ServicesMove-In Cleaning
Move-In Cleaning in Norwalk
Before your furniture and boxes arrive, we clean the empty rooms top to bottom: inside every cabinet and drawer, inside the oven and fridge, the tub, toilet and tile. You unpack into a home that is clean on the surfaces you can't see as well as the ones you can.
What move-in cleaning is, and when it makes sense
Move-in cleaning is a one-time, detailed clean of an empty home before you live in it. It goes further than a regular cleaning visit because nothing is in the way. Shelves are bare, closets are open and appliances can be eased away from the wall, so we can reach places a previous owner or tenant may have skipped for years.
It is the right call when you have just bought a home, signed a lease, or have a few days between getting the keys and the moving truck. A home that looked tidy at the walkthrough usually still holds crumbs in drawer tracks, a grease film on cabinet doors and soap residue on shower glass. Someone else's move-out clean tells you little about what you will actually find.
If you are leaving a home rather than arriving, our move-out cleaning page covers that side. If the home is lived in and simply overdue, deep cleaning is usually the better fit.
What we clean before you move in
Inside cabinets and drawers
We vacuum out crumbs and dust, then wipe shelves, drawer bottoms and the tracks they slide on. This is where your dishes and food will live, so it gets our most careful attention. Old shelf liner can come out if you ask.
Kitchen appliances, inside and out
Oven interior and racks, stovetop, range hood filter, refrigerator and freezer shelves and drawers, and the microwave. Where an appliance can be slid out safely, we clean the floor and side panels beneath it.
Bathrooms down to the grout line
Tubs, showers, sinks and toilets, including the base and the hinges. Southern California's hard water leaves white mineral spots on glass and chrome, and we work on them with cleaners matched to the surface so stone and coated fixtures are not etched.
Baseboards, doors and switches
Baseboards, door frames, doors, handles, light switches and outlet covers are wiped by hand. Every inspector, agent and mover who walked through before you touched them.
Sills, tracks and blinds
Interior glass within reach, window sills, sliding door tracks and blinds are dusted and wiped. Clearing the fine grit from slider tracks also helps the door glide properly.
Floors, finished last
Once everything above is done, we vacuum carpets and wash hard floors, working from the back of the home toward the door so nothing gets walked over again.
Signs your new home needs a move-in clean
- Tacky cabinets near the stove
- A sticky feel on kitchen cabinet doors is cooking grease that has mixed with dust and set over time. A dry cloth will not lift it, and it transfers to hands and dishes.
- Gray lint in closets and on vents
- Visible dust on closet shelves or around air vent covers means the home has not been detailed in a while. Once your belongings are in, those spots are hard to reach.
- The last occupant did a quick clean
- A fast wipe-down before handing over keys tends to cover what shows. The inside of the oven, the space behind the fridge and the cabinet under the bathroom sink are often left as they were.
- Odors that linger with windows open
- A smell that stays usually comes from a refrigerator drip pan, a garbage disposal or a drain that has dried out. We clean the sources we can reach and tell you plainly if something needs a plumber or appliance technician.
- Allergies in your family
- The dust left behind carries the last household's pet hair and pollen. Starting with clean vents, baseboards and closets matters more when someone in your home is sensitive.
How move-in cleaning day runs
- 1
Your free quote by phone
Tell us the size of the home, the number of bathrooms, your move-in date and anything you noticed at the walkthrough. We explain what is included and what would change the price, then give you a free quote.
- 2
A short look before we start
We arrive with our own supplies and equipment. If you or your agent are there, a brief walk-through lets us note trouble spots like a stained oven or heavy shower buildup.
- 3
Top to bottom, back to front
We begin high with ceiling fans, light fixtures and upper cabinets, and finish with the floors. Kitchen and bathrooms take the most time, since tile, glass and fixtures are done by hand. Each surface gets a cleaner suited to its finish, so stone, stainless and coated fixtures are left clean without dulling.
- 4
Final walk-through
Before we leave, we walk the rooms with you, or call to tell you how it went if you are not on site. We point out anything we could not fully resolve, such as an old stain set into grout, so you know exactly what you are moving into.
What affects the price of a move-in clean
Move-in cleaning is priced by the home and its condition rather than one flat rate for every address. An empty home is quicker to move through, but it also gets more detail, so the time tends to even out. We walk you through each factor when we quote, so the number makes sense before you agree to it.
- Square footage and room count
- More bedrooms means more closets, baseboards and windows. Bathrooms carry the most weight, since each one needs tile, glass and fixtures done by hand.
- How the last occupant left it
- Baked-on oven grease or thick shower scale takes far longer than a home that was kept up. Describe what you saw at the walkthrough so the quote reflects it.
- Extras beyond the standard clean
- Inside the oven and refrigerator are part of the clean. A laundry room, a dishwasher filter or a garage sweep add time and are priced separately.
- Timing around your move
- A clean with a clear gap before the movers arrive is the simplest to plan. Fitting it into the same morning as the truck, with crews working around each other, usually takes longer.
Move-in cleaning questions
- Do I need to be home during the clean?
- No. Many customers give us access through a lockbox or their agent. We just need to know how to get in and that the water and power are on, since the clean depends on both.
- Should the clean happen before or after the movers?
- Before, whenever you can manage it. An empty home lets us reach inside every cabinet, along every baseboard and under the appliances. Once furniture is in, those areas are blocked and the visit becomes closer to a regular clean.
- Do you bring your own supplies?
- Yes. We bring cleaners, cloths, a vacuum and mops. If you prefer a particular product, such as a fragrance-free cleaner, mention it when you call and we will use it.
- How is this different from a deep clean?
- Both are detailed. A deep clean works around your furniture and belongings. A move-in clean assumes the rooms are empty, so the insides of cabinets, closets and appliances are standard rather than optional.
- What if something isn't right afterward?
- Tell us within a day of the clean. We will review the concern with you and work out a fair resolution, whether that means coming back to a missed spot or talking through what happened. Reporting it quickly lets us see the spot before boxes and furniture cover it.
- Do you work outside Norwalk?
- Yes. We also clean in nearby cities including Downey, Whittier, Cerritos and La Mirada. Give us the address when you call and we will confirm.
Unpack into a home that is already clean
Tell us about the home and your move-in date, and we will explain what the clean covers and what it should cost. Our customers have given us a 4.9-star average from 2,274 verified reviews.