The other day I did podcast #230 Five tips for apartment turnovers and it was pretty popular. It had a lot of listeners and I received some good feedback.
So today I wanted to expand on that topic just a bit and talk about some items that make cleaning them easier. The goal is to get done, do a good job and not kill yourself in the process.
The tools below will help you do just that. They will make your life easier and more productive. FYI: The link that begins each paragraph will give you a generic selection of the category over at Amazon. I also offer a link to products that I used in my business (or something very similar) at the end of each section.
Five items that make cleaning apartment turnovers easier
Steam cleaners – This nifty little gadget may not be needed on every apartment turnover, but they are a huge help on units that are in bad shape. In particular steam cleaners are perfect for cleaning stove tops and inside the refrigerator.
The units I used cost around $125.00 to $200.00 because I went for the heavy duty units. The units that are less than $50.00 are good for light use, but don’t tend to hold up over the long haul. This unit is very similar to what I used in my business when I did A LOT OF TURNOVERS.
Soap scum remover – When you run across a bad bathroom, one that you just know is going to take a while to clean because the tub is loaded with soap scum, you need soap scum remover. I actually did so many units that I went to a janitorial supply house and bought the concentrate, but that is hard to get. Go with Tilex Commercial Solutions if you can’t decide what’s best.
Adhesive remover – Many units will have some kids stickers stuck to the windows, fridge and just about everywhere else a child can reach. I tried a few different solutions, but I settled on Goo Gone for most applications.
Window scraper – Even though you will have some specialty solution to remove stickers, sometimes you still have to resort to good old fashioned HARD WORK to get those lousy stickers off the windows. I had a few Ettore scrappers becasue they had a wide blade and easy to grip handle.
Commercial vacuum – I know a vacuum is a must have on an apartment turnover, but you need one that has is going to last, has the right attachments and is EASY TO TRANSPORT. That is why I recommend the Sanitiare SC785 becasue it has all that. I’ve bought over 100 of these in my lifetime for my business and LOVED THEM.
These Sanitaire units have two motors (one for the beater bar and one to suck the dirt), plus a long cord (no searching for outlets), all the attachments (for edging and high dusting), it’s lightweight (less than 9 pounds) and the best part is the folding handle (makes it easy to carry and fit in trunk or back or car).
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Please note: I may be an affiliate for products that I recommend. If you purchase any items through my links odds are I’ll earn a commission of some kind. I only recommend products and services that I have used or think may be useful to those starting or operating a cleaning business.
Arlene Smith says
Hello there Tom!
Great article but wondered if you happened to have any recommendations for hospital cleaning? Currently I have a proposal I’m working on to do a deep cleaning at a large hospital this is only for the main floor part which is the first floor but it is a very large area to cover. Part of the service request is that all the ceilings, walls, interior windows are deep cleaned. What has me feeling a little nervous is the part for cleaning ceilings how would one go about cleaning a hospital ceiling exactly? Hopefully you have some tips you can give me or recommendations for resources on this subject.
Thanks,
Arlene Smith
Redlands Cleaning
Tom Watson says
Hi Arlene!
Check out http://www.emist.com/ as they may offer solutions for you. If you are interested after looking at it, let me know, I have a contact there.
PS… don’t know about the ceiling tile part, you’ll have to ask about that.
Tom
Cynthia Thomas says
Thank you! This perfect for me and my new Biz.
Craig M says
So glad I found this website! Started my company a few months ago and just got a fairly large property management company as a client. Needed to upgrade my equipment and after reading your review I just purchased this vacuum using your link.
Please keep these blog posts coming, your site has been a tremendous help!
Tom Watson says
Hi Craig! Thanks for your support. I appreciate it!