When you move into a new place, one of the first things you’ll be required to submit when you sign a lease is a security deposit. While this can be sizeable (up to a couple of months’ rent), if you plan on bringing a dog or cat into your apartment with you, you’ll also have to plan on paying a deposit for them as well.

Usually landlords choose one of three options to allow you to bring your pet on the premises: pet fee (a one-time fee that is non-refundable), a pet rent (a monthly addition that is tacked on to your rent to cover pets), or a pet deposit, which may or may not be refundable. These fees cover any damages that your pet does to the property while you’re living there, and if you want your deposit back, you’ll have to make sure you clean up when you move out.

We’ve teamed up with friends from Cheap Movers DC (3509 Connecticut Avenue NW #10028, Washington, DC 20008, (202) 774-9296), one of the cheapest Fairfax apartment movers, to bring you the best tips for de-petting your apartment:

1. Before You Do Anything Else, Dust

It’s best to work from the top down when you’re cleaning your apartment, and that goes double for cleaning up after a pet. Dust all of your furniture thoroughly to get the dander off and keep it from getting all over your new place, and invest in a microfiber towel to pull off dust in those hard-to-reach places. Try to trap it if you can before it gets on to the carpet, but don’t worry if most of it reaches the floor.

2. Vacuum Thoroughly

Hopefully, you’ve made vacuuming a regular part of your cleaning routine, but no matter how tidy you keep your place normally, inevitably there will be hair and fur trapped inside of the carpet. Some people choose to run a pumice stone over the top of their carpet to bring the hair to the surface, but the main thing is to go back and forth several times over your carpet, usually in different directions, to pull up all the excess hair.

3. Sweep Hard Floors

While a vacuum may be perfect for the carpet, your hard floors are another beast entirely. Sweep them first to get the loose hair up and then use a dry mop to go after what’s left. If you want to get into the nooks and crannies, use a dryer sheet to attract the hairs to the surface and make it easier to collect.

4. Deep Clean Your Furniture

If your pets are like most, they’ve probably spent a considerable amount of time on the couch with you while you binge-watch Netflix. Grab a squeegee and rub deeply into the cushions to get rid of stains and pet hair, making sure you don’t damage the furniture itself. If you don’t want to use a squeegee, drag a wet glove over the surface to bring pet hair into a ball.

5. Urine Trouble

There are DIY options available for you to lift stains from your carpet, or you can buy mixtures at the store that will do most of the same thing. Ideally, you would lift urine stains off the carpet as soon as they happen, but make sure you take care of it before you leave to eliminate the odor regardless.