Tips & Tricks

Move-In Cleaning in Toronto: A Guide to the First Night in Your New Home

May 20, 2026

27 min read

By Clean Papi Team

Move-In Cleaning in Toronto: A Guide to the First Night in Your New Home

The Liberty Village couple who got the keys at 3 p.m. and called us in distress at 4

A Liberty Village couple — both in their late twenties, both first-time condo buyers, both new to Toronto — closed on a one-bedroom-plus-den on a Thursday afternoon in early November. Their agent had told them, two weeks before close, that the previous owner had agreed to have the unit "professionally cleaned" before handover. They were thrilled. The whole purchase had been stressful enough; the idea that they would walk into a fresh unit and be able to unbox their kitchen and sleep in their own sheets that first night felt like a small kindness.

They got the keys at 3 p.m. and walked into the unit ten minutes later. I'll let her describe it, because she sent me a text the next morning that I have screenshotted and saved on my phone: "The kitchen had a thin layer of grease on every upper cabinet face. There was a single piece of long dark hair stuck to the bathroom mirror at eye level. The inside of the bedroom closet smelled like someone's winter coat had been hanging in it for ten years. The fridge was unplugged with the door closed for three days and there was something in the bottom drawer that we threw out without opening. I sat down on the floor of the kitchen and called my husband and we both just laughed for a minute because what else are you supposed to do."

They called me at 4 p.m. I had a cleaner who had just finished a turnover three buildings over and could drive to them in 15 minutes. I called the cleaner. She said yes. I called the couple back and said we could be there in 45 minutes with a two-cleaner team and we would not leave until the unit was sleepable. They asked how much. I told them. They said book it.

We arrived at 4:50 p.m. We did a six-hour deep clean — every cabinet inside and out, the oven, the fridge interior and gasket and behind the fridge, the dishwasher cycle with vinegar, both bathrooms top to bottom with a Waitbird steam pass on the grout, every closet emptied and HEPA-vacuumed and wiped, every window track, every light fixture, every door frame. Two cleaners, six hours, finished at 10:50 p.m. The couple sat on the floor of their empty living room eating Lazeez takeout at 11. They slept that night in a clean condo. They've been monthly clients ever since.

That story is the reason move-in cleaning Toronto exists as a service line for us. The promise of a "professionally cleaned" handover is honoured maybe 40 percent of the time in my experience across Toronto, and most of the failures are not malicious — they're just under-scoped. The previous owner's cleaner did a regular clean and called it a deep clean. The listing agent's checklist said "wipe surfaces" and someone wiped the visible surfaces. Nobody cleaned inside the fridge. Nobody pulled the stove forward. Nobody opened the closet doors. By the time you find out, you have the keys, you have a moving truck arriving the next morning, and you have a problem.

This guide is what we actually do on a move-in clean, why it is different from every other clean we run, and what to look for when the previous occupant's clean does not deliver on its promise.

If you want the corresponding playbook for the move-out side — the side that produces the "professionally cleaned" promise that sometimes does not get delivered — see our move-out cleaning checklist.

Why move-in cleaning is its own scope of work

Move-in cleaning is not a deep clean. It is not a regular clean. It is not even a move-out clean done in reverse. It is its own category, and the reasons matter.

You are about to put your food in this kitchen. No move-out clean, no matter how thorough, was done with the eye of the next family who would be eating from those cabinets. A move-in clean is done with that eye specifically. Every cabinet drawer interior gets wiped, every shelf interior gets wiped, the fridge and freezer get a full sanitize-grade clean, the dishwasher gets a vinegar cycle, the sink and faucet get polished, the inside of every drawer corner gets a Q-tip if needed. You are not just cleaning a kitchen. You are claiming it.

You are about to sleep in this bedroom. The mattress (if one came with the unit) gets a steam pass. The closet gets emptied and re-vacuumed regardless of what the previous occupant did. The carpet gets a HEPA pass in two perpendicular directions. The vents in the bedroom get vacuumed and wiped.

