Make It Yours: Clean Your New Home

One way I best settle into a house after a move is by scrubbing it clean from head to toe. It's like a handshake with your new home...

The time it takes to deep clean when you move in is significant. It can be almost meditative, a chance to "get to know" the home. Close contact with every surface familiarizes you with the feel and temperament of each material throughout the house. Slowly, you begin to feel a greater sense of ownership in your new place.

On my recent move, I found myself eager to start this process of "getting to know" my new home. First stop: the cabinet door pictured up top. The streaks on the door were driving me nuts. Even though this door is far from priority number one, I set aside some time and cleaned it up this morning. Now, I know how to best clean the surface and the door is a little bit more of a familiar friend. Look for more very tiny steps toward making my new house into a home in the days and weeks to come.

Image: Regina Yunghans / Apartment Therapy

Comments (9)

I don't know, I'd rather have a cleaning person get intimate with other people's grime :-).

posted by michpc on August 5th 2009 at 2:08pm
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I've always deep-cleaned every place- including shampooing carpet. My mom came to shampoo carpet in my first apartment & I was appalled at how filthy the supposedly clean apt. was!!!

Forget getting to know your new home... I just can't imagine moving my stuff into someone else's grime! ick!

posted by CozyLittleCave on August 5th 2009 at 2:17pm
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I am looking forward to reading about your progress.

Love your reflection in the door. Looks like ghostly art.

posted by mary pat on August 5th 2009 at 2:30pm
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I couldn't agree more! My first priority in any new place is a multi-day thorough cleaning - on my hands and knees with a toothbrush, razor blade and cleaner! That and a new toilet seat make the place officially mine!

posted by redjet on August 5th 2009 at 2:33pm
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Cleaning your new home is only "like a handshake" in that you are dealing with a lot of dirt that you probably at first didn't realize was there. And don't rub your eyes or nose afterward either...

posted by home body on August 5th 2009 at 3:10pm
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Oh yeah. New toilet seat is absolutely top priority.

posted by SunnyBlue on August 5th 2009 at 4:13pm
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Scrubbing head to toe is a MUST! If I didn't do the scrubbing myself then I would feel grossed out touching anything.

posted by youenjoymyself on August 5th 2009 at 9:58pm
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YES. This is the number one thing I have to do to feel comfortable in a new place. I don't feel good about moving in all my things until it has been thoroughly cleaned BY ME so I know it's been done right. Except this dorm room I had that was absolutely spotless upon move in... but boy, was I in for a shock when the room I got next year was covered in pubes and there was dried vomit in the carpet.

posted by undercover on August 6th 2009 at 1:03am
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undercover- I know what you mean about the dorms. I stayed in the same room once and the next year it was infested with roaches. I mean like BAD. I had to get a fogger. the year before I only had seen 2 roaches.

When moving into a new place the entire bathroom is scrubbed floor to ceiling.

posted by witchbaby on August 6th 2009 at 11:11pm
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