Photo: Andrea Brooks Interiors

No matter how much prepping you do, moving is stressful. Plain and simple. After living in the same city for over 25 years, I recently moved three times within a six month period (yep, that’s one move every two months), and my head is still spinning from the shuffle of boxes. Speaking from experience, the worst feeling in the entire world is working super hard to pack efficiently and then realizing you’re moving clean and meticulously organized items into a space that didn’t quite receive the same TLC you gave your old place– or, even if the previous tenants did a decent job with their moving out duties, it still doesn’t look, smell, or feel quite like yours. Around move #2, I did some research, and I found no shortage of handy Moving Out Cleaning Checklists; however, I was hard-pressed to find a useful New Home Cleaning Checklist. Hence, I re-created my unofficial scribbled-on-a-piece-of-paper cleaning checklist on PicMonkey, and you can download a PDF version here.

And in case you couldn’t tell by my recommendations, I have a few go-to brands and cleaning products that I swear by. With quality names like Bounty® , Swiffer® , Tide® , Unstopables™ and Charmin®, your move can (and should) be clean, simple, and maybe even profitable– I mean, to get that sizable deposit back, you’ll need to give your old place a thorough goodbye scrubbing, right? My personal secret weapon for replacing awkward emptiness with long-lasting hospitality is Unstopables™ Air Refreshers. They’re part of Walmart’s New Home Clean Collection, and their fresh scent will give you an instant burst of airy undertones and vibrant layers that last for up to six hours– for under $6 per bottle. Expert Tip: Fresh roses make a fabulous aromatic supplement, as well.

Although Unstopables™ Air Refreshers are my domestic spirit animal, Tide ® PODS ® Laundry Detergent comes in a close second. Each tiny pod is a 3-in-1 laundry solution with 90% cleaning ingredients, including a detergent, stain remover, and brightener in each unit. They dissolve in any temperature and can be used in all types of washing machines for a variety of different fabrics, including pillows, curtains, small rugs– you name it. A 42-count container costs just $12.57 at Walmart, and I guarantee you’ll be hooked after one or two uses.

Did I leave anything off my new home cleaning checklist? Although I feel like an expert after three moves, I’m sure some tasks got lost in the shuffle (pun intended). I’m happy to take suggestions and make updates as necessary! Have a fabulous day!