End of Tenancy Cleaning: How to Get Your Deposit Back

Moving out is stressful enough without losing part of your deposit to cleaning deductions.

Landlords and letting agents inspect hard. Marks on walls, residue on hobs, stickers on appliances, scratched surfaces — all of them can cost you money. The good news is that most of it is fixable with the right tools and a methodical approach.

Here's the complete room-by-room guide.

The golden rule

Never use anything that scratches. A scratch on a ceramic hob, oven door, or bathroom tile that wasn't there when you moved in is a deduction — potentially a big one. Every cleaning tool you use should be surface-safe.

Kitchen

Hob — burnt spillage on ceramic or induction hobs is one of the most common deposit deduction causes. Use a non-scratch plastic scraper at a low angle to lift burnt-on food. Never use a metal scraper or razor blade on a ceramic hob — it leaves permanent scratches.

Oven — remove the shelves and soak them. Use a non-scratch scraper on the oven door glass and interior walls to lift baked-on grease before applying any oven cleaner. This makes the chemical cleaner far more effective.

Appliances — remove any stickers, labels or residue from appliances. A plastic scraper lifts these cleanly without marking the surface.

Extractor fan — remove the filter if possible and wash it. Wipe down the outside with a damp cloth.

Bathroom

Limescale on taps, shower screens and tiles is expected — but excessive buildup will be noted. A non-scratch scraper removes limescale from glass shower screens without scratching. Follow up with a limescale remover spray.

Soap scum on shower doors and bath edges lifts cleanly with a plastic scraper. Work in sections and rinse as you go.

Silicone sealant — if it's gone mouldy it may need replacing. This is a job worth doing yourself rather than leaving for the landlord.

Living areas and bedrooms

Blu-Tack and picture hooks — Blu-Tack left on walls leaves marks and sometimes pulls paint. A non-scratch scraper lifts Blu-Tack cleanly off painted walls without damaging the surface. Work slowly and keep the angle low.

Stickers and decals — on furniture, doors or windows, a plastic scraper removes these without scratching.

Marks on walls — for scuffs and marks, try a magic eraser before repainting. For anything painted over, a matching touch-up paint is your best option.

Floors

Dried food, wax, paint or adhesive on hard floors lifts cleanly with a non-scratch scraper. Work at a very low angle — almost flat to the floor — and use short strokes.

The checklist before the inspection

• All surfaces wiped down and streak-free
• Hob and oven cleaned to move-in condition
• Limescale removed from bathroom
• All Blu-Tack, stickers and adhesive residue removed
• Floors clean and free of marks
• Walls free of marks, holes filled
• All appliances cleaned inside and out
• Bins emptied and cleaned

One tool that covers most of it

The SafeScrape handles the hob, oven door, sticker removal, Blu-Tack, floor marks and limescale — all without scratching a single surface. At £6.99 it's the cheapest insurance policy for your deposit.

Get yours from £6.99 with free UK delivery at safescrape.co.uk