How to Clean Your Fridge, Oven and Kitchen Appliances for End of Tenancy

Walk an inventory clerk through a kitchen and watch what they do: they open things. The fridge, the oven, the washing machine drawer, the dishwasher filter. Appliances are itemised individually on most check-in reports, which means each one is compared individually at check-out — and 'clean worktops, dirty fridge' still reads as a failed kitchen. Here's how to get every appliance to standard.

Fridge and freezer

Start the freezer two days before checkout — defrosting is the step people run out of time for. Empty both, switch off, and let the freezer thaw with towels down to catch the melt.

• Remove shelves and drawers and wash them in warm soapy water
• Wipe the interior with a mild solution (a spoonful of bicarbonate of soda in warm water lifts odours)
• Clean the door seals — mould in the rubber folds is a classic checkout flag
• Pull the unit out if you can and clean the top, sides and floor beneath
• Leave doors propped open if the power is going off, so mould can't start

Washing machine

• Pull out the detergent drawer completely and scrub away the soap sludge
• Wipe inside the rubber door seal, where water pools and blackens
• Empty the lint filter (usually behind the flap at the bottom front)
• Run a hot empty wash with a cup of white vinegar to clear residue and smells
• Polish the drum, glass and exterior

Dishwasher

• Twist out the base filter and rinse it under a hot tap — this is the bit clerks check
• Wipe the door edges and seals where grime collects
• Clear the spray-arm nozzles of any blockages
• Run a hot empty cycle with dishwasher cleaner or vinegar

Extractor fan and hood

The extractor is the most-forgotten appliance in DIY checkout cleans. Metal mesh grease filters can go through the dishwasher or a long hot soak in degreaser; paper or carbon filters should simply be replaced. Degrease the hood itself inside and out — a gleaming hob under a dripping extractor won't pass.

Oven and hob

The oven deserves its own guide, and it has one: our step-by-step on cleaning an oven for end of tenancy covers the interior, racks and door glass. Don't stop at the oven door — burners, pan supports and the splashback are all part of the same inventory line.

What professional appliance cleaning costs

Because appliances are priced individually, you can hand over just the ones you dread: appliance cleaning starts from £10 each — £15 for a single oven, £30 for a double, £10 for the hob or extractor, £15 for the fridge, freezer, washing machine, dishwasher or tumble dryer, £10 for the microwave. Add them to a full end of tenancy clean or book a standalone appliance clean, and every one is cleaned inside and out with an itemised invoice for your agent.

For everything beyond the kitchen, our room-by-room end of tenancy checklist covers what clerks look for in the rest of the property.