One of the most significant disadvantages of living on rent is the responsibility of cleaning the property thoroughly before you move out.
If you forget about this duty, you will pay your price. It’s the tenancy deposit you gave the landlord to guarantee that the property will be in its primary presentable state when you leave it.
As you can imagine, there will be a lot of scrubbing, wiping, blotting, and washing. And most of your efforts should be saved for the kitchen – the dirtiest place in any house.
What about the dirtiest item, and isn’t it the oven?
We don’t know how dirty your oven is, but we can assure you that if you want your tenancy deposit back, you have many scrubbing jobs with this specific kitchen appliance.
Why the oven cleaning is such a dilemma between landlords and tenants
Many tenants forget or intentionally skip sanitising the oven. They simply don’t know that the chore is included in the tenant’s responsibilities.
To avoid problems during the inventory check, you must find out in advance whether you are supposed to remove those burnt spots and grease from the oven.
Here’s where we should mention that sometimes the landlord doesn’t explicitly mention this chore in the lease contract. If you don’t find it, call your landlord and figure it out. Hence, don’t hope to skip the oven cleaning.
In 99% of the cases, it’s part of your tenant’s responsibility. Just get your cleaning tools and deal with it. Eventually, you will have to face those grimy stains.
How to decide if you should use professional cleaners
As a tenant, you have two options to get your tenancy deposit back. You will either clean the house alone or use a professional end of tenancy cleaning service.
If you have no idea what option to choose, the oven might have the answer. By all means, this kitchen appliance is among the toughest disinfection chores you will be burdened with. Check its condition and see if you can handle it.
If you predict a whole day of cleaning, we strongly recommend using a professional oven cleaning service. Save your time and energy for the rest duties you’ve got. During a removal, there are a lot.
A step-by-step guide to your end of tenancy oven cleaning
What about enthusiasts confident enough to handle the oven cleaning alone? We encourage their motivation. And we would like to support them as much as possible.
We’ve made this step-by-step end of tenancy oven cleaning guide to follow, especially with them in mind.
Remove everything from the inside, along with the racks
End of tenancy cleaning is nothing else but a detailed cleaning.
Approach the oven with precise attention to the details, too. The easiest way to do so is by dismantling the device at first. Find the official manual and see for guides if you need to. Soak the racks in soapy water for up to an hour.
During this time, check if the device has a self-cleaning function. If not, get the sponge and a mild dishwashing solution and eliminate the grease from top to bottom. In about an hour, take the racks out and rinse them thoroughly.
If there’s any grime left on them, remove it with white vinegar or lemon juice.
Don’t Forget to Clean the inside, too
Each piece of furniture or electric appliance should be cleaned from the inside and the outside during the end of lease disinfection mission. So should be the case with the oven.
Most of the stains are inside the appliance. Besides, they might be pretty stubborn.
Here’s one easy green DIY recipe for the toughest spots: sprinkle baking soda on the zone and then blot with a mixture of 3:1 water to the white vinegar solution. Wipe out until the grime is gone.
Take care of the door prudently and gently
You can use baking soda for this chore, too. This time we suggest you prepare a paste of baking soda and some lukewarm water.
Gently scrub the grease, dust, and dirt with a clean microfiber cloth. Then, rinse with water by using a spray bottle. Polish the oven window.
Leaving the door open for a while would be good to air the inside oven zone for maximum results.
Quick and thorough cleaning when you don’t have time before the move-out
Don’t get panicked if you have a couple of hours until the landlord comes to make the inspection. You can still clean the oven thoroughly.
We have one fantastic and speedy hack: the steam oven cleaning trick. All you need is white vinegar and water.
Boil some water on the stove and add the same amount of white vinegar. Let it boil for up to a minute, and put the mixture inside the oven. Leave it like that for an hour, and get the sponge to clean the oven door with your favourite commercial window cleaner.
Now, open the oven again and see how most burnt and old stains have become softer. You will need a few wiping movements to make the stove sparkling clean again.
What if you have deep cleaned the oven, but there are still deductions from your deposit
Unfortunately, there’s a chance for your strenuous efforts not to be valued at all. To avoid having your deposit partially detained, it’s good to make evidence for your diligent job in advance.
By taking pictures of a before and after type or saving the professional end of the tenancy cleaning service bill, you will have the right document to settle a dispute with the landlord and win the case.
Conclusion
Cleaning the oven deeply, especially during such a stressful time as the removal is, might be tough, but not impossible.
Don’t forget your tenancy deposit to stay motivated throughout the process. However, there’s nothing to be ashamed of if you prefer to use some professional assistance for the chore.
In both cases, you will face your tenant’s responsibilities most scrupulously, so you must have your money back.
