Airbnb Cleaning Tips. How to Clean Your Vacation Rental
Cleaning 101 for your Vacation Rental
Note this page, and our website, contains Amazon Affiliate and sponsored links
How to Make Cleaning Easier for your Airbnb Vacation Rental
Cleanliness! As an Airbnb Vacation Rental Property Host, how clean your space is, is the number one thing your guests think of first when they arrive, and mention when they leave you a review.
The quality and attention to detail and the products you use for your Vacation Rental Cleaning routine are very important.
Your guests are primarily judging their stay based on:
comfort
amenities for enjoyment
cleanliness
There is no “alternate room” to switch to if there’s something that is unclean, especially if there aren’t supplies on hand for a quick clean up they can do themselves for minor issues
If there are cleaning issues when the guest checks in
they may ask for a discount
they may immediaely call airbnb or vrbo and ask for help finding alternative accomodation
they may contact the host and ask for cleaners to come back
they may not say anything at all, stay for their whole stay and then file a complaint with airbnb after check out asking for a refund and leaving you a bad review
Airbnb basically has zero tolerance for cleaning issues or bugs/pests in your unit and the guest will receive a cancellation and refund in many cases under Airbnb’s policy:
The issue they reported falls under our Rebooking and Refund Policy that covers issues relating to cleanliness, listing inaccuracies, and trouble checking in. You can learn more about this in our Help Center:
airbnb.com/help/article/2868
Cleaning is the number one factor to your guest’s feeling of Safety and Security in your vacation home after these years dealing with Covid and masks and sanitizing everything.
IN THIS ARTICLE YOU WILL FIND:
1) Covid cleaning requirements and standards from AIRBNB & VRBO
2) How to deal with smoking, smells and lingering odors from guests
3) Choosing cleaning products to avoid guest complaints for allergies and smells
4) Downloadable cleaning tips checklist and supplies shopping guide
5) What can a host do to make their vacation rental property cleaning process easier?
1) Covid cleaning requirements and standards from AIRBNB & VRBO
All vacation rental platforms introduced Covid cleaning protocols (and training) to keep you/your cleaning staff and your guests safe and healthy.
Enhanced Cleaning
Airbnb requires all hosts to complete the enhanced cleaning training acknowledgement and expects hosts to be following through with these added requirements.
VRBO cleaning standards require disinfectant to be used in addition to standardized international cleaning protocols.
You should also review the Airbnb Host Standards as things like Mold are 100% unacceptable and can result in immediate suspension or termination of your listing or account if a guest files a complaint on this basis.
If you are a host and you are not cleaning your own Short-term rentals (STR), then it is your responsibility to make sure your cleaners have also read and are following the protocols so be sure to direct them to this link and complete their training before they work on your space.
This is an important part of how to train your vacation rental cleaners to meet the cleaning guidelines guests expect.
Click to see the top rated Covid Disinfectant Sprays to use for cleaning
One of our cleaning service providers took the added step of purchasing a hospital grade ozone machine that is used in the unit BEFORE the cleaners even enter the space, and again before they leave, to help kill airborne viruses and other germs.
Guests can search on VRBO for properties that other guests have rated highly for cleanliness using the filter Highly rated for cleanliness under the More filters button on VRBO.
Anything less than a 4 star review for cleaning can flag your listing with Airbnb
Airbnb reviews poor cleaning feedback which can lead to potential suspension of your listing and cancellation of upcoming guests.
Guests can see your star rating by category and read all reviews from past guests and will be looking for remarks about cleaning.
This is a sample listing, and exactly what potential guests will see before they book your space, including your category stars and recent reviews
A review like this one below can be an instant deterrent to guests, and either you, or your cleaners need to review proper cleaning practices right away.
You should always respond to bad reviews to show that you are taking action (don’t get defensive or take it personal especially if the review is honest)
Attention to detail is key, anything you miss, your guests will find.
“Do you have to clean airbnb before you leave?” - airbnb guest Q&A
Guests have an expectation that when they pay a large cleaning fee that all the cleaning is included.
It is important to provide a short guest CHECKLIST for departure of a couple key items they need to do before they leave, such as starting the dishwasher or taking out the garbage.
Guests are not going to do a big clean and should not be expected to make things spotless.
Laundry is generally not something we recommend you have the guests do for check-out.
Give your guests a SHORT outline of a couple items, and make sure they have the supplies to do it, like a broom and dust pan and vacuum for their pet hair if they brought pets.
Airbnb: here is what their help desk says about Guest’s Cleaning at their Airbnb
“Guests should not leave the listing in a state that requires excessive or deep cleaning (ex: with soiled carpet, moldy dishes, excessive trash, etc.). Cleaning fees are only meant to cover the cost of standard cleaning between reservations (ex: laundry, vacuuming, etc.).”
