Cleaning Between Tenants: Tips for Landlords
Owning a rental property is stressful, especially when you have unoccupied homes that don’t generate revenue. Cleaning thoroughly between tenants both makes your property more appealing to new renters and protects your investment. Unfortunately, depending on how your last tenant left the property, cleaning sometimes means renting equipment and spending several hours or days removing stains and odors.
Here are a few tips for landlords from the experts at NorthStar Cleaning & Property Services about cleaning their soft surfaces (carpets, upholstered furniture, and drapes) between tenants and what equipment you might need to get the job done if you are doing it yourself.
Snap Photographs
Before you start cleaning or repairing damage, grab a camera and get proof of how the property looked after the last tenant left and before the next tenant arrives. Pay attention to any damage or stains. After you have done the cleaning, take several photographs of how the home looks. This will act as proof of the home's current condition.
Clean the Carpets
Carpets that appear clean and odor-free can still harbor mold, mildew, irritants, and bacteria. Rent or purchase a carpet cleaner for a safe, cost-effective way to remove stains and odors from your carpets.
Here are a few tips to help you use a carpet cleaner like a pro:
- Prepare
the space.
Move
any furniture out of the room. Vacuum the carpet to remove any loose
dirt and debris.
- Pre-treat
tough stains.
Soak
stains with a pre-treatment solution. Check the carpet cleaner's
manual for recommendations about which product to use.
- Use
the machine correctly.
Fill
the shampoo and water reservoir according to the manufacturer's
directions. Clean the carpet in slow, back and forth movements.
Avoid making too many passes over a single area because this will
oversaturate the carpet.
- Dry
the carpet.
Open
the windows, turn on box fans, and allow the carpet for dry for
several hours before stepping on it.
- After
the carpets are completely dry, wipe off any cleaning solution from
the trim, walls, or nearby flooring.
Clean Drapes and Upholstery
Drapes and upholstery absorb cooking smells, cigarette smoke, perfumes, and any odors lingering in the air. This can leave the curtains and upholstery discolored and smelly. Steam cleaning is the safest, easiest way to eliminate these stains and odors.
Start cleaning the curtains near the top and slowly work your way down the length of the curtain. Hold the steam cleaner a few inches away from the curtains, and if the material becomes soaked, hold the steamer further away or adjust the settings. Do not place the curtains in the dryer because this could cause wrinkling and damage. Instead, allow them to air dry.
To clean upholstered furniture, begin by removing the cushions and vacuuming off any food, dirt, or other debris. Spot clean the cushions with a plastic scrub brush and a commercial pretreatment solution. Spray a soil emulsifier on both sides of the cushions and allow it to soak in for several minutes. This product helps loosen any dirt or other debris that is ground into the upholstery.
Use a steam cleaner with a wand attachment and carefully run it across both sides of the cushion. The steam cleaner typically has another setting that soaks up moisture from the upholstery. Turn on this setting and run the wand over the cushions again.
Set the cushions aside and clean the remainder of the upholstery. Allow the cushions and the upholstered frame to dry completely before reassembling the furniture.
Cleaning the carpets, drapes, and upholstery is a quick and inexpensive way to make your rental property look and smell fresh and clean. However, you can do the job even better if you hire a professional like NorthStar Cleaning & Property Services instead of cleaning by yourself. Let us handle the dirty work by contacting us today.
