Your Vacation Rental Turnover Cleaning Process Should Leave Things Fresh and Spotless For Your Guests
Why is Vacation Rental House Cleaning Important?
It only takes one slightly negative review to make your vacation rental less desirable. You want the space to smell fresh. If a surface is reflective, it needs to shine. The bathroom must be spotless and the bedrooms fresh and cozy.
Any sign of neglect, such as standing dust, can create a sense of discomfort among your guests. Any sign of dirt, such as a smelly refrigerator or a dirty oven, may leave yoru guests worrying about disease. Your vacation rental doesn’t have to feel new, but it should be clean enough to feel free of germs, bugs or dust.
What is the Most Efficient Way to Clean a Vacation Rental?
To stay efficient and clean each space only once, it’s critically important to clean from the top down. The corner where the wall meets the ceiling should be free of cobwebs. Ceiling fans and light fixtures must be dry dusted to make sure that they’re fresh and ready to use.
Next, the space should be tidied. A simple way to check this is to review the space clockwise, then clean it counterclockwise. Starting at the doorway, a maid can
- put books on shelves
- gather any dishes or trash left in the room
- check for forgotten items
Once the housekeeper gets back to the doorway, they can go the other direction,
- dusting bookshelves and side tables
- making beds as needed
- disinfecting light switches or hard surfaces in the bathroom or kitchen
A quick review of each room in both directions is the simplest way to note what items must be dry dusted, what needs polished and what has to be disinfected.
What Equipment and Supplies Do I Need to Stock for My Vacation Rental?
Your vacation rental turnover cleaning can be done with a few quality products. A glass cleaning product will be necessary for any and all mirrors. If your shower has glass doors, it’s a good idea to keep vinegar in a spray bottle to prevent hard water deposits from building up on the glass.
You’ll need an antibacterial cleaner, such as a bleach-based product, for disinfecting the toilet and sinks. If you use bleach, make sure that you store it far from any ammonia-based cleaning products for the safety of yourself, your guests and your vacation rental cleaners.
An air freshener or air disinfectant is a wise choice. Soft furnishings in your AirBNB can be freshened with a light spraying under the cushions to freshen the living room or family room. A degreaser is a good idea in the kitchen. Spray products that cut grease are ideal for the stove top.
You’ll need to stock oven cleaner, gloves and plenty of paper towels. Extra trash bags will be necessary for those on your AirBNB cleaning team, as will cleaning rags.
Great Ideas for a Vacation Rental Cleaning Checklist
To make sure that your vacation rental turnover cleaning service meets your requirements, prepare a cleaning checklist that itemizes the cleaning you expect in each space.
Cleaning checklist
Bathroom
- Polish the bathroom mirror
- Disinfect the sink, shower/tub, and toilet, inside and out
- Dry dust the light fixtures
- Disinfect the light switch
- Empty trash, clean the trash can and re-line it
- Check drawers and vanity for forgotten items
- Dry dust drawers and vanity cabinets
- Confirm linens are available
- Check shower curtain for excess moisture or mildew
- Sweep and mop floor
Kitchen
- Dry dust ceiling fan/light fixture
- Vacuum fabric on barstools and dining room chairs
- Disinfect countertops, range top, and inside and outside of refrigerator
- Check oven and storage drawer/broiler drawer, clean as necessary
- Check cupboards for abandoned item, wipe shelves for crumbs or dust
- Disinfect table and any eating surfaces
- Disinfect light switches
- Dust baseboards
- Sweep and mop floor
Bedroom
- Dry dust ceiling fan/light fixture
- Change or make beds as required
- Dust side tables, shelving and bookshelves
- Check closet for abandoned items, dust shelving
- Dust baseboards
- Vacuum or sweep floor, vacuum rugs and mop solid surfaces
Living room
- Dry dust ceiling fan/light fixture
- Check cushions for spots and treat as needed
- Vacuum soft furnishings, freshening the space under the cushions with a deodorizer
- Dust side tables, shelving and bookshelves
- Check under furniture for abandoned or forgotten items
- Dust baseboards
- Vacuum or sweep floor, vacuum rugs and mop solid surfaces
Outdoor area
- Check light fixtures for bugs, make sure all bulbs work
- Check for cigarette butts or ash trays
- Look for empty beverage containers
- Empty trash
- Check green space for pet droppings
- Sweep or vacuum as necessary
Vacation Rental Tidying and Cleaning Tips & Tricks
Do a traveling tidy
When folks settle into your vacation rental for more than a week, they’ll quickly claim every inch of the space. Your short-term rental cleaning may require you to put the space back together before you can clean it.
Grab an empty, dry bucket and circle the whole space, looking for items out of place. You may find sofa pillows used in bedrooms, books and games scattered around the home, or candy wrappers on the floor. A whole-house tidy may speed the process.
Check the oven first
Cleaning the oven takes time, so make that your first stop. To clean your oven effectively, start by removing the oven racks and soak them in a mixture of warm water and dish soap. When cleaning an oven, exercise caution by avoiding abrasive cleaners or harsh chemicals that may damage the oven’s interior surfaces. Additionally, be mindful not to immerse electrical components, such as heating elements or thermostats in water, and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines to prevent any potential hazards during the cleaning process.
Don’t buy powdered gloves
The powder in some disposable gloves can be an irritant, especially when you start perspiring. Additionally, the powder can leave residues on surfaces, impacting the cleanliness of the area being cleaned. Furthermore, when used in tasks requiring precision or dexterity, the powder can create a slippery surface, increasing the risk of accidents. To ensure effective and safe cleaning, it is advisable to opt for powder-free gloves in cleaning activities. Rubber gloves in a variety of sizes are the best option for your cleaning tasks.
Use cleaning products with gentle odors
Both bleach and ammonia can irritate the lining of the throat. Both also take a long time to dissipate. Look for more gently scented products, such as a citrus or lavender, to clean large surfaces like floors. Opting for cleaning products with gentle odors enhances the cleaning experience, providing a fresh and pleasant scent without overwhelming the senses, making the environment both clean and subtly fragrant.
Invest in quality scrub brushes
Your porcelain tubs, sinks and toilets can quickly be damaged by too coarse a scrubbing tool. If your vacation rental property is new, you may not know if the tub or sink have been resurfaced. To avoid scratches, ask your maids to use the scrubbing brushes provided to avoid dark scratches on resurfaced porcelain.
A Clean AirBNB Can Boost Positive Reviews
The AirBNB market is quite competitive. You want your potential guests to celebrate the cleanliness of your space and relax completely in your short term vacation rental. To make sure that you get the best reviews possible, hire the best maids in your region.
The Benefits of Hiring Professional Maids for Your Vacation Property
People who own investment properties are busy folks. As you try to clean your own vacation rental, you might be distracted by
- new bookings
- an emergency at another property
- a notification about a new property that you may want to purchase
Every minute that you spend working for your business is time that you can’t spend working on your business. The MaidThis no cancel guarantee can free up your time, focus and energy on expansion and growth. Sometimes the best solution for your vacation rental turnover cleaning is to go with the pros.