Hosts should keep any Airbnb cleaning expectations to an absolute minimum for guests when you are charging a cleaning fee for professionals to come in after their stay. Airbnb & Vacation Rental guests are not required to clean but they are required to follow your house rules, which may include a couple basic cleaning items.
Airbnb guests will generally be pretty tidy after their stay but are not going to clean much when they pay a high cleaning fee or are trying to get out the door on time for checkout with a car full of kids and luggage.
A couple moderate requests are acceptable and need to be outlined in your house guide.
If you charge a $150 cleaning fee and expect them to strip beds and do laundry and take the trash to the curb and sweep the floors and…..
well every “and” that you include makes them devalue their experience and be more likely to complain that they are paying a cleaning fee AND being expected to clean.
Charge fairly to cover your supplies and your time or cleaning staff time and costs, but don’t expect the guests to do a lot unless your cleaning fee is very minimal, and be sure to outline this in your house rules and check in information before they arrive so it’s not a surprise.
To compete with the hotel industry your short term rental cleaning standards need to meet and exceed a quality 4 star hotel, or luxury hotel if you are catering to a luxury price point, and you need to be fully stocked with disinfectant, supplies and extra linens at all times. Airbnb does not accept 3 or 4 stars on your regular reviews, especially with cleaning. They will (and have) deleted host accounts and listings when cleaning standards are not consistently 4 stars or higher.
Covid has taught everyone even more rigorous cleaning and sanitation needs and guests now EXPECT that you are being very diligent with cleaning in detail, some guests will ask extra questions around cleanliness before they book.
2) How to deal with smoking, smells, pet urine and lingering cooking and other odors from guests
My Guests have Smoked in my non-smoking suite!! What do I do to get the cigarette smell out of my Airbnb before my next guest?”
Always make sure your house rules reflect strict non smoking information and any related charges you will issue if they disobey. We also include a reminder in their welcome email and in the guest guide in the rental as well as signs on the deck. If you allow smoking outdoors, provide a specific spot away from doors and windows with a bucket for butts so they don’t litter your property.
You can now get Ozone machines - not medical grade - but helpful in purifying the air AND removing harsh smells like marijuana, cooking scents and pet odour. You can also go for a cheaper option of including an essential oil diffuser with some oils that guests can use at their discretion to make the space smell a little more fresh. READ ALL SAFETY INFO PRIOR TO USING AN OZONE MACHINE!
The Ozone Machine not work the first time, and you may need to take additional steps like baking soda on your furniture and then vacuuming and cleaning them with an upholstery cleaner afterwards.
DampRid is another product some hosts recommend based on their success eliminating musty and smoke smells.
ZEP smoke smell eliminator is another product you can have on hand
DO NOT use glade plug ins or other harsh spray smells and devices in your rental to try and cover up smells. They cause more issues than they solve and many guests will not like them and experience allergies and headaches. Include an essential oil diffuser with a couple natural scented oil blends instead so guests have the option to use them but it’s not something that is running or making smells when they arrive.
In extreme cases, you may need to repaint walls with a stain block & sealing painting if the guest was there for a long stay and continually smoked inside. You can also try contacting a restoration company that rents or uses hydroxyl generators. Obviously you should pursue a claim to the guest security deposit, airbnb host coverage or your insurance for a serious and expensive issue like this.
Open all the windows and doors, do your deep clean of the space and sanitize every surface, then close everything up and run the ozone machine for a while. If you have to buy one, this is where that $250+ guest charge for smoking comes into effect. Many hotels make it $500 as they often cannot rent the room for that evening as a result of a guest smoking a non-smoking room.
SCOE 10X - Natural Probiotic Odor Eliminator Concentrate - Makes 1 Gallon – Removes Dog Urine, Cat Urine, Pet Odors, & Other Odor-Causing Problems - 100% Odor Elimination, this is a concentrate, goes a long way.
This stuff is amazing, our cleaners have had to use it several times including getting smoke smells out of a leather couch and treating animal urine on the wood floor. You can also look to get a UV Flashlight Black Light to help find urine spots as well as other cleaning concerns in bedrooms, bedbugs, etc.
3) Choosing cleaning products to avoid guest complaints for allergies and smells
Your vacation rental needs to smell fresh and clean without smelling like cleaning supplies.
Many people have allergies and are sensitive to smells and scented cleaners, and being hit with a direct bleach scent the minute you check-in is not a good experience.
Smells are as important to cleanliness and allergies, don’t use overpowering scented cleaners or laundry cleaner with scents, look for hypoallergenic, natural or unscented laundry soap and dryer balls or sheets.
