Cleaning the Apartment
This post is more about our cleaning process for our apartment, and hopefully can help future residents. There is no cleaning service used in between residents so when you move in your apartment cleanliness is pretty much dependent on the previous resident and how they maintained the apartment. The weather also does not help. As depending on how long it was since the previous resident moved out and when you moved in the humidity and hot summer can be a perfect combination for mold/mildew to grow when no one is residing in the apartment. Being from Arizona, we are not used to the humidity and the mold and mildew it can bring. When we got the common cold, we had a lingering cough (breathing issues) which we now think was made worse by some mold/mildew we found in the apartment. We've had to do a lot of cleaning and hope there's no more mold/mildew growth while we're living here. It also make us appreciate the dryness of Arizona!
1. Kitchen
- Fridge
- The shelves and drawers can be taken out to be hand washed. Then the inside can be wiped down clean.
- Sink
- There are multiple parts and they sell a drain net (although a bit wasteful since it is a one time use item) that you can add to make it easier to clean. They also sell chlorine or scented tablets you can add to prevent or get rid of unpleasant smells that may come from the drain.
- Oven
- It's a small Japanese fish grill but you can cook many other things besides fish. There was a lot of gunk build up from over the years, we tried our best to get it clean.
- Add water to the bottom tray to make it easier to clean. Then add aluminum to the metal tray where you'll place your food on top to cook. Make sure to clean everything, the bottom tray, metal tray and the inside after every use to prevent build up.
- There was years of build-up in ours when we moved in. I was able to remove some of the build-up by adding water to the bottom tray and running the oven for 10 minutes. Then I was able to scrub some of the build-up off but I did have to do this multiple times to get it cleaner.
- Drawers/Cabinets
- The cabinet shelves can be taken out to be wiped down with a damp cloth. If the previous resident left dishes then those can be washed too or given/thrown away on big gomi (big trash day) if you don't want them.
- Patio Doors
- Closets
- Furniture (if left by previous resident)
- Toilet
- Faucet
- The faucet is right above the toilet. The water used to wash your hands goes into the toilet. An area that can easily be overlooked but you'll definitely want to clean the faucet sprout to prevent mold growth.
- Vent/Shelf
- Washer cleaning/lint removal
- The washer has a tank cleaning setting, but it ends up running for 12 hours! You can use the tank cleaning setting or run a regular load with no clothes and add detergent to clean the washer or use an alternative. You'll want to keep the lid open after every use to help it dry out and prevent mildew growth.
- There's no dryer in the apartment but the washer has a "dryer" setting. In the washer you can see there is a rectangular item which is the lint trap. The lint trap needs to be cleaned after every use.
- Sink
- Bathtub
- Shower/Bathtub drains
- Vent
- You can pop off the vent in the bathroom. It can get humid in the bathroom so it's definitely good to check on the vent every once in a while.
- Shelves
- Can be removed and washed, while the inside is wiped down. There is a strong smell of wet wood, so maybe getting some dehumidifier to place in the the wooden shoe closet would help with getting rid of the smell.
- Closet
- Windows
- Bed
- Bedding
- Vents/Fans
- Windows
- Light switches
- Phone comm.
- Door/Doorknobs
- Entryway/ Front door
- Floor
- Walls
- Air conditioner
- Daily
- Wipe down Sinks
- Stove (every time used)
- Oven (every time used)
- Washer lint trap (every time used)
- Once a week
- Toilet
- Disinfect sink/faucet sprout
- Floor
- Doorknobs
- Every 3 months
- Fridge
- Oven
- Air conditioner
- Windows
- Under the bed
- Vents
- Curtains
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