There is no "good enough." A regular clean for a long-term occupant has a forgiving standard — the family lives in the house and adjusts to its quirks. A move-in clean does not have that grace. Whatever you don't catch on day one becomes your normal. The first impression of every surface in the home is set on the move-in day, and it tends to stick.

Time pressure is asymmetric. A move-out clean has weeks of lead time. A move-in clean often has hours. Same-day moves, key handovers that happen at 3 p.m. before a moving truck arrives at 9 a.m. the next morning, condo closings that finish a day later than scheduled and compress everything that comes after — the operational reality of move-in cleaning is "we may need to mobilize within 24 hours."

If you want a primer on how a deep clean differs from a regular clean — which is roughly the gap between a move-out clean and a move-in clean — our deep cleaning vs regular cleaning guide covers it.

When to book the move-in clean (and how to time it perfectly)

There are three timing windows that work for a Toronto move-in clean. The right one depends on your access to the unit and your moving logistics.

Option 1: Between the previous occupant's move-out and your move-in

This is the cleanest scenario. Your agent or building negotiates a 24-to-48-hour window between the previous owner's possession and yours. The previous owner moves out on a Monday. You take possession on a Wednesday. We clean on Tuesday.

This is the gold standard because the unit is completely empty (no boxes to clean around), there's no time pressure (we can give the clean its full 6 to 10 hours without rushing), and you walk in on Wednesday to a finished result.

How to set this up: Ask your real estate agent at the offer stage to negotiate a 24-to-48-hour cleaning window into the closing terms. Most sellers will agree because it doesn't cost them anything; for them it's just a date-shift of one or two days.

Option 2: Same-day, after key handover

You get the keys at 3 p.m. on Thursday. We arrive at 3:15 p.m. The moving truck arrives the next morning. We have roughly 16 hours, which is plenty for any condo and most semis.

This is the most common scenario in Toronto because most closings don't include a cleaning gap. It works fine — the limitation is that we're racing the moving truck. We've never missed a moving-truck deadline, but we have come close.

How to set this up: Book us in advance (typically 1 to 2 weeks before close) with a "TBD start time, day-of confirmation" booking. The morning of close, you text us the actual key-handover time. We arrive within an hour of that, ideally with you doing a 5-minute walkthrough with us first to flag anything specific.

Option 3: After the moving truck has left, before you fully unpack

You moved in on Saturday. You realize on Sunday morning that the closets are dirtier than you thought, the kitchen needs more than you expected, and the bathroom grout is darker than you noticed during the walkthrough. We come Monday or Tuesday.

This works but it's the hardest scope for us because we have to clean around your boxes and (sometimes) your already-unpacked items. We can still do a real move-in clean — we just charge slightly more time and we ask you to keep the unboxed items isolated to one room.

How to set this up: Call as soon as you realize you need us. Same-week availability is usually possible if you can flex by a day or two.

The Clean Papi move-in cleaning protocol

Two cleaners, 6 to 12 hours depending on home size. Here's the actual order of operations.

Step 0: The 5-minute walkthrough

Before we start, we walk through every room with you (if you're there) and flag anything specific. Three things we're looking for:

Anything that needs a special note. A stain on the bedroom carpet that the seller said was "professionally cleaned" but clearly wasn't. A grout discolouration in the bathroom that the listing photos didn't show. A specific cabinet shelf with a sticky spot.
Anything that requires repair before cleaning. A loose toilet base, a leaking kitchen sink, a broken cabinet hinge — these are not cleaning items but we'll flag them so you can call a Toronto handyperson before they get worse.
Anything the previous occupant left behind. Sometimes a previous occupant leaves behind cleaning products, paint cans, or random items in a closet or under a sink. We confirm with you whether you want them kept or disposed. After the walkthrough, you can leave or stay. Most clients leave for dinner and come back when we text "done."

