Cleaning Checklist in East London: What We Clean, Room by Room

This cleaning checklist covers what we clean across East London and the E postcodes, for a regular visit, a deep clean and an end-of-tenancy clean. Use it to see where each type of clean starts and stops, so you book the right one.

Every property is different. A two-bed new-build in Stratford with a glass shower screen needs different work from a Victorian terrace in Walthamstow with original skirting and a back extension. We use these lists as a starting point, then agree the final tasks with you before we start.

Which Checklist Do You Need?

Each clean has a different job, and booking the wrong one is the most common way people end up disappointed.

• Regular clean: keeps a lived-in home under control. Surfaces, floors, kitchen and bathrooms, working down an agreed priorities list each visit.
• Deep clean: goes after the build-up a regular clean doesn’t reach. That means inside cupboards, behind appliances, grout, limescale and grease on vertical surfaces.
• End-of-tenancy or move-in clean: an empty property cleaned to an inventory or agent’s standard, with every cupboard, drawer and fitting done.

If your home hasn’t been properly cleaned in months, start with a deep clean and then move to regular visits. A regular clean on a neglected kitchen spends the whole visit catching up, and nobody’s happy with that.

What’s Included in a Regular Clean

A regular cleaning visit follows the priorities you give us. A typical list looks like this.

Kitchen

• Wipe worktops, splashbacks and the hob surface
• Clean the outside of appliances, including the microwave, kettle and fridge door handles
• Wipe cupboard fronts where fingerprints build up, usually around handles and the bin cupboard
• Clean and polish the sink and taps
• Empty bins and wipe the lids
• Vacuum and mop the floor

Bathroom

• Clean the toilet inside and out, including the base and behind the seat hinges
• Clean the bath, shower tray and basin
• Wipe tiles around the bath and shower
• Squeegee and polish the shower screen and mirrors
• Polish taps and chrome
• Mop the floor

Bedrooms and living areas

• Dust reachable surfaces, shelves, skirting and window sills
• Wipe light switches and door handles
• Tidy and straighten, and make beds or change linen if you’ve left fresh sheets out
• Vacuum carpets and rugs, and mop hard floors

On a short visit we’ll put your priorities first. If the kitchen matters most this week, tell us and that’s where the time goes.

Detailed Deep Cleaning Tasks

A deep clean includes everything above, plus the work that takes time, the right products and some patience.

Kitchen deep clean

• Degrease cupboard fronts, door tops and the tops of wall units, which collect a sticky film of dust and cooking grease
• Clean inside cupboards and drawers (these need to be empty)
• Pull out freestanding appliances where it’s safe to do so, and clean behind and underneath
• Degrease the extractor hood exterior and soak removable metal filters
• Descale taps and the sink, and clean around the plughole and overflow
• Wipe down tiles and grout lines behind the hob

Bathroom deep clean

• Descale shower heads, screens, taps and tiles. East London’s hard water leaves heavy limescale, especially on glass screens in newer flats
• Scrub grout and sealant. We can lift surface mould and staining, but sealant with black mould growing underneath needs replacing, not cleaning
• Clean the bath panel, toilet base, pipework and behind the pedestal
• Wipe extractor fan covers and clean inside the bathroom cabinet

Throughout the property

• Wash skirting boards, door frames and doors by hand
• Clean radiators, including the gaps where dust settles
• Dust light fittings and lampshades within safe reach
• Vacuum under beds and sofas, and along carpet edges where fluff gathers
• Wipe interior window frames and sills, including condensation marks on older sash windows

End of Tenancy Checklist: Cleaning Standards

Agents and inventory clerks don’t check whether a property looks tidy. They check whether it matches the condition recorded at check-in. For an end of tenancy clean, we work to an agreed room-by-room checklist based on your inventory or the agent’s requirements. Send us a copy if you have one.

