Move in cleaning
Move In Cleaning Services in Boston, MA
A complete empty-home clean between key handoff and the moving truck. Cabinets, closets, tile, and every floor edge, so the first thing you unpack into is clean.
- Cabinet and closet interiors included
- Scheduled around your movers
- Key pickup from agents or lockboxes
- September 1 slots held early
Free quote in minutes
Get your price and a time slot
Same-week availability across most of the city.
Overview
Use the one day your home is truly empty
The day you get the keys is the only day your new home will ever be completely empty. Every cabinet is open, every closet is bare, and every square foot of floor is reachable. It is also the day the previous tenant's dust, the landlord's quick wipe-down, and whatever lived behind the refrigerator are all still there. Our move-in cleaning service is built to use that window before a single box crosses the threshold.
Boston moves cluster hard around September 1 and the first of each month, and landlords in this market are rarely required to deliver a professionally cleaned unit. Many of our move-in customers arrive to find a place that is technically vacant but far from clean: sticky cabinet shelves, a greasy range hood, hair in the bathroom drain, and radiator fins caked with years of dust. We take all of that on so you do not have to unpack into it.
A move-in clean is a deep clean plus everything that only makes sense in an empty home. We wash the insides of every cabinet and drawer, wipe closet shelves and rods, scrub the tub and tile, detail baseboards and door frames, and vacuum and mop every floor edge to edge. Light fixtures, switch plates, and window sills are cleaned so the first surface your hand touches is one we cleaned.
Timing matters and we plan around it. The ideal slot is after the previous occupant is out and before your movers arrive, which is often a same-day handoff. We coordinate with property managers and real estate agents regularly and can often collect keys from a lockbox or leasing office. If your move is on the September 1 weekend, reserve early; those dates fill weeks in advance.
Pricing is quoted by unit size and condition and confirmed before booking, with cabinet and closet interiors included and oven and fridge interiors available as add-ons. Most one-bedroom move-in cleans take about three hours. Once your boxes are in and unpacked, many customers switch to a recurring plan and keep the same standard going forward.
The checklist
What a move-in clean covers
A deep clean plus everything inside cabinets, closets, and appliances.
Kitchen
- Remove cobwebs
- Dust light fixtures
- Dust windowsills, window frames, and ledges
- Dust blinds
- Dust ceiling fans
- Dry dust decor and picture frames
- Clean and dry sink and soap dish
- Clean countertops and backsplash
- Clean microwave inside and out
- Clean stovetop, burners, and control panels
- Clean exteriors of fridge, oven, and dishwasher
- Clean stationary small appliances
- Clean light switches and doorknobs
- Spot clean cabinet fronts and handles
- Empty trash and wipe down can
- Sweep, vacuum, and mop floors
- Clean range hood and vent
- Wipe down exteriors of all cabinets and drawers
- Wipe down doors and door frames
- Dust and wipe baseboards
- Clean pantry floor and shelves
- Wipe insides of cabinets and drawers
Bathrooms
- Remove cobwebs
- Dust light fixtures and shelves
- Dust doors, windowsills, and window frames
- Dust blinds
- Clean and dry shower and tub
- Clean and dry sink, counter, and soap dish
- Clean mirrors and glass
- Polish towel bars and paper holder
- Clean toilet inside, outside, and behind
- Clean light switches and doorknobs
- Wipe and disinfect cabinet fronts
- Sweep, vacuum, and mop floors
- Empty trash and replace liner
- Scrub grout lines and shower door tracks
- Wipe down doors and door frames
- Dust and wipe baseboards
- Clean exhaust fan cover
- Wipe insides of cabinets and drawers
Bedrooms
- Remove cobwebs
- Dust light fixtures and ceiling fans
- Dust windowsills, frames, and blinds
- Clean mirrors
- Clean light switches and doorknobs
- Empty trash
- Vacuum carpets and rugs
- Sweep and mop hard floors
- Vacuum under beds and behind furniture
- Wipe down doors and door frames
- Dust and wipe baseboards
- Wipe closet shelves and rods
Living Areas & Hallways
- Remove cobwebs
- Dust light fixtures and ceiling fans
- Dust windowsills, frames, and blinds
- Clean glass tabletops and mirrors
- Clean light switches and doorknobs
- Vacuum carpets and rugs
- Sweep and mop hard floors
- Wipe stair railings and banisters
- Vacuum under and behind furniture
- Wipe down doors and door frames
- Dust and wipe baseboards
- Wipe vent covers and radiators
- Clean interior window glass
- Wipe entry closet shelves
Add-ons: inside the oven and inside the refrigerator are optional on every service, including deep, move-in, and move-out cleans, for a set fee. See the full comparison of routine, deep, and move cleans on our cleaning checklist.