Step 1: Top-to-bottom HEPA pass on every room

Before any wet cleaning, every room gets a full HEPA-vacuum pass — ceiling fans, light fixtures, crown moulding, top of door frames, baseboards, floors, behind toilets, behind any furniture that's already in place. This pass captures dust before water turns it into paste. We use Bissell HEPA uprights with sealed filter housings; the brand matters less than the seal but the seal matters a lot.

Step 2: HVAC, vents, and filter replacement

The furnace filter or FCU filter goes first thing on a move-in clean. The previous occupant's air has been recirculating through that filter for who-knows-how-long. The grilles for every supply register and cold-air return get HEPA-vacuumed and wiped. If the home has a humidifier, drain it and clean the panel.

Step 3: Kitchen — the room where move-in cleaning matters most

This is the longest, most detail-intensive room on a move-in clean. The standard sequence:

Empty every cabinet and drawer. Even if they look empty, we open and check. If there's anything in them (leftover spices, broken plastic bag fragments, a single fork) we bag it for your decision.
HEPA-vacuum every cabinet and drawer interior. Every corner.
Wipe every cabinet and drawer interior with damp microfibre and non-scented multipurpose cleaner.
Cabinet faces — degreased and polished. The wall above the stove and the upper cabinets near the stove are the highest-grease zones; they get extra attention.
Underside of upper cabinets above counters. Often skipped on move-out cleans, almost always grimy.
Pull the fridge forward. Vacuum the coil. Wipe the back of the fridge. Wipe the floor behind. Wipe the wall behind. Push fridge back.
Fridge interior — every shelf removed, washed in the sink with hot soapy water, dried, replaced. Walls of the fridge wiped. Gasket cleaned (every fold of it — black mould loves the gasket folds). Top of the fridge cleaned.
Freezer interior — same treatment.
Ice maker dispensers — cleaned per manufacturer guidance.
Pull the stove forward. Vacuum and wipe behind, underneath if accessible, the floor, the wall behind.
Oven interior — full manufacturer-guided deep clean. The non-toxic paste method we covered in our oven deep cleaning guide. Racks soaked, scrubbed, dried, replaced. Glass door inside and out. Inside of the broiler if accessible.
Stovetop — type-specific cleaning (glass top, coil, gas top, induction). For gas, every burner cap soaked. For coils, drip pans replaced if heavily soiled (often cheaper to replace than to clean).
Range hood — filter soaked in hot water + dish soap + baking soda; hood interior wiped; vent stub cleared.
Microwave interior — steam cleaned (lemon + water bowl, 3 minutes, wipe) plus exterior wiped, vent filter cleaned if it's an over-the-range model.
Dishwasher — filter rinsed, gasket wiped, spray arms checked, full vinegar cleaning cycle run.
Sink + faucet — Bar Keepers Friend on stainless and chrome, polished dry. Drain emptied. Garbage disposal (if installed) cleaned with citrus peel and ice cube method.
Counters — appropriate cleaner per material. Stone gets pH-neutral non-scented; quartz gets the same; laminate gets multipurpose; butcher block gets a damp wipe and a thin food-safe mineral oil application if it's looking dry.
Pantry — emptied, vacuumed, wiped. Every shelf.
Backsplash — degreased.
Floor — HEPA-vacuumed, then mopped with non-scented floor cleaner. Two passes if grout is involved.

Step 4: Bathrooms

After the kitchen, the bathroom is the second-most-stake room on a move-in clean. The expectation level from the new owner is high.

