Man cleaning Airbnb

If you’ve ever arrived at a short-term rental and the surfaces were grimy or the shower clearly hadn’t been rinsed out, you know what an awful experience it is.  Your guests expect to arrive at a crystal-clean location. If they don’t – you will lose vital guest reviews and ultimately income. This blog post will cover the importance of hiring a cleaning crew, what your cleaning kit should include, and an Airbnb cleaning checklist to ensure that not a single spot is left undusted in your property!

Host Tools provides an automated, unified calendar for Airbnb and Vrbo hosts, allowing you to seamlessly list on both channels. Start your free trial today!

Table of Contents
Hiring an Airbnb cleaning crew
What to include in your Airbnb Cleaning Kit
Cleaning Checklist 

Hiring an Airbnb cleaning crew

When hiring a cleaning crew you’ll want to discuss expectations and automate your cleaning as much as possible. This post goes over in detail how to find an Airbnb cleaning service. There are many websites that connect cleaners and hosts, or you could go the more old-fashioned route and hire people through word of mouth or find someone on a site like Nextdoor.

Woman and man cleaning a property

What to include in your Airbnb Cleaning Kit

Whether you or a cleaning crew is doing the dirty work, you’ll want to purchase cleaning products in bulk and have them in easily accessible storage. Many hosts organize their daily cleaning supplies in a simple 12-gallon bucket to carry from room to room.

Include the following in every cleaning kit:

  • Disinfectants for bathrooms and other germ-prone areas
    • Note: Never place chemicals in a container they did not come in, or use hand-written labels. This is a regulation by OSHA.
  • Detergent
  • Glass cleaner
  • Magic eraser
  • Microfiber rags
  • Multi-purpose spray
  • Razor blades or chisel
  • Scrub pads
  • Swiffer/mop and broom
  • Toilet brush
  • Paper towels
  • Vacuum
  • Wood polish (for that finishing touch!)

Cleaning Checklist 


Now that you’ve got your cleaning crew and your cleaning kit it’s time to work down that checklist. We’ve created a checklist to guide you through cleaning each area of your property.

Bathrooms

  • Change and replace towels
  • Check sink and shower drains for hair or clogs
  • Clean faucets
  • Clean shower
  • Make sure hand soap is available
  • Mop floor
  • Remove trash
  • Scrub the toilet
  • Spray and rinse shower and shower curtain
  • Sweep or vacuum
  • A final scan of the room

Bedrooms

  • Change and replace sheets and linens
  • Inspect closets
  • Remove any trash from space and empty trash bins
  • Sweep/vacuum space (including under the bed)
  • Wipe down blades of any fans
  • Wipe down windows
  • A final scan of the room

Exterior of Property

You can consider hiring a landscaping crew, but for daily use consider the following:

  • Remove any trash or debris
  • Clean BBQ grill or other outdoor cooking
  • Disinfect any dining areas
  • Pull weeds
  • Shake out “Welcome” mats
  • Sweep sitting/eating area
  • Wipe down patio furniture
  • A final scan of the room

Kitchen

  • Check the refrigerator for leftover food or messes
  • Clean out crumbs or other messes from cabinets
  • Clean faucets
  • Clean and replace kitchen towels
  • Clean sink
  • Empty/run dishwasher as needed
  • Make sure hand soap is full
  • Remove trash
  • Wipe down counters and refrigerator shelves
  • A final scan of the room

Laundry Room/Utility Room

  • Check and clean up any detergent spills
  • Check that laundry baskets are clean and ready for use
  • Remove dryer lint
  • Wipe down exterior of washer and dryer (be sure to get those buttons and knobs)
  • A final scan of the room

Living/Family Room

  • Dust/wipe any furniture and high-touch surfaces
  • Inspect closets
  • Remove any trash from space and empty trash bins
  • Sweep/vacuum space (including under couches and tables)
  • Wipe down blades of any fans
  • Wipe down windows
  • A final scan of the room

Other

Restock if necessary:

  • Coffee/tea
  • Dish soaps/hand soaps
  • Laundry detergent
  • Napkins/paper towels
  • Toiletries (shampoo/conditioner/body wash)
  • Trash bags
  • Make note of other items in need of restock
Alt-text: Woman cleaning windows

Off-Season Cleaning Checklist

Depending on how often you rent your property, there will be times when you have the opportunity to do deep cleans of the Airbnb. Here is a checklist to utilize throughout the year.

Once a month:

  • Check for any burnt light bulbs
  • Check plumbing and faucets throughout property
  • Trim any overgrown landscaping
  • Pull weeds from pathway or patio area

3-6 months:

  • Air out the property by opening windows and doors
  • Dust all furniture
  • Deep clean behind/under refrigerator and stove

Once a year:

  • Empty and thoroughly wipe down all cabinets
  • Treat any light stains on the carpet or furniture (large stains should be treated immediately)
  • Repair paint chips
  • Treat scuffs on walls, counter space, or wooden furniture

Safety note: Whenever you’re cleaning your property it is important to protect yourself. Make sure to always wear cleaning gloves and goggles when necessary. Additionally, always use bleach and ammonia products separately. Together they can create a harmful chlorine gas that puts both you and your guests in danger.

Keeping an Airbnb clean is a huge undertaking. By hiring a cleaning clew and automating the process you will save copious amounts of time and stress. Whether you hire a crew or take on the task yourself it is important to make sure that your property is sparkling clean every time. Be sure to purchase and keep restocked a strong cleaning kit, and follow the above checklist to ensure your guests arrive at a spotless property and award you that 5-star review!

Host Tools provides an automated, unified calendar for Airbnb and Vrbo hosts, allowing you to seamlessly list on both channels. Start your free trial today!

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