Manners guide to moving

Two thirds of movers leave their former home uncleaned. Here's how to move house and leave a clean slate for new residents, says

.

Many of us pride ourselves on having sparkling clean homes but a staggering 56 per cent of Britons moving into new properties are greeted with grimy rooms, abandoned bags of rubbish, sloppy standards and domestic sabotage, courtesy of the previous owners.

In fact, new research by Norwich Union has discovered that two thirds leave their former home dirty, complete with filthy walls, floors and cupboards, one in 10 leave a dirty bathroom and unflushed toilets, one in five leave old clothes and unwanted furniture, and a quarter even damage or remove electrical fittings.

Unsurprisingly, doyennes of cleaning, Kim Woodburn and Aggie MacKenzie, believe there's no excuse when it comes to leaving your former nest clean and tidy for the following owners.

"The research reveals that one in 10 home owners admit to not cleaning their houses simply because they don't have the time to clean," says Kim, a former professional cleaner.

"However this shouldn't be an excuse for leaving your old abode in a state. It's important to think about how you would want to be treated as a new homeowner."

However, regardless of the state we leave our old homes in, plenty of us remain nostalgic about our former abode, with two thirds admitting to snooping on the new occupants to see what changes they have made.

"Make sure you clean the property and throw away any unwanted items, or why not do a good deed and recycle or give away your unwanted wares to a charity shop?" Kim suggests. "And share your knowledge and fill the new owners in on your area - which tradespeople are reliable, refuse collection times, the best shops and restaurants to visit and where the local doctors and dentists are."

Aggie also recommends leaving your new contact details just in case the owners have any questions.

"As well as leaving a forwarding address, why not leave a housewarming gift like a bottle of wine or flowers - it will be greatly appreciated after a long day of moving furniture," she advises.

Finally, the 'queens of clean' recommend insuring your belongings for loss or damage while they are being moved by professional movers.

Mary Rose Quigg, author of Household Hints (Sunburst Books), recommends these eco-friendly tips for leaving your house in top condition.

l To stick down curling corners of wallpaper, paint the back with egg whites. Leave until tacky and then press down firmly.

l Freshen the grouting between wall tiles by cleaning it with an old toothbrush dipped in bleach. Or paint the grout with white emulsion, wiping the tiles clean with a damp cloth immediately.

l Clean a badly neglected bath surface with paraffin to restore sparkle.

l To clean a stained toilet bowl put cola into it and leave for two hours before flushing. Or use a paste of borax and lemon juice to remove stubborn stains.

l Soak badly stained cooker rings in a solution of hot water and biological washing powder for 30 minutes - it makes them much easier to clean.

l After washing your stainless steel sink, give it a final rub over with newspaper for a gleaming finish.

l Use cold tea to clean varnished woodwork or floors. Polish with a soft duster. The tannin counteracts the grease and enhances the colour.

l Slight burn marks on carpets caused by sparks can be removed by rubbing vigorously with the cut surface of a raw onion or a raw potato.

l Remove oil stains from a concrete driveway by pouring over a little cola drink to remove the mark.

l After decorating the house, keep a list of the rolls of wallpaper used for each room, the size of the carpet required and the colour, brand and amount of paint used. This is very useful for new occupants.