Your laundry products are the most important, make sure they are unscented and allergy free as much as possible . If a guest is allergic to the scents (TIDE is the worst for me, instant allergies!) , the guest won’t be able to sleep and won’t be able to stay if you don’t have alternatives available for them to wash the sheets or get fresh sheets from you. You’ll potentially have a guest requesting a refund or leaving a negative review.
Click here for our top Cleaning Product Recommendations
When you are shopping on Amazon, check out cleaners and amenities with the Climate Pledge Friendly symbol - it indicates less packaging, concentrated products, more efficient shapes and waterless technology
DO NOT use glade or scented plug ins or other harsh spray smells and devices in your rental. These are overpowering, chemical filled and can cause headaches, allergies and a bad experience for guests. I personally will turn around and walk out of a store or home that uses plug in fresheners or heavy smells, my allergies just can’t take it, and I am not overly sensitive to begin with.
Your fresh clean space is what your guests notice first (aside from the wow factors that attracted them to book this rental) , and the longer they are in the home the more details you will notice about cleanliness (or lack thereof).
Fresh means not just the appearance and actual cleanliness, but the smell.
RIGHT CLICK TO SAVE THIS IMAGE to print & use
5) Top vacation rental cleaning tips from hosts and cleaners to help make the cleaning process more quick and efficient
Airbnb housekeeping and cleaning tips discussions come up many times on different vacation rental Hosting pages on Facebook.
Cleaning is a challenge, it’s time consuming, and to properly clean and sanitize a vacation rental home, indoors and out, between guests on a short notice same day turnover, it can be downright stressful.
Here are the top tips to make your vacation rental Airbnb cleaning run more smoothly. These are some of my own tips, and advice from experienced hosts and cleaners.
Ensure there is at least 5-6 hours turnover time between guests, or one blocked night between stays for larger homes so that you can schedule your cleaners. Cleaners (or you) have multiple clients during the day and may not arrive to clean right at 11am after checkout. They may not get there until 1pm or 2pm and even a small space needs a minimum 90 minutes to properly clean and sanitize, ESPECIALLY if you expect them to do laundry on site, then it’s a minimum of 2-3 hours to turn over.
Do a TRIAL RUN of your cleaning and see how long it takes you to cover all of the details including laundry, go over your own checklist to see if you miss anything or need to add anything, have someone else walk through with fresh eyes and see if they find anything you miss. We also recommend doing a guest stay trial run test.
purchase machine washable, lightweight duvets, covers and quilts for easier wash and dry and look for wrinkle free sheets
Mattress Protectors & pillow protectors On All Beds
Have minimum 2 sets of sheets for every bed, spare duvets and covers and spare pillows. We have 3. One on the bed, one in laundry post cleaning and one spare set in case of issues or stains. Rotate between stays.
Have minimum 4 sets of towels per guest (IE one person gets 2 bath towels, 2 hand towels, 1 face cloth minimum, more for longer stays)
Provide bulk, quality cleaning supplies and keep them on-site
Provide a quick checklist for cleaners to check for damage or inventory items that you want to ensure have not been stolen or damaged (think high value items that could walk away or supplies that are in constant use like coffee)
Ensure your bunkbeds are not impossible to easily reach to make the beds. Difficult beds are not fun for anyone. Try making the bunk beds yourself and you will understand quickly.
Have a carpet cleaner on hand with stain remover for quick stains on furniture and rugs
Have back up cleaning companies readily available on in case of emergency and last minute cancellation by your cleaners, or issues that come up mid-stay for a guest. Be prepared to pay for emergency call outs to your cleaners. If you have a willing and available friend in the area, that can often be your biggest asset if your cleaner can’t make it.
Get an Ozone Machine (or ask if your cleaner provides one) to keep on-site for strong smells such as smoking, curry, pot or other undesirables, especially if you do same day turnovers, this will make a huge difference to help purify the air and remove the smell. Our cleaner rents it to us as an extra charge as needed per stay, it does add at least 30 min-1hr additional to cleaning time to be used. READ THE SAFE USE INSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO USE!
Keep a good supply of cleaning products and supplies readily accessible to guests. If you leave things like glass oven cleaner, rags, paper towel, spray cleaner, scrub brush, mop and broom available, guests are more likely to use them and leave the space cleaner.
Have Pet Odor & Stain Remover Spray or carpet cleaning machine on hand for your cleaners and guests. Even in a not pet friendly rental, you will experience people sneaking in animals and may have to deal with added cleaning so it’s best to be prepared.
Make sure you have rugs & shoe trays or shelves at front entrances and a please remove your shoes sign to help keep your carpets and floors in better condition for easier cleaning.