For every bathroom:

Toilet — bowl scrubbed, seat lifted and underside cleaned, base wiped, behind the toilet wiped (we move it forward where possible), bolt caps cleaned, tank lid lifted and the inside of the tank lid wiped (mineral deposits accumulate here).
Shower / tub — full deep clean. Soap scum off with non-scented multipurpose; Waitbird steam pass on every grout line; squeegee on glass; drain hair removed; shower-head limescale soaked and brushed; shower curtain replaced if you've brought a new one (most move-in clients do).
Sink + faucet — polished. Water-spotted faucets are the most common move-in disappointment; Bar Keepers Friend brings them back.
Mirror — streak-free, two-cloth method.
Vent fan — pop the cover, vacuum inside the housing, wash the cover, replace.
Vanity interior — emptied, vacuumed, wiped. Check for any sign of a previous leak.
Medicine cabinet — emptied, vacuumed, wiped. If the previous occupant left anything (often they leave a half-bottle of something), we bag it for you.
Grout + caulk inspection — discoloured grout gets the steam-and-brush treatment; yellowed silicone caulk gets flagged for your handyperson (caulk replacement is not a cleaning job).
Floor — vacuumed, mopped, grout scrubbed if necessary.

Step 5: Closets — every single one

Closets are the most consistently under-cleaned item on Toronto move-out work, which means they're the most consistently disappointing item on Toronto move-in inspections. We do every closet, every time.

Empty it — even if there are wire shelves that look spotless. Anything left from the previous occupant gets bagged for your decision.
HEPA-vacuum — walls, ceiling, floor, every shelf, the rod, the back of the door.
Wipe everything — damp microfibre + multipurpose.
Check for moisture — any sign of mould, mildew, water staining? Spot-treat with hydrogen peroxide if minor; flag for your inspection if more severe.
Air-dry before you put your own things in. Bedroom closets, hall closets, the front closet, the linen closet, the basement closet — all get the same treatment.

Step 6: Bedrooms and living spaces

Hardwood floors — HEPA-vacuumed, then damp-mopped with non-scented floor cleaner.
Carpet — HEPA-vacuumed in two perpendicular directions. Spot-treat any visible stain with enzyme cleaner (covered in detail in our pet-owner cleaning guide if you're moving into a former pet household).
Walls, switch plates, door handles — high-touch surfaces wiped with disinfectant. Door knobs are surprisingly high-touch and surprisingly dirty.
Light fixtures, ceiling fans — washed.
Window tracks and sills — vacuumed and wiped.
Window glass — interior, streak-free.
Mirrors — if the previous occupant left any, polished. If you brought your own, install after the clean.
Existing furniture (rare but happens — sometimes a unit is sold with a piece of furniture or two): HEPA-vacuumed, wiped, mattress steam-cleaned if a mattress was included.

Step 7: Entry, transitions, exterior touches

Front door — inside and outside. Damp microfibre.
Door handle, peephole, mail slot, doorbell — wiped.
Light switch by the door, the closet door handle, the coat hooks — wiped.
Floor by the entry — given that this is where every person and pet will track from outside, it gets extra attention.
Welcome mat (if you've brought one) — placed.

Step 8: Final sanitizing pass on high-touch surfaces

The last step before we leave is a disinfecting wipe on every high-touch surface in the home: door handles, light switches, faucet handles, drawer pulls, cabinet pulls, toilet flush handles, banister tops, fridge handle, microwave handle, oven handle, stove knobs, washing machine and dryer controls. We use a non-scented hospital-grade disinfectant for this pass — same one we use on every Airbnb turnover.

Step 9: Sign-off and key handback

If you weren't here during the clean, we do a 5-minute walkthrough with you when you arrive (or text you a video walkthrough if you can't be present). Before-and-after photos go in the cleaners' app and get attached to your invoice. Any items we bagged from previous-occupant leftovers are presented to you for keep / toss decisions.

Move-in cleaning for specific situations

A few situations come up often enough that they deserve their own notes.

Moving in with a baby or toddler

The standard move-in clean is already non-scented and non-toxic, but for households with infants or toddlers we add:

A complete HEPA pass on every soft surface. Curtains, carpet, upholstery if included.
Sanitize-grade clean on the floor of every room. A baby will be on this floor.
Crib area / nursery prep. If you've already brought the crib, we set it up and clean the floor around it. If not, we identify the nursery and give that room the highest-grade clean.
Window-cord and blind-cord safety check. Loose blind cords are a strangulation hazard. We point out any that need to be secured.
Bathroom outlet check. GFCI outlets in bathrooms — we test them and flag any non-functional ones for your electrician.

