Get Your Rental Deposit Back With Wet & Forget
Ah, the elusive security deposit. Getting your full rental deposit back can feel like an impossibility, even if you’re dealing with the kindest of landlords.
However, there is a general formula you can follow to best ensure you receive your returned deposit:
- Know what your lease says regarding the security deposit
- Document any issues, preferably with photographs, when you move in and out
- Keep your rental unit clean during your time there with a more thorough cleaning right before or after you move out. What products are better to help with that than Wet & Forget?
While we can’t help you with legal issues related to your lease, we can provide the tools and info you need to keep your rental unit in good shape. With Wet and Forget, you can use all 6 of our products to effectively achieve this goal.
Remove Exterior Mold and Mildew Stains
To those who live in a house or townhome, it is likely that your lease includes a clause stating that you are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of your unit’s exterior.
Roofs, walls, decks, driveways, and even outdoor furniture that came with the rental will likely need to be cleaned. And, of course, the best way to keep these areas clean of stains caused by mold, mildew, moss, and lichen is with Wet & Forget.
For small-scale cleaning of areas up to 180 square feet, Wet & Forget Outdoor Ready-To-Use can gently and effectively treat and remove stains over time. For areas up to 2,000 square feet or to clean elevated surfaces like roofs and second-story exterior walls, consider Wet & Forget Xtreme Reach™ Hose End.
Both products are non-acidic and contain no bleach or phosphates, making them safe to use on virtually every exterior surface including but not limited to:
- Aluminum and vinyl
- Asphalt
- Brick and clay
- Concrete, metal, stone, and wood
- Fabric
- Painted and treated surfaces
- Plastic and PVC
- Stucco
Whether you need to clean only a small surface or a much more significant one, the key here is to get started early. Both Wet and Forget products need time to work, as they clean gently over time with the wind and rain.
So, ideally, one of the first things you should do after moving in and unpacking is to give your rental unit a quick wash. Since the Wet & Forget outdoor cleaning formula requires no scrubbing or rinsing, you can tackle this project in minutes.
To use either product, wait until weather conditions are ideal for application:
Temperatures of at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit during application and for around five hours after. (Wet & Forget Outdoor Ready-To-Use can be used when temperatures are at least 32 degrees Fahrenheit.)
- Avoid hot or overly sunny days, as they can lead to early evaporation.
- No rain or extreme wind during application and at least four hours after.
- Outdoor surfaces are dry.
Then spray surfaces until they’re thoroughly saturated.
Green stains caused by algae should be gone within a few days or weeks with rainfall. Black stains can sometimes take a month or two, while long-established black stains may take up to six months or a year.
In many cases, you only need a single application to clean these stains and keep surfaces clean for up to a year. Areas with heavy buildup will benefit from a second application a month after the first.
Maintaining a once-a-year application schedule will help keep your rental unit’s exterior clean until you’re ready to move out.
Tackle Soap Scum, Shower Grime, and Mold and Mildew Stains Indoors
While sanitizing surfaces is essential to cleaning, most landlords won’t be inspecting germ count after you move out. Instead, you should focus on visible stains caused by soap scum, shower grime, mold, and mildew to get your rental deposit back.
Wet & Forget Shower — now available in our classic soft vanilla and new fresh scents — is a weekly shower spray that can help you keep your bathroom’s surfaces clear of stains. Both formulas contain no bleach, ammonia, dyes, or irritating fumes.
That means you’re safe to use them on almost every shower and tub surface (except for natural marble):
- Acrylic and fiberglass
- Brass, bronze, chrome, and stainless steel
- Cultured marble, granite, and stone
- Glass tile and shower tile
- Porcelain
- Vinyl and fabric shower curtains
So, you can use Wet & Forget Shower virtually anywhere you may experience stains caused by soap scum, shower grime, or mold and mildew. For instance, sinks, counters, and washing machines can all benefit from regular applications.
Applying Wet & Forget Shower during your lease will mean that any last-minute cleanup should be quick and easy.
Simply spray the product on all shower surfaces after the last shower of the day. The next day, rinse those surfaces before the first shower the next morning.
If you’re starting your cleaning process with a filthy shower, you may need to apply the product daily until it’s clean enough to resume weekly applications.
For sinks and counters, rinse the surface with water immediately after use.
Leave Your Rental Smelling Fresh and Renewed
The smell your rental unit emits will give your landlord a sign as to just how clean it really is. Musty, stale, or pungent smells often indicate the presence of mold and mildew in your home. Leaving them for your landlord to clean out will likely result in a dinged rental deposit.
Now, there are sprays out there that can cover up certain scents. However, they will all dissipate, leaving an odoriferous arrow pointing directly to the source of the stench.
Instead of giving the impression that mold and mildew were your fellow tenants, attack odors at the source with Wet & Forget Indoor.
A disinfectant cleaner that kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses on non-porous surfaces*, Wet & Forget Indoor also cleans grease and grime, inhibits mold and mildew growth, and destroys odors.
Since it contains no bleach or irritating fumes, it’s safe to use on a wide range of indoor surfaces:
- Exterior of appliances and fixtures
- Cabinets, counters, and tables
- Doors and handles
- Fabric and upholstery
- Fixtures, sinks, showers
- Garbage cans
- Tables
- Walls
To deodorize and disinfect hard, non-porous surfaces, apply Wet & Forget Indoor with a cloth, mop, sponge, or sprayer. Then, wipe the surface dry after 10 minutes or allow to air dry.
To sanitize soft surfaces, hold the bottle around six inches from the surface and spray the fabric until wet. Allow the area to remain visibly wet for at least five minutes, then let air dry.
Applying Wet & Forget Indoor every seven days will help hinder mold and mildew growth and prevent the spread of unpleasant odors. You can also use it as needed, such as before or after you move out.
As stated earlier, your landlord likely won’t inspect the premises with an electron microscope in an attempt to find every last germ. However, sanitizing and deodorizing surfaces will help ensure there’s no trail of mustiness leading them to dock your rental deposit.
*As a disinfectant, Wet & Forget® Indoor Mold+ Mildew Disinfectant Cleaner kills: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica, Serratia marcescens, *Human Coronavirus,*lnfluenza Virus Type A/ Hong Kong, *SARS Associated Coronavirus cause of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, *SARS-Related Coronavirus 2 SARS-CoV-2 cause of COVID-19, *Vaccinia (Pox Virus), *Norwalk Virus (Norovirus), *Rotavirus.”
Get Your Rental Deposit Back With Wet & Forget
Keeping your rental unit clean of stains and odors, inside and out, is the best path to your landlord returning your security deposits.
With Wet and Forget products at your side, you can clean your home in a matter of minutes. This lets you focus on packing, supervising movers, and unpacking in your new place.
To get your rental unit ready for inspection, purchase your favorite Wet & Forget products online or at your local retailer.