The property should be empty. A typical end-of-tenancy list includes:

• Kitchen: inside every cupboard and drawer, the fridge and freezer (defrosted beforehand), the outside of the washing machine plus its drawer and door seal, the hob, the splashback and the extractor
• Oven: usually needed for tenancy checkouts, and agreed and quoted separately, as the racks, glass door and interior take real time
• Bathroom: a full descale, grout, the toilet including the base, the bath panel, the extractor fan cover and mirrors
• All rooms: skirting, doors and frames, light switches, sockets, radiators, inside built-in wardrobes, window sills and interior glass
• Floors: a thorough vacuum and mop. Carpet extraction is a separate service if your agent asks for professionally cleaned carpets

Cleaning can’t fix wear and tear, scuffed paint, burns or damage, and no cleaner can guarantee a deposit return. What we can do is clean thoroughly against an agreed list, so the condition of the property reflects the care you’ve taken of it.

Move-In Checklist for a New Home

A move-in clean follows a similar list, with a different aim: making the place fit to live in before your boxes arrive. The priorities are usually:

• Inside kitchen cupboards and drawers, before your crockery goes in
• The fridge, which may have been switched off with the door shut
• The toilet, bath and shower, properly descaled and cleaned
• Wardrobes and shelves inside and out
• Floors done last, ideally once any decorators or flooring fitters have gone

If there’s been building work, fine dust settles back onto surfaces for days and clogs a household vacuum. That’s an after-builders job, which we’d quote and plan differently.

Extras We Agree and Quote Separately

These aren’t part of a routine visit. We’ll add them to your checklist when you ask, and price them before we start.

• Oven interior cleaning, including racks and the glass door
• Carpet and upholstery extraction (plan on several hours of drying time, so keep pets and foot traffic off)
• Mattress cleaning
• Inside the fridge or freezer on a regular visit
• Interior windows beyond sills and reachable glass, and any external window cleaning
• High-level work, such as tall cupboards, stairwell light fittings and skylights
• Balconies and terraces, common on flats around Canary Wharf, the Royal Docks and Bow
• Changing several sets of bed linen or doing laundry

Recommended Pre-Clean Tasks

A little preparation means more of the visit goes on cleaning. Before we arrive:

1. Clear the surfaces you want cleaned. We’ll work around ornaments, but we can’t clean under piles of post or toys.
2. Empty cupboards and the fridge for a deep or tenancy clean, and defrost the freezer the day before.
3. Tell us about delicate surfaces. Marble, natural stone, unsealed wood, brass and specialist worktops need particular products. We can use eco-friendly options on request, and we’ll check they suit each surface.
4. Let us know about pets and allergies. A cat shut in a bedroom is fine, as long as we know which door stays closed.
5. Sort out access. Tell us about entry codes, concierge desks, parking permits or keys left with a neighbour. Plenty of blocks in E14 and E20 need visitors booked in at reception.
6. Check the utilities. End-of-tenancy cleans need electricity, hot water and working lights.

We bring our own supplies and equipment unless you’d like us to use yours.

Questions About the Checklist

Will you do everything on the list every visit?

No. A regular visit covers your agreed priorities, and we can rotate deeper tasks across visits. Ask us to set this up when you book.

Can I add my own tasks?

Yes. Tell us what matters to you and we’ll build it into your checklist, and quote for it if it adds time.

What happens if something on the checklist is missed?

We check our work against the agreed tasks before we leave. If something in scope has been missed, get in touch promptly and we’ll arrange to put it right. We’ll confirm how re-cleans work when you book.

Does the checklist change for flats and houses?

Yes. Stairs, landings, extensions, loft rooms and separate WCs all add tasks and time. We’ll match the list to your layout.

Get a Checklist Matched to Your Property

Send us your property size, the type of clean you need, its current condition and your preferred dates. Photos help, particularly of the kitchen and bathroom, and include your inventory if you’re moving out. We’ll agree the checklist and price upfront, with no obligation.

Request a free quote, call 020 3947 0917 or email info@cleaning-east-london.co.uk.