Moving in with pets

If you're bringing pets:

Enzyme treatment on any spot where a previous pet might have had an accident (especially the carpet edges near doors).
HEPA pass on every soft surface for any dander from the previous occupant.
Floor wipe-down with vinegar-and-water in case any of the previous occupant's cleaners had phenols or pine oils (which are toxic to cats).
Vent and HVAC cleaning — extra attention because pet dander recirculates here. Our full pet-owner cleaning guide has the methods.

Moving in after a recent renovation

If the previous owner renovated before listing, even six months ago, drywall dust is still settled in places. Our post-renovation cleaning guide covers the full method. For a move-in clean of a recently-renovated home, expect us to add 1 to 3 hours for the extra dust capture.

Moving in with allergies, asthma, or chemical sensitivity

We use exclusively non-scented cleaners on every job. For households with specific sensitivities:

Tell us in advance and we'll bring an extra-stripped-down product set (non-scented multipurpose, water, vinegar, baking soda — nothing else).
We can also run the HVAC in circulate mode for an extra hour at the end of the clean to flush any residual aerosols.
Consider running a HEPA air purifier in the bedroom for the first week after move-in.

Moving from a smaller home into a larger one (or vice versa)

Most move-in clients have a moving truck arriving within 24 hours of the clean. We pace the clean to your truck schedule — finishing the parts you'll need first (kitchen, primary bathroom, primary bedroom) before the truck arrives so you have those rooms functional, then continuing through the rest of the home while the truck is being unloaded.

Toronto-specific move-in cleaning quirks

A few things that come up more in the GTA than elsewhere.

Condo concierge access. Most Toronto condo buildings require pre-registered vendor access for any cleaning team. We carry our CGL insurance, WSIB clearance, and a building-specific Certificate of Insurance ready to submit. Most buildings accept the COI within 24 hours; some (typically newer CityPlace and Yorkville buildings) require it 48 to 72 hours in advance. Talk to us as soon as you have a close date and we'll send the docs to your concierge. Our Toronto condo cleaning guide walks through the full vendor approval process.

Service elevator scheduling. Moving day means service elevator booking. If your clean is happening the same day as your move-in, we coordinate elevator timing with you — typically we use the service elevator on arrival and on departure, the standard elevator while we're working.

Winter move-ins. Toronto winters add 30 to 45 minutes of cleaning to the entry area (salt, slush, road grime track-in is more aggressive than summer). We factor that into winter move-in estimates.

Old-house quirks. Older Toronto homes (Annex, Roncesvalles, Cabbagetown, Riverdale, the Beach) often have specific cleaning quirks: original woodwork that needs gentle product chemistry, plaster walls that can be damaged by aggressive cleaning, lead-paint-era finishes that need extra dust capture. We adjust accordingly.

Recently-built condos (post-2020). Newer Toronto condo buildings sometimes still have post-construction residue in vents and on the inside of cabinets even years after possession. If you're moving into a newer build that's only had one or two owners, expect us to find construction dust in unexpected places.

How we price move-in cleaning Toronto

Same pricing model as everything: time + materials + 35 percent margin, estimate is a ceiling. The full pricing transparency is on our pricing page and we'll always give you a written estimate before any work starts.

Rough numbers for move-in cleaning specifically:

Studio or 1-bedroom condo: $169 - $300, 4 to 6 hours, one or two cleaners
2-bedroom condo or townhome: $253 - $450, 7 to 12 hours, two cleaners
Semi-detached or smaller house: $309 - $581, 10 to 16 hours, two cleaners
Larger detached house (2,500+ sq ft): $900 to $1,800, 16 to 24 hours, two to three cleaners Same-day premium: if you call us within 4 hours of needing us, we charge a same-day mobilization fee — typically $50 to $100 — which covers the disruption to our schedule. We honour this fee transparently; it's listed on the invoice.

