What's Included in a Move-In Cleaning?
A move-in cleaning is a full deep clean of an empty home before your furniture arrives. It includes everything a standard deep clean covers, plus inside every cabinet, drawer, closet, and appliance — because those spaces are hard to clean once you've moved in.
A move-in cleaning is a specialized deep clean done in an empty home before your belongings arrive. It handles the spaces that become nearly impossible to clean once furniture is in place.
What a move-in cleaning includes
Everything in a standard deep clean, plus:
- Inside every cabinet and drawer — kitchen and bathroom
- Inside every closet — floors, shelves, and rods wiped
- Inside the oven, microwave, refrigerator, and dishwasher
- Inside the washer and dryer
- All baseboards, door frames, and light switches
- Interior windows and window tracks
- Behind appliances that pull out (fridge, washer, dryer)
Why timing matters
Schedule the move-in clean the day before your movers arrive — not the same day. Your movers need clear access, and you don't want boxes stacked in rooms while cleaners are trying to reach corners.
If the move-in and move-out are both being cleaned by us (common for our Glendale and Pasadena clients), we schedule the two visits back-to-back so both homes are ready on move day.
How long a move-in cleaning takes
- Studio / 1BR apartment: 3–4 hours
- 2BR: 4–6 hours
- 3BR house: 6–8 hours
- Larger homes: full day
Move-in cleans always take longer than you'd expect because the details — inside cabinets, inside appliances — take real time to do properly.
Local relevance
Most of our Montrose and Glendale move-in clients found that the previous owner "cleaned" the home before leaving, but only at the surface level. Inside cabinets, inside the oven, and interior window tracks are almost always neglected. A proper move-in clean is worth it exactly because it handles those neglected spots.
Pairs with a move-out clean
If you're leaving one home and moving into another, book both. See our move-out cleaning checklist for what a move-out visit covers.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a move-in clean if the previous owner already cleaned?+
Yes, for almost every home. Previous owners clean surfaces they can see — cabinets, drawers, and appliance interiors are almost always missed.
How long before move-in should I schedule?+
The day before your movers arrive is ideal. Same-day is doable but tight.
Is a move-in clean the same as a deep clean?+
It's a deep clean plus the interior of every cabinet, drawer, closet, and appliance. Deep cleans in occupied homes skip most of those because they can't be accessed.
Do you clean inside light fixtures and vents?+
Yes. Move-in cleans include vent covers, ceiling fans, and accessible light fixtures.
Related services
- Deep House Cleaning →
A thorough reset for homes that need extra attention or haven't been cleaned in a while.
- Apartment Cleaning →
Fast, careful cleans tailored to apartments and condos.
Related guides
- Move-Out Cleaning Checklist to Get Your Deposit Back →
The exact checklist landlords and property managers use to inspect a home before returning a security deposit.
- Deep Cleaning vs Regular Cleaning: What's the Difference? →
They sound similar, but they're two very different services. Here's exactly when to book each.
- Room-by-Room House Cleaning Checklist →
A printable checklist covering every room in a typical home, in the order our crews actually clean.