| Author | Content |
anastatia
Vancouver, WA
Zone 8a
March 24, 2008
2:45 PM | I helped some family clean a rental house that had been trashed over the time of 1 1/2 year. I was so smelly, like cigarettes, dirt, and more dirt. This place was nearly brand new when they moved in 1 1/2 yrs. There had been a "walk thru" 6 months after they moved in and it seemed ok. I spent 6 hours min. on just the refrig/freezer and stove (not self cleaning). Goof Off and Krud Kutter are great cleaning solvents. I also used one of those steamers by Shark to get crud out of cracks etc. Looking for advice from those who have cleaned up after such dirty irresponsible people. Oven OFF 3x and still need some work. |
nanbernier
St. Robert, MO
Zone 5b
April 13, 2008
2:27 PM | Been there done that. I worked for a rental agency doing the cleanouts and spiffing the places up for showing. Steam cleaners are great. Boiling vinegar after work each day and pouring it on the worst stuff and all smelly places helps hugely. Hooking a water hose up to the hot water heater and moving some things outside or to the tub helps. Slightly round off the corners of a putty knife and use it to scrape crud. That sure helped for my worst stove ever. High dollar deposits did not help. Folks don't seem to blink an eye at high surcharges for cleaning team or mowing crew when they sign the lease or even when it is re-explained to them right before move out.
G'luck
Nan |
HisWifeTiff
Centralia, MO
June 10, 2008
5:28 PM | I work for an insurance company and after seeing some of the damage left by pigs (can't even call them tenants!) I would NEVER be a landlord, EVER. |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
June 10, 2008
5:39 PM | Greased Lightning, The Works, vinegar, steam and Fabrize all help, but there still is a lot of elbow grease required.
We rented our house once - tenents dog ate the bottoms off all the kitchen and office cabinets - did not change A/C filters - overflowed everything - spent $4k to fix all the damage.
We have rented (for ourselves) many houses and the landlords have always wanted us back - cleaner than when we moved in - repaired existing problems - repainted, etc. |
anastatia
Vancouver, WA
Zone 8a
June 10, 2008
7:44 PM | It is amazing, just amazing how some people live in filth! I could go on and on but the one thing that sticks in my mind: fly strip. They had ruined the kitchen window screens and sliding door screen so they hung a huge strip of fly paper right over their dining table area. We stood and stared @ that and couldn't speak and barely moved for the longest time. I get nauseated thinking about the place and the smell. |
Heidillyho
Stanwood, IA
June 13, 2008
10:17 PM | When my husband and I first got married we rented a farm house and the previous tenants were the WORST. It took two weeks of almost non-stop cleaning to clear the place of the stink and grunge those disgusting slobs left behind.
For the kitchen I would really recommend you use a mild bleach solution on all the surfaces that can take it.
Steam cleaners are FANTASTIC!
Never underestimate the cleaning power of baking soda, vinegar and salt. Combined with water, bleach or ammonia (but never bleach and ammonia together!) they can clean just about anything.
The vinegar trick someone suggested should help with odor...you can also try washing the walls with warm water that has a few drops of tea tree oil in it. (Tea tree oil is antifungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial...and in very small amounts smells nice...same with lavender oil).
Good luck, and hang in there. I'd say if all else fails paint the ceilings and walls.
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