Moving cleaning: a checklist for your old and new flat

Cleaning when moving has two parts. You clean the old flat only once it is empty, from top to bottom and from the room furthest away towards the door. You clean the new flat before you bring any furniture into it. Divide the work into three phases: a week or two in advance, the day of the move and the first days afterwards. Photograph the condition of both flats and record it in the handover protocol.

Why plan the cleaning in advance

On the day of the move you usually lack both time and energy. If you leave all the cleaning to the last minute, you clean when tired, among boxes, and often without the vacuum cleaner, which has already left with the furniture. So move part of the work to the days beforehand and keep for the day itself only what can be done in an empty flat.

With a rented flat, the condition in which you return it also matters. Under § 2293 of the Civil Code, the tenant hands over the flat in the condition in which they received it, allowing for normal wear and tear from ordinary use. Under § 2292, the flat is considered handed over once the landlord has received the keys and nothing prevents them from accessing the flat. This is general information, not legal advice; check your specific obligations in your tenancy agreement. The topic is covered in more detail in the article Cleaning your flat before handing it over to the landlord.

One to two weeks before the move

1. Sort out your belongings. Donate, sell or take away whatever you are not moving. Every extra box means more dust and another trip.
2. Take away bulky waste and old appliances. On their page about recycling centres, Pražské služby state that Prague residents with permanent residence can hand over bulky waste, such as furniture, free of charge up to a limit of 5.5 m³ per person per year, and that the take-back of discarded electrical appliances is free for everyone. The same centres also accept selected hazardous waste, such as paints, solvents and batteries. Check the current opening hours and conditions before you set off.
3. Clean the oven and extractor hood. Baked-on dirt needs time and for the product to work, so do not leave it until the last day. You will find the method in the articles how to clean an oven and how to clean an extractor hood filter.
4. Plan for the fridge and freezer. If you are moving them or handing them over empty, gradually use up the supplies and allow time in advance for defrosting, following the manufacturer's instructions.
5. Pack a cleaning box. It will be moved last, or stay in the old flat until you have cleaned it.

What belongs in the cleaning box

• a vacuum cleaner with a nozzle for corners and skirting boards, a mop and a bucket
• several microfibre cloths, sponges, a small brush for joints
• a squeegee and a cloth for windows
• an all-purpose cleaner, a kitchen degreaser, a limescale remover for the bathroom
• rubber gloves, rubbish bags, a small stepladder or stool
• a screwdriver for removing hooks and shelves, paper and a pen for the protocol

Read the label on every product, ventilate while you work and wear gloves. Never mix products containing chlorine with acids or ammonia; the article on dangerous combinations of cleaning products summarises the details. Try any new product first on a hidden spot.

Moving day: cleaning the empty flat

Clean only after the furniture has been carried out. Only then can you see the dust behind wardrobes, under the bed and behind radiators. Work in the following order so that you do not dirty clean surfaces again:

1. Check your belongings. Go through wardrobes, drawers, the cellar, the balcony and the letterbox. Take out the last of the rubbish.
2. Top to bottom. Cobwebs in corners, the tops of cupboards and doors, light fittings (switched off and cooled), skirting boards and switches.
3. Kitchen. The insides of cupboards and drawers, the tiles behind the worktop, the hob, oven, extractor hood, sink and taps. Wash the switched-off fridge and leave it slightly open so that no odour develops.
4. Bathroom and WC. Limescale on taps and the shower enclosure, joints, mirror, washbasin, bath, toilet including the rim and base. The article how to remove limescale describes how to deal with deposits.
5. Windows, windowsills and radiators. Wash windows while direct sunlight is not shining on them, otherwise streaks will remain.
6. Doors and handles. Fingerprints are usually most visible around handles and switches.
7. Floors last. First vacuum, including corners and skirting boards, then mop from the furthest corner towards the door.

Places that are often forgotten

• the tops of kitchen cupboards and the space above the fridge
• the seals of the fridge and dishwasher, the dishwasher filter, the drawer under the oven
• ventilation grilles in the bathroom and WC
• the space behind radiators and behind doors
• the inner side of windows, frames and the grooves by the windowsills
• the cellar, balcony and letterbox

Whether you must fill holes left by wall plugs or repaint is determined by the tenancy agreement and your arrangement with the landlord. Clarify this with them before the move, not at the handover.

Handover protocol and photographs

When handing over the old flat and taking over the new one, draw up a short protocol. The general provisions on lease in § 2225 of the Civil Code provide that if a record describing the item was made when it was taken over, it is taken into account when the item is returned. A record made when you move in can therefore help you several years later.

• the date, names and signatures of both parties
• the number of keys, chips and remote controls handed over
• the electricity, gas and water meter readings
• the condition of each room and appliance, including visible defects
• a list of the equipment that remains in the flat

Photograph each room as a whole and then the details: floors, walls, the insides of appliances, the bathroom, windows. Store the photos somewhere other than your phone as well.

The new flat before you move in

The best time to clean the new flat is before the furniture and boxes arrive. Even if the previous tenant or seller cleaned, clean the insides of cupboards and kitchen appliances yourself before you put dishes and clothes into them.

1. Open the windows and air the flat.
2. Work from top to bottom: light fittings, upper surfaces, windows, windowsills.
3. Wash the insides of kitchen cupboards, drawers and built-in wardrobes.
4. Clean the bathroom and toilet; if you smell odours from the drains, pour water into them, as the trap may have dried out.
5. Clean the fridge, oven and dishwasher before first use, following the manufacturer's instructions.
6. Vacuum and mop the floors last, ideally just before the removal firm arrives.

Photograph any defects you find while cleaning and report them in writing to the landlord or seller straight away, not after several weeks.

Timeline at a glance

When	Old flat	New flat
1–2 weeks before	sorting, removal of bulky waste, oven and extractor hood	arranging keys and access, inspecting the condition
The day before	emptied fridge, packed cleaning box	cleaning cupboards, bathroom and floors, if you already have the keys
Moving day	cleaning the empty flat from top to bottom, photos, protocol, keys	taking over, photos, a quick mop of the floors before the furniture arrives
After the move	resolving any objections from the landlord	unpacking into clean cupboards, cleaning dust from boxes

When it is worth ordering a cleaning service

Help makes sense when you are moving from two addresses on the same day, when the handover of the flat follows immediately after moving out, or when you simply have no time to clean. Úklid 1-2-3 offers moving cleaning for both the old and the new flat; you will find an indicative price in the price list. Whether you clean yourself or with help, the decisive thing is the order: first clear out, then clean from top to bottom and finally document everything.