Vacation rental home cleaning: download the ultimate guide 2023

Introduction: cleaning products for your Airbnb

Ensuring your guests find a clean and fresh-smelling vacation rental home is one of the most important things for a host. Ensuring high standards of cleanliness will help you get good reviews on Airbnb and all the other top sites for renting vacation rental homes and hotel rooms.

Cleaning your property at check out and preparing it for the next guests’ arrival seems relatively straightforward. Figuring out how to clean a vacation rental home is no easy task; however, having a written Airbnb cleaning checklist to check off will make your job easier and help you not to forget anything.

Before analysing the list of things you always have to clean in the different rooms, we want to show you which cleaning products to buy and keep in the accommodation. Having everything you need at your disposal will help you avoid wasting time.

Choose alcohol-based products to sanitise your Airbnb and remove germs and bacteria. Buy neutral detergents to clean windows, floors and various surfaces. Make sure you have several micro-fibre dusting cloths, a dishwashing detergent and an anti-scale cleaner for the bathroom, as well as some essential equipment for routine cleanings, such as:

• 1. Vacuum cleaner
  2. Mop
  3. Bucket
  4. Cleaning cloths
  5. Antibacterial cleaners

Leave these cleaning essentials inside your property so your guests can use them during their stay. Also, ensure that all cleaning supplies are easy to find, for example, under the kitchen sink or bathroom sink.

Airbnb cleaning

 

General cleaning

We are now to the section of this article where we will explain how to clean a vacation rental home and give you some guidelines to ensure deep cleaning of the various rooms of your Airbnb.

Before cleaning, remember to open the windows to let the air change and the dust out; it is essential. Also, every time make sure to:

• Empty and clean the vacuum cleaner to be used
• Wash the curtains
• Wash the pillows
• Clean the inside and outside of the furniture
• Clean doors and frames
• Dust and clean all light fixtures
• Dust the furniture
• Wipe door handles
• Sanitise the dishwasher and leave tablets for the following use
• Sanitise the washing machine
• Clean mirrors, windows and other glass surfaces
• Vacuum under the furniture
• Wash the carpets
• Wash the coffee maker

 

Kitchen

The presence of a kitchen with all the necessary kitchenware is precisely what makes your Airbnb unique compared to a hotel or a B&B. Visitors often prefer to stay in vacation rentals because they are cheaper than other options and can cook their meals. There are certain everyday foods you should always make sure your guests find (if you want to know which ones, read how to furnish a vacation rental home).

To ensure that your guests find a stunning kitchen, follow the steps below:

• Clean the refrigerator and remove any food left by previous guests
• Empty and sanitise trash bins
• Empty and sanitise the dishwasher
• Clean tiles
• Thoroughly clean all electrical appliances: toaster, microwave, oven
• Dust the furniture starting from the top
• Replace tea towels and wash used ones
• Clean the cooktop and make it shiny
• Clean sink and hood
• Vacuum the floors
• Mop the floors
• Clean cutlery, plates and glasses
• Clean knobs and sockets

 

Living room and dining room

The living room of a vacation rental home or guest house, is generally the welcome letter of your accommodation, as it is the first room your guests find once they open the front door.

Ensure all furniture, cushions, decorations, and furnishings are tidy and clean. Otherwise, clutter will reign supreme and be the first thing your guests notice. When cleaning the living room, essential steps to add to your Airbnb cleaning checklist are:

• Dust the furniture
• Vacuum the floors
• Straighten the table and paintings
• Mop the floors
• Dust the light fixtures
• Sanitise the sofas

 

Bathroom

A dirty bathroom is unwelcoming and should probably be the area of your Airbnb to be cleaned most carefully.
Before you start cleaning, empty the trash bin and remove the laundry.
Also, to avoid mould and scale (which would give a very unpleasant impression), ensure that no mould lurks on the walls, tiles and faucets. When cleaning the bathroom, after you have completed these preliminary steps, make sure to:

• Clean sinks and faucets
• Clean shower/bathtub
• Replace towels
• Remove scale from shower walls
• Sweep the floor
• Clean the light switches
• Restock toilet paper
• Empty trash bins and replace the bag
• Refill/replace toiletries
• Clean the mirror
• Sanitise toilet, bidet and shower surfaces

 

Bedroom

Once at your Airbnb, your guests want to rest in a comfortable, clean bed. So don’t try to save money on your customers’ rest: buy a quality mattress and several sets of soft, fresh and colourful sheets, fresche e morbide. When it comes to the bedroom, every time, remember to:

• Change the sheets and check for tears or stains
• Make the bed
• Check that there are no objects under the bed
• Dust furniture and shelves
• Clean inside the wardrobe
• Vacuum the floors
• Mop the floors
• Clean carpets, if any
• Check that the drawers are empty
• Sanitise remote control, handles and telephone

 

Home Exterior

If your vacation rental home has a garden, this too must be cleaned every time your guests check out. Following your Airbnb cleaning checklist, make sure to:

• Clean the terrace and driveway
• Check that the lighting works
• Sanitise furniture, including chairs and table
• Clean the barbecue of any ash and food residue
• Mow the loan

 

Airbnb cleaning fee: charging for housekeeping?

As you know, cleaning a vacation rental home after the guests’ check-out and preparing