A move-in or move-out clean is the time to do everything a regular clean skips. The work that gets done here is the difference between a unit that rents again next month and one that sits empty while the next tenant wonders what they're looking at.
Start with the walls and trim
Walls collect scuffs around light switches, door frames, and where furniture sat for years. A Magic Eraser (or a paste of baking soda and water) lifts most marks off eggshell and satin paint without damaging the finish. Run your hand along all baseboards — dust and pet hair cling there.
All the way along the baseboards
Baseboards need to be wiped, not just dusted. A damp cloth with a tiny drop of dish soap pulls grime out of the grooves and the small spaces where the baseboard meets the wall. It's also where you'll find paint chips that the last tenant dripped — clean those gently so you don't make more.
Door frames, light switches, outlet covers
Light switches and outlet covers are touched every day and rarely cleaned. Wipe them all down with a disinfecting wipe. Door frames get the same grime as baseboards. Light fixtures and ceiling fan blades both collect dust you can't see until you climb a chair.
Cabinets — inside and out
Move-in and move-out are the only times it makes sense to do the inside of every cabinet. Empty, wipe the shelves, wipe the doors and drawer fronts, and put things back. Pay attention to the cabinet under the kitchen sink — that shelf often has leaks no one's wiped up.
Appliances, all of them
The oven, the fridge, the dishwasher, the microwave, and the stovetop — all of it. Inside the fridge means the shelves and drawers, not just the door. The dishwasher filter comes out and goes in the sink for a rinse. The oven gets a dedicated cleaner or a baking soda paste left overnight.
Window tracks and sills
Window tracks are where every move-in clean gets cut short. They're full of dead bugs and dirt and most people skip them. A vacuum with the crevice tool gets the loose debris out, then a damp cloth wipes the rest. Same for the sills — wipe, then dry.
The final walk
Walk every room once with the lights off and the curtains open. That's when the streaks on the windows show up. Catch them now, before the next person walks in.