Nobody likes moving out of a rented home, only to find out that the landlord gobbled up half your deposit because you forget to clean one or two areas -- that's why having your home thoroughly cleaned by professional exit cleaners before you leave is such a good idea. While these highly efficient cleaning services know their business and know it well, it never hurts to make sure that every nook and cranny of your old home is cleaned, so make sure to request the following commonly forgotten cleaning tasks when hiring your exit cleaners:

Exhaust vents

Horror stories about the nasty mould and bacteria that can grow in uncleaned air conditioning vents are rife, and most every home-leaver will remember to have their AC's ducts and vents cleaned. However, any exhaust fans that aren't connected to your climate control system, such as the fanned vents commonly found in bathrooms and kitchens that lead directly to the outdoors, are often overlooked. Cleaning these finicky devices yourself without damaging them can be difficult, so make sure to specify to your chosen exit cleaning company that these vents should be cleaned inside and out.

Refrigerator coils

Cleaning out the inside of your fridge is rarely a pleasant task, particularly when that mysteriously missing slice of old ham suddenly reappears, but remembering to have the cooling coils on the back of your refrigerator cleaned is also essential. These coils can become a haven for dust deposits and can leave the fridge badly under-powered if allowed to get too dirty (something else your landlord might decide to charge you for). Professional cleaning is particularly recommended here, as these coils can become badly damaged if cleaned without special care and attention.

Mattresses

If your home was fully or partially-furnished when you moved in you will probably be leaving the mattresses behind when you leave, so don't forget to leave them as clean as you found them. Like refrigerator coils, having these cleaned professionally is far easier than trying to do it yourself, as the mattress will need deep cleaning to make sure the internal springs and/or foam does not harbour germs or bugs.

Ceiling fans

You might think that these fans don't collect much in the way of dirt and dust since they move so quickly and frequently (particularly during a typically brutal Australian summer), but the hidden tops of a ceiling fan's blades can become encrusted with dust and other detritus. These fans can also be notoriously fragile, particularly if they have a built-in light fitting, so have them professionally cleaned to minimise any risk of damage.