Transparent pricing
Move-in cleaning prices in Boston
Upfront quotes by unit size and condition, with cabinet and closet interiors included.
| Unit | Move-in or move-out clean |
|---|---|
| Studio | $180 - $240 |
| One bedroom | $220 - $300 |
| Two bedroom | $280 - $380 |
| Three bedroom+ | $380 - $500+ |
Pricing assumes an empty unit with working utilities. Cabinet and closet interiors are included; inside the oven and refrigerator are optional add-ons.
Heavy-duty and pet fees: homes with heavy buildup, a long gap since the last professional clean, or pets that shed heavily carry an additional fee. We quote it before you book, never on the invoice.
When to book
When to schedule a move-in clean
Between key handoff and the moving truck
The gold standard. The team cleans an empty unit in the morning and your movers arrive after lunch. We coordinate with agents and property managers to make that window work.
New construction or a fresh renovation
Contractors leave fine dust in every cabinet and on every ledge. A move-in clean after the punch list is done means you are not wiping drywall powder off your dishes for a month.
After a landlord turnover clean
Many turnover cleans are a quick surface wipe. If the cabinet shelves and closets were skipped, we finish the job before you fill them, and the oven and fridge can be added.
Buying a home from a previous owner
Closing day rarely leaves time to clean. Book the visit for the day after closing and move in the following weekend to a home that feels like yours.
Why us
Why movers across Boston book us first
- 01
Cabinets and closets, inside and out
Every cabinet, drawer, shelf, and closet is cleaned inside and out. Inside the oven and refrigerator can be added to any move-in clean for a set fee, so you never inherit someone else's oven.
- 02
We work around your movers
Tight timelines are normal on move day. Give us the key handoff time and the movers' arrival window and we schedule the clean to fit between them.
- 03
Every shelf, every drawer, every closet
Empty storage is cleaned inside and out, including the top shelf you will not reach until you own a step stool. Liners can be laid if you provide them.
- 04
Familiar with Boston move-day logistics
Permit parking, freight elevators, leasing-office key pickup, and the September 1 crush are all things our coordinators deal with every season.
Reviews
What neighbors say after the first visit
“Old building, tiny closets, decades of grime in the cabinet corners. They cleaned the inside of every cabinet and drawer before our movers arrived. The place smelled clean, not chemical.”
“Two people arrive every other Thursday, work through the whole house in about two hours, and the kitchen looks the way it did the day we moved in. I have stopped thinking about cleaning entirely.”
“My building has strict elevator rules and they handled the check-in with the concierge without me being there. Floor-to-ceiling windows spotless, no streaks. That alone was worth it.”
Service areas
Move-in cleaning by neighborhood
Area pages include notes on building access, parking, and local move-day timing.
On the map
Move-in cleaning across Boston
Questions
Move-in cleaning questions
Everything in a deep clean plus the interiors of cabinets, drawers, and closets. Oven and fridge interiors are optional add-ons. Floors are cleaned edge to edge, and baseboards, door frames, fixtures, and window sills are detailed. Full list on our checklist page.
Ideally yes. Empty homes let us reach every surface and finish faster. If some boxes are already in, we work around them but cannot clean beneath or inside them.
Often, if you book ahead. Tell us your expected key time and mover arrival and we will hold a slot. September 1 and first-of-month dates should be reserved at least two weeks out.
Yes, we need water and electricity to clean. Confirm with the landlord or utility that service is active on your cleaning date.
Studios run $180 to $240, one-bedrooms $220 to $300, two-bedrooms $280 to $380, and three-bedrooms and larger start around $380. Cabinet and closet interiors are included in those figures; oven and fridge interiors are add-ons.
Yes, with your written permission. We regularly collect keys from lockboxes, leasing offices, and concierge desks, and we return them the same way.
The checklist is nearly identical. The difference is purpose: a move-out clean is aimed at the landlord's inspection and deposit return, while a move-in clean is aimed at your own comfort in a space someone else just left.
Boston concentrates almost every lease change into that one week. Move-in and move-out slots around it book out weeks ahead, so get your date in early.
Before. Cabinet interiors, closet shelves, and appliances are reachable exactly once, and that window closes the moment boxes arrive.
Yes, every one. Shelves, rods, and closet floors are part of the move-in scope, which they are not on a routine visit.
Tell us what you are walking into and we quote for the actual condition. A neglected unit takes longer and is better priced honestly up front.
Yes. Narrow stairs and no elevator are standard in Boston, and our kit is sized for it.
Start in a home that is actually clean
Send your move date, unit size, and key handoff time. We will confirm an upfront price and hold the slot.