Add-ons:

Carpet shampoo (we don't do this in-house but can refer): $200 to $500
Inside-window cleaning beyond standard scope: $150 to $300
Mattress steam treatment (if a mattress is included with the unit): $80 to $150
Appliance deep cleans (oven, fridge if exceptional buildup): $80 to $150 each
Pet-household enzyme treatment for known accident areas: $80 to $150 For the time-and-materials model in general, see our how to hire a house cleaner guide.

What to look for during your final pre-move walkthrough

If you have a chance to walk through the unit between the previous occupant's move-out and your move-in (some condo boards mandate this; most agents will arrange it), here are the seven things to check that will tell you whether the "professional clean" promised actually happened.

Open the fridge and freezer. Fingerprint smudges on the gasket interior, smell, ice in the freezer, food residue — any of these tells you the kitchen was not done properly.
Open the oven door. Look at the bottom of the oven, the inside of the glass door, and inside the broiler drawer. If any of those has dark residue, the kitchen clean was surface-only.
Lift the toilet seat. Underneath the seat hinge and around the base of the toilet is where amateur cleans fail.
Check the bathroom drain. If you can see hair in the shower drain, you're going to find more elsewhere.
Look at the top of the kitchen upper cabinets. Reach up. Run your finger along the top. Grease + dust if not cleaned.
Open the bedroom closet door. Smell it. A musty smell means the closet wasn't aired out and probably wasn't cleaned inside.
Run your finger along the top of a door frame. Any room. Dust here means dust everywhere above eye level. If any of those seven check-points fails, the unit needs a real move-in clean before you unpack. Call us — we'll be there within a day, often same-day.

A short word on what to do if the previous occupant's clean was clearly fraudulent

Sometimes — not often, but sometimes — the "professionally cleaned" promise in the contract is just a lie. The unit was wiped with a damp paper towel and called done. If you're in this situation:

Document it. Photo everything. Timestamped photos of the dirty fridge, the grimy oven, the hair in the drain, the dust on the door frames. This is your evidence.

Notify your real estate agent. Most agents will go to bat for you with the previous owner's agent. The seller is often willing to credit some cleaning costs back rather than escalate.

Don't unpack. Unpacking around dirt makes everything harder. Get the clean done first.

Call us. We can be there same-day in most of central Toronto. Send your agent or the seller our invoice for reimbursement consideration.

We won't get into legal advice here — that's your real estate lawyer's job. But the practical move-in steps above protect you while the legal side gets sorted out.

Move-in cleaning vs. move-out cleaning — a quick comparison

It's worth understanding how move-in and move-out cleans differ, because Toronto homeowners sometimes use the terms interchangeably (and they shouldn't).

Move-out cleaning is about returning a unit to a condition that satisfies the next occupant — and, for renters, the landlord. The cleaning standard is "next person will accept it." Our full move-out cleaning checklist walks through what's involved, the room-by-room standard, and the renter-specific concerns.

Move-in cleaning is about taking a unit that someone else just left and making it feel like yours. The cleaning standard is "I can put my food in this kitchen and my baby on this floor." The work is similar but the eye is different.

If you're moving from one Toronto home to another, you may need both: a move-out clean for the place you're leaving and a move-in clean for the place you're arriving at. We discount the second one if you book both with us — typically 10 percent off the move-in.

Frequently asked questions about move-in cleaning in Toronto

How much does professional move-in cleaning cost in Toronto?

For most Toronto move-in cleans, expect $169 - $300 for a studio or 1-bedroom condo, $253 - $450 for a 2-bedroom condo or townhome, $309 - $581 for a semi-detached or smaller house, and $900 to $1,800 for a larger detached home. Pricing is time + materials + 35 percent margin, the estimate is a ceiling, and same-day mobilization adds a small premium ($50 to $100).

