When a landlord or buyer walks an empty home, they don't look at the middle of the floor. They open things. Cabinets, drawers, the oven, the refrigerator, closets, and the bathroom vanity are where a move-out clean is won or lost.
Start with the kitchen: inside every cabinet and drawer, the refrigerator shelves and drawers, the oven interior, the microwave, the stovetop, and the range hood filter. Grease and crumbs in these places are the most common reason deposits get docked.
In bathrooms, scrub the tub, shower, and toilet, including the base and behind it. Wipe the inside of the vanity and medicine cabinet, clean mirrors, and check the exhaust fan cover, which collects more dust than you'd expect.
Finally, go room by room for baseboards, window sills, light switches, door frames, and closet floors, then vacuum and mop everything on the way out. If you'd rather spend moving week packing, our move-in and move-out cleaning covers all of it.