vacuum your floors and rugs every few days. If you have hardwood floors, use the wood type to establish how often you need to clean and oil the floors. If your home is covered in carpet or linoleum, vacuum and deep clean them once every month or two. You can also add a rug by the front door to prevent damage on your floor from outside shoes.  

5. Establish Your Cleaning Days 

Finding time to clean can be difficult, especially if you work full-time and have kids. Establish when you have the most time available and block out time to clean. If cleaning is part of your schedule, maintaining your home will be much easier. 

6. Declutter Your Apartment 

Keep the apartment surfaces free from clutter. Throw away trash immediately and return items you used to the racks or cabinets they’re meant to be in. If you’re dealing with a lot of clutter, take a trash bag, go through your apartment, and throw away or donate items you don’t want or need. 

7. Keep The Cleaning Supplies Together

Cleaning is hard enough without looking for all your cleaning supplies. Keeping your cleaning supplies in one space will make it easier to start cleaning when you don’t feel like it. 

8. Check For Mold

Apartments don’t have as much ventilation as stand-alone houses, which makes mold growth a big problem. 

Regularly check your bathroom for mold, especially in darker spots that accumulate moisture. Carefully inspect the bathroom ceiling and light fixtures. If you see even a hint of mold, get rid of it. 

9. Clean Kitchen Appliances

Kitchen appliances like toasters, ovens, and microwaves accumulate dirt. It’s essential to regularly wipe down your kitchen appliances and remove food waste. When you deep clean your home, take your time to remove the grime. 

10. Deep Clean Every Few Months

Deep clean your apartment every 2 to 3 months. You can hire a professional cleaning company to clean your home or DIY it. Whichever you choose, take your time to remove all the floor, wall, ceiling, and appliance dirt and grease.

11. Go Through Your Cabinets 

Cabinets are often overlooked during the cleaning process. When you deep clean your home, remove all the items from your cabinets, clean the interiors, check for pests and leaks, and clean off the cabinet contents before putting them back. 

Use RentCheck To Prove How Great Your Apartment Looks!

With the above tips and a regular apartment cleaning and maintenance schedule, you’ll improve your chances of getting your security deposit back, increase the property value, and make your apartment maintenance much more manageable. 

When you’re done, use RentCheck to prove how great your apartment looks. Sign up for free and experience the power and ease of resident-led inspections.