Moving Out Deep Clean Cheer Me On!

[ServingGrace]

Warning: Sorry for the long post and rants!
I am really hoping to get out of my apartment within a week! The new neighbors that just moved in smoke like chimneys in a no smoking building. Apparently everyone else thinks a no smoking building means they can stand outside my windows in the driveway and have their second hand smoke drift up into my kids lungs! They have guests going in and out at all hours, well not in the morning or regular daytime hours just in the evenings and night!
So here it goes! Here is some of the cleaning I have gotten done. It is really hard to get much thrown away because the gal that just moved out, well her and her boyfriend were completely filling the trash and recycling bins for the past month! They even that out of their way to fill up under the staircase so I had to smell their garbage each time I was on the porch and then rebag it when a squirrel or something tossed it around the yard.
Okay seriously rant over, now for my list of cleaning...

KITCHEN
All kitchen cabinets are emptied and scrubbed out. (Except for one with unopened foods to donate to food bank)
All kitchen drawers are empty and scrubbed out.
I never used the oven here aside from storing some cast iron in. I wiped it out though. Do I need to use oven clean to get the last tennants grime out?
The refrigerator is still full of food (at least what didn't spoil when maintence fixed it).
The floor has been scrubbed but will be mopped again.
Windows need washing with vinegar, again?

BATHROOM
Bathroom cabinet is emptied and scrubbed but needs scrubbing again.
When I moved in the tub was filled with soap scum. I have done everything natural I can thi of to remove it. Since I won't be soaking my kids in it again what horrid chemical cleaners actually remove years of soap scum? I would have to ar a face mask and keep my kids far away as we have sensitivities towards most toxic cleaners.
The bathroom walls were wiped down with bleach but all the old tiles are still scuzzy and look like their about to fall, again...the first time my kid took a shower they ran out naked screaming a monster was coming out of the walls because a half dozen tiles fell into the tub!
The toilet has a brown ring I can not scrub out of it. It is a new toilet as the first one had to be replaced when I finally got a bathroom floor that did not lift up o my feet when I walk. How do I get out hard water stains when even those pumie bars for scrubbing toilets don't work? Do I just bleach the stain so it can't be seen?
Bathroom mirror looks white and scuzzy no matter how many times I go of it with vinegar! Should I get a face mask and use a chemical cleaner?
Linen closet is empty and wiped down but the shelves are stained. I think they were stained when we moved in but I don't think I even looked at them before putting duffel bags on them.
Bathroom floor is mopped clean, but I will joyously mop again. (Something about being deprived of a floor that can be mopped for six months makes me so happy to mop now)

LIVING ROOM
I can not even seen living room floor aside from a path to walk down. It is filled with disassembled furniture and duffel bags, and boxes etc.
I have washed off the bookshelf, windowsills and Windows.
The Windows still need washing again. No matter how much vinegar I use they still look streaky. Any suggestion?
After all my stuff is out of the apartment I will vaccine again and rent a steam cleaner. Although it was obvious the last tennant did not. I found cereal crumbs in a corner and in a heat vent when we moved in!
Now here is the damage we caused: my youngest carved his name into the moulding for the door and then a heart and my name. I am ferrous but flattered all at the same time! Any clue how much of my deposit I will loose for having maintence come in to sand and varnish it? I'm calling them today about it!

BEDROOM
Two futons are still on the floor until they end up in the truck. I'm hesitant to pack then first as I would like to wrap them in tarps and furniture strap them in under the cover.
Walls have all been scrubbed but still look grimy. I could not get some of the blackish stains by the Windows off them in the whole year I have been here.
Floor needs to be steam cleaned.
Windows won't wipe clean just like all the other ones.
Closet is empty and still needs wiping down and vacuuming.
Ceiling has an orange cross on it that I can not scrub off! I'm going to try a mr clean or magic erase pen. It was written I am red pen above the bunkbed because my oldest was afraid to sleep without knowing she could wake up and see the cross above her: At night the second hand smoke wakes her up coughing and gagging and the people stampeding around the building scare her. Living here has given her nightmares and disturbed her sleep cycle so she is always tired and has to take a nap during the day.

Praise God my lease is ending and I can finally leave this place! I will never rent sight unseen again! I hope to thoroughly check out all of our potential rentals, including how the atmosphere changes at night. I will make sure to take thorough photographs documenting everything onthe check in sheet! Here none of the issues were addressed until I had called maintence multiple times about each one!

