As an experienced vacation rental owner with years of operation under my belt, I know that a spotless space is essential for keeping guests happy and earning positive reviews. However, according to Airbnb data, a lack of cleanliness is one of the leading causes of negative reviews. Try out these effective tips to keep your vacation rental rooms sparkling clean.

Create a cleaning strategy

Thoroughly cleaning your rooms before and after each guest stays is crucial, whether you do it yourself or hire a cleaning service. It’s important to create a consistent workflow and checklist for your cleaning staff. If you hire a cleaning service, check the cleaning process yourself so that you know what needs to be done and what should be included on the checklist. Make sure to schedule enough time for thorough cleaning between reservations and have a backup plan in case your cleaning staff is unable to work.

Pay attention to detail

Cleaning for guests requires more attention to detail than cleaning for yourself. Consider performing deep cleaning on a regular basis to reduce the workload during booking gaps and improve efficiency.

Start with the basics

Target specific areas for cleaning.

• Begin with high-traffic areas, such as the kitchen and bathroom, because they are the most frequently used spaces. Once the bathroom is spotless, move on to the kitchen, where your cleaning staff can wash all the dishes. Our cleaning staff is very thorough.
• Next, move on to the bedroom. Start by opening drawers and checking under the bed to ensure nothing is left behind. Then, strip the bedding, air out the room, open the windows, and soak the linens.
• Finally, make the bed. The mattress has a protective cover, and the pillows have protective covers that need to be changed as a set.

Focus on the details

Think like a guest. For example, shower curtains are often forgotten. So, every time a guest arrives, I spray and wipe them down. I also replace them every month or so. Similarly, don’t overlook high-touch areas like light switches. These things get dirty but you might not notice because you are used to it. A little alcohol can solve this problem.

Avoid stray hairs

Guests never want to find someone else’s hair in their room. I have a small trick for dealing with stray hairs: after washing all of the bedding, I use a lint roller or ultrafine microfiber cloth to clean the sheets, pillowcases, and blankets. This is faster and more convenient, and it doesn’t leave any hairs behind. Remember to clean the bathroom drain after each guest’s visit.

Try other cleaning hacks

• Load the washing machine first. The first thing I do is throw all the sheets and towels into the washing machine and then do other cleaning tasks while they are being washed. This is a very efficient way to clean.
• Polish wooden floors. My floors are hardwood, and I regularly polish them so that guests can see the clean and shiny floors as soon as they enter the room. This gives them a sense of overall cleanliness and peace of mind.
• Fold the bathroom tissue. I fold the bottom of the toilet paper. This is a small thing, but it makes the guest feel refreshed and shows your attention to detail.
• Refill hand soap and shampoo bottles. It feels great to have fresh bathroom supplies. Filling and sealing the bottles will make guests feel like they are the first ones to use them.

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