When should I book a move-in clean?

Book one to two weeks before close. The actual cleaning happens between the previous occupant's move-out and your move-in (gold standard), same-day after your key handover (most common), or within a day or two of your move-in (less ideal but workable). Same-day is usually possible if you can call us within 24 hours of needing us.

Should I trust the seller's "professionally cleaned" promise?

In our experience, about 40 percent of "professionally cleaned" handover promises in Toronto get delivered as expected. The other 60 percent range from "well-intentioned but under-scoped" to "didn't really happen." Book your own move-in clean as a backup — you can always cancel if the seller's clean actually delivered.

Can you do a same-day move-in clean?

Yes, in most cases. We try to keep a 4-to-8-hour mobilization window on our calendar each week for emergency move-in cleans. If you're in central Toronto and call us by mid-morning, we can usually be there by early afternoon. There's a small same-day premium ($50 to $100) on top of the standard rate.

What's the difference between a move-in clean and a deep clean?

A move-in clean is a deep clean done with the eye of someone who is about to put their food in the kitchen and their baby on the floor. It includes a sanitizing pass on every high-touch surface, every closet emptied and vacuumed, every appliance interior cleaned, and the HVAC filter replaced. A regular deep clean doesn't include some of those specifics. The deep cleaning vs regular cleaning guide compares the standard services side by side.

Will the move-in cleaner finish before my moving truck arrives?

Yes — we pace the clean to your truck schedule. If you're moving in the morning, we do the rooms you'll need first (kitchen, primary bathroom, primary bedroom) before the truck arrives, then continue through the rest of the home while it's being unloaded. We've never made a client wait for their movers.

What if the unit is already partially furnished?

Some Toronto units are sold with furniture, appliances, or fixtures included. We clean around them at no extra cost as long as nothing has to be moved or disassembled. If furniture needs to be moved for cleaning behind it, we do that too — we just add the time to the estimate.

Do you handle move-in cleans in condo buildings?

Yes. We carry CGL insurance with $2 million coverage, WSIB clearance, and a Certificate of Insurance ready for submission to your building's property manager. Most condo buildings require these docs on file before allowing vendor access. Talk to us as soon as you have a close date so we can submit the COI in time.

Will you bring all your own equipment and supplies?

Yes. We bring Bissell HEPA vacuums, Waitbird steam cleaners, non-scented multipurpose cleaner, pH-neutral non-scented stone-safe cleaner, Bar Keepers Friend, hospital-grade non-scented disinfectant, microfibre cloths, and all consumables. The only thing we need from you is access to a sink for water.

Should I be present during the clean?

Not required, but we recommend a 5-minute walkthrough at the start to point out any specific concerns. Most clients leave for dinner during the clean and come back when we text "done." Some stay and unpack one room at a time as we finish others. Either works.

What's not included in a standard move-in clean?

Carpet shampoo, exterior window washing, duct cleaning, mould remediation (more than spot-treatment), pest control, and any handyperson work (loose handles, leaking faucets, broken hinges) are all outside our scope. We'll flag issues we find and refer to Toronto specialists we trust.

What to do next

If you're closing on a Toronto home in the next 1 to 4 weeks, book the move-in clean now. Call as soon as you have your close date. Tell us the home type (condo / semi / detached), approximate square footage, when you take possession, when your moving truck arrives, and any specifics (pets coming with you, allergies, baby on the way, recent renovation history). We'll call within 24 hours with a written estimate and a timing plan.

Book at cleanpapi.ca/booking. See pricing for ballpark estimates by home size. Or just call us — for time-sensitive move-ins, a 5-minute call usually answers everything faster than the form.

If you've already closed and you've already moved your truck in, but you're now realizing the unit needed a real clean before you started unboxing — call us same-day. We can still do a real move-in-grade clean even after the boxes are in. Not ideal, but it works.

— Nathan, founder, Clean Papi

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