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When selling a home, an important factor is making the best impression possible for buyers. This will increase the chances that they will snap up the home with no hesitation. If the potential buyer sees many things wrong, he will often have to “think about it” or want to see other properties. One way to make a home more appealing is to have it cleaned within an inch of its life. A sparkling clean home will certainly make a good impression.

Particularly key is to thoroughly clean up a foreclosed home. Although the least expensive of all homes on the market, a foreclosed home is usually a complete mess, sitting vacant for many months or possibly longer. And even when agents go through and straighten up and do a bit of cleaning, it is still obvious that the home was not taken care of. The home really needs some intensive care to get it prepared for sale and to get the top dollar.

So what is the process of cleaning up a home properly before putting it on the market? First you must have the right equipment available for the job. Disinfectants are needed, because you can’t have mildew, germs and bacteria hanging around with the horrific smells that can be created in a closed up structure. You will need plenty of rags and brushes for scrubbing. If the home is on a well or has extremely hard water, you may need to get some solution that will dissolve lime buildups.

Heavy cleaning agents may be needed, although green cleaning products can do the job and will be safer in the long-run. If you use those chemical cleaners, you’ll need latex gloves. A commercial-sized vacuum cleaner and carpet cleaner will be necessary to really get the grime out of the carpets. Even if the house is not a foreclosure, those carpets can really be filthy, with wicking causing a problem unless handled correctly.

Some of the cleaning you’ll need to accomplish includes:

* Oven and stove degreasing
* Cleaning the inside of cabinets
* Removing mineral deposits on toilet bowls

These are just a few of the more unpleasant tasks. And there could be other projects needed to get the home up to snuff. Old broken down appliances should be removed, grass cut and broken windows replaced. Trash in the yard should be removed and if there is a swimming pool, it should be drained until the new owners decide to fill it. If a foreclosure, the locks may need to be changed as well.

It truly is quite a job, but a professional janitorial cleaning service is always an option. They can save you lots of time and money and turn the house into a showcase.