---------- Post added at 07:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:11 AM ----------

The heat in my apartment just turned on. It smelled chemical and sickening sweet and I threw up my coffee. Then my daughter woke up coughing and gagging. This is with the what vents closed, so we're chilly all the time. When the heat vents were open it was much worse!

[Singingmom]

I'm so glad you're moving out soon!

It sounds to me like you have higher standards of cleaning than your landlord does. I don't think I would worry with stains and issues that were there before you moved in and haven't changed with normal cleaning, including the windows. Someone may have used a strong cleaner on them that's leaving a residue.

Try Mr. Clean Magic Erasers (the heavy duty version if you can find them) on the soap scum. Give a little bleach a try in the toilet, but don't sweat it if that doesn't work. You could switch the oven to clean cycle if you're going to be out of the house for a few hours (windows open), but if you've wiped it out and not even used it, I don't think you need to. I don't know what to expect from maintenance for the sweet carving, but let us know how that goes.

[ServingGrace]

When cleaning my kitchen today chunks of plaster started falling out from the cabnets and behind the drawers. I left maintence a voicemail stating the plaster was falling and the carving and cross I could not remove. They left me a voicemail, on the wrong number again, stating to stop cleaning those areas and they would take care of it when I move out.
I've spent about two hours doing intense cleaning today, and only an hour packing. Between work and school and kids I think it will take forever to get this tiny apartment packed up and cleaned.
I can't wait to be ready to schedule a walk through inspection and see if I can get a reference! As broke as I am I don't really care about the deposit, if they want to keep it to hire professional cleaners after I steam clean the carpets myself whatever. I have only been single two years and this its just second rental. Half the applications for houses ask for at least three references from landlords, so I really need this referral!

[2sunshines]

I wish you were my tenant!

So excited for you to move to the next chapter in your life.

[ECingMama]

wow! way to go!

[ServingGrace]

Thank you lovely ladies for the motivation!
Although not cleaning related my oldest woke up twice crying and coughing last night. Once when the shut heat vent went off and their was the putrid stench of smoke and cologne coming through the shut vent. The second time was when a car stopped in front of the building, slammed its door, the building door, both doors again five minutes later and revved as it drove off. My youngest woke up with a headache (I think artificial fragrances give trigger them) and was whimpering as he drank tea and tried to go back to sleep.
Today is trash day, all three bins are overflowing. There is garbage scattered around them from a bag that ripped open. I haven't been able to put a regular trash bag down in almost a month. If I dig through the trash can I can wedge a grocery bag or two in each week to fill up the little bit of space between the big bags. The porch of the new neighbors is still filled with trash bags, I have a feeling I won't be able to use the bins for stuff I want to throw out.
Today's cleaning to do list:
Scrub bathroom for soap scum and toilet grime!
Compare prices on steam cleaner rentals.
How can I empty out the refrigerator when the one neighbor fill the garbage bins as soon as their emptied? Half the food is spoiled from when maintence was here and didn't actually fix it, it's a whole new batch of spoiled food too! It just doesn't get any colder than luke warm and everything in the freezer goes back and forth from solid to squished.

---------- Post added at 07:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:47 AM ----------

Woah, I just smelt the distinct smell of non cigarette smoke from my porch. Then went to check on my kids and saw a creepy, shady looking individual that didn't look framiliar to me leaving on a bicycle! On the bright side it is a reasonable hour of the day instead of the middle of the night.

[Singingmom]

Goodness, you'll be glad to get that place behind you!

I would set all your trash beside the bins close to trash pick up, either the night before or early in the morning when pick up is scheduled. You have a right to use the city services and have it picked up!

[RiverRock]

That is unbelievable about the garbage! Is there any way you can have your bags ready so the moment after the bin gets emptied you can put your stuff in?

If you don't care about wrecking the finish on faucets and such you can use scrubbing bubbles foam cleaner. One can for the entire apartment for the kitchen and bathroom. It works quick and can be the last thing that you do as you leave (putting the rag and disposable gloves in the garbage on the way out).

For the toilet, it sounds like a pumice stone might work to get rid of the ring.

I would be tempted to fix the moulding myself. If it is white you can buy white wood filler, or sparkle and a small acrylic paint from the dollar store. Try to match the glossiness if possible. Even after buying a sanding block you should be able to fix it for about $5.

You are so hard-working and caring about how your children's health and safety. Camping and living in the country sounds like a good fit for your family.

[ServingGrace]

Originally Posted by Singingmom

Goodness, you'll be glad to get that place behind you!