Lightweight Washable Quilt
mattress and pillow protectors for all beds
Bissel Carpet Bot
If you have same day check in & check out (same day turnover), you’ll need a solid, efficient cleaning plan which includes 3 sets of all linens and a full stash of on-site cleaning supplies that you or any of your cleaners can access.
You will also want to have not just one reliable cleaning person or company, but a plan B or C in case your cleaner does not show up or gets sick or you are stuck and unable to do a self clean.
When hiring a cleaner, you may want to choose a company that has several staff members AND good reviews so they have more than one person available for scheduled cleans, especially for weekend turnover days and frequent turnovers if you expect multiple check outs per week.
Who is going to cover you for a last minute cleaning emergency before your next guest arrives? Always have someone reliable who can help you as a back up cleaner in a pinch, otherwise you may need to cancel and incoming guest and be penalized.
You need a SOLID support team of more than one cleaner or a larger cleaning business with several staff members, that you have a great, professional relationship with.
If you hire a cleaning agency, they often have a team of staff members who can be scheduled ahead of time, and sometimes last minute.
This is a good question to ask when you interview potential cleaners, who do they have for support if they are unable to attend a scheduled checkout cleaning?
I found it less stressful to NOT offer same-day turnaround on my personal Airbnb because I was self-cleaning, and didn’t like the scramble of having to be home mid afternoon to get it done, especially because I was working an inconsistent schedule.
I also like to put extra amenities in for each guest such as farm fresh eggs, cut flowers or herbs from our garden and little gestures like that and scrambling to clean and give it my final once over, it just didn’t work for me.
We also have numerous requests for late check out and early arrivals, so not having the same day turnaround allowed me to give the guests a better experience by being able to regularly offer both of these little extras.
TIP YOUR CLEANERS!
Show them a little bonus appreciation.
If you are consistently getting 5 star reviews, asking them to work long weekends and they take care of unexpected extras, show them your appreciation once in a while with a gift or gratuity from you. Their hard work is earning you great reviews and bringing in more guests, so a little thanks will go a long way. They are also more likely to go above and beyond for you if they know their extras and hard work is being noticed and appreciated. Treat them as you would like to be treated, they are your your most valuable business team members.
Here are a few more great Airbnb vacation rental cleaning tips and recommendations directly from other experienced hosts and cleaners
Use an automation App such as Breezeway to help streamline the cleaning process by having a checklist and quality control functions as well as seamlessly manage multiple properties.
Do not leave bleach or bleach based cleaning products in your unit. Used improperly it can destroy or leave bleached spots in fabric and carpet.
Do not use or leave steel wool (Brillo) or ‘Scotch Brite’ pads in the unit. Both can scratch stainless and even porcelain.
The more glass/mirrors, the more work for cleaner, especially glass showers, remove glass furnishings & decor if possible.
Avoid textured flooring or high gloss finishes when choosing renovation design materials
Change the shower head for one the detaches to make easier for washing tub/shower
provided olive oil and the guests were spilling it everywhere so we changed it to an olive oil spritzer bottle. It saves a lot of mess
Changing my sheets to all flat sheets helped me keep my sanity lol. I hate folding fitted sheets so I bought all king flat sheets for our queen size beds.
Don't expect cleaners to haul trash, especially when they transport laundry and cleaning supplies in their own vehicles. You need to have normal trash and recycling service arranged for curbside pick up if you are not in a condo building. If this is not feasable, you need to discuss options with your cleaners, property managers or find another service provider, trash removal is generally an extra service cost as it’s now extra time for them to take it for disposal, and the cost to do the disposal each time.
“Carpet will definitely be stained in main living areas of your rental home pretty quickly, but I’ve seen it hold up well in bedrooms if you don’t want to renovate all of your flooring.”
“Break out the lint roller on your face and sofa no one wants to see straight hairs and if you’ve got cotton sheets especially they will collect little hairs that come out of the dryer so lint roller and makes that extra clean feeling because hair is an ultimate ick factor, people or pet hair.”
Include a dishwasher with JetDry for faster dish cleaning
No cheap toilet paper or paper towels
No late or early check-ins on same day turnovers if possible
Be mindful of fabric choices. Go with fabric that dries faster for linens and towels, nothing too heavy for the washer. Getting a Cal King puffy comforter to fit in a compact stand up closet washer and dryer does not work so think about your machines and your linens.
Choose furnishing fabric and upholstery that won’t trap hair. Make sure to have lint rollers handy if you are a pet friendly space and a good brush head on your vacuum.
We hope you learned a few things from our post today to help you with your vacation rental cleaning.
If you have a tip I should add to the list please message me on facebook or instagram or email me. I would love to hear your feedback if any of these tips helped you as well!
Please PIN this post to save for later, you may need a refresher when a guest leaves a bad odor or cleaning issue for you!