I would set all your trash beside the bins close to trash pick up, either the night before or early in the morning when pick up is scheduled. You have a right to use the city services and have it picked up!

I set two large bags by the bin when the truck went down the other side of the street. They took them yay! The bins have been too overstuffed to put out the night before a our street is kind of a wind tunnel off the river. Other neighbors have only took them out maybe a half dozen times while I have been here. I am thinking of texting one of the neighbors when I am not here to remind them it's trash day the night before.

---------- Post added at 05:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:36 AM ----------

Originally Posted by RiverRock

That is unbelievable about the garbage! Is there any way you can have your bags ready so the moment after the bin gets emptied you can put your stuff in?

If you don't care about wrecking the finish on faucets and such you can use scrubbing bubbles foam cleaner. One can for the entire apartment for the kitchen and bathroom. It works quick and can be the last thing that you do as you leave (putting the rag and disposable gloves in the garbage on the way out).

For the toilet, it sounds like a pumice stone might work to get rid of the ring.

I would be tempted to fix the moulding myself. If it is white you can buy white wood filler, or sparkle and a small acrylic paint from the dollar store. Try to match the glossiness if possible. Even after buying a sanding block you should be able to fix it for about $5.

You are so hard-working and caring about how your children's health and safety. Camping and living in the country sounds like a good fit for your family.

Yay, trash girl did not some by this week! The bins are still close to empty, aside from recycling which I filled halfway full.
The pumice stone is not working in the toilet! It works on the bowl area but not the um throat, you know the part that gets narrow and then goes into the ground but can still be seen. In caved and poured bleach in it, shut the bathroom door and propped the window open with a stick. It now looks clean but I know the grime is still there but bleached.
I'm not even sure if the faucets have finish, unless there is a finish that comes in mottled peeling grey. I'm going to give vinegar a couple more tries!
My lease states something about not making modifications or repairs. So I'm not going to sand and touch up the woodwork we damaged. It would probably take me fifteen minutes to fix it but I signed something stating I would not repair things but call maintence. This has been really hard for me to deal with while living here! Knowing there is something that takes five minutes to fix and having to wait a whole day for the guy to show up.
I'm just this hard working because I have to end up with a referral from my landlords. Well that and I signed something saying I would leave the place clean or cleane than I found it.

---------- Post added at 05:47 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:43 AM ----------

Last morning update...
Yesterday while scrubbing soap scum off the tub and shower walls several tiles crashed down on me and broke. I tossed them and called the landlords and actually got to speak with a person instead of a voicemail! The maintence guy said it was up to me if they come in now or when I move out. I specifically asked if I would be billed for leaving damage if they came in after I moved instead of immediately. He reassured me the tiles and plaster would not come out of my deposit if I waited. I'm so relieved, I had thought anything wrong with the place when I leave would be held against me in getting a reference! I think their actually going to remodel this place as soon as I'm out of here and are not telling me. I think it is the only unit in the building that is not remodeled and it really needs it!

[Singingmom]

I'm glad you got to talk to a person! You're doing plenty, probably more than the landlords are expecting.

[2sunshines]

Awesome job! And I agree, you are going above and beyond. Which I would never discourage because I think it shows awesome character and integrity on your part. But I do think the landlords will be super pleased when they get the home back.

[mamacat]

Hmm you may want to text maintenance guy about tile issue so you have it in writing in case LL does try to take it out of deposit

[ServingGrace]

Well today was a zero cleaning day
I spent a couple of hours getting my truck a thorough inspection for road worthyness. It is safe all around but needs a muffler and cat which I knew when I got it. I just needed the peace of mind before embarking on a long journey that everything was functional and safe beyond my basic mechanic knowledge.

[2sunshines]

Still progress towards the big move even if it's different progress.

[ServingGrace]

I was so busy yesterday I didn't have time to post. It looks like every thing will be cleaned and packed by Monday. The maintence will come over to inspect at some point and then we will hit the road. I'm going to call the office directly if I don't have someone over here by two as I want to get to the first scheduled campground at a reasonable hour to enjoy ourselves!
So for cleaning everything has been done but the fridge and steam cleaning! Granted I will have to clean common use surfaces like the kitchen counter, sinks and toilet again. The only new catastrophe is when I was vacuuming a corner of the carpet started to come up, this has happened since I moved in and was iny check in report. I just had a desk in The corner to hold the floor in place in the past.
What are some things I could be forgetting to sanitize and scour? I have been using the check off list but thee has to be something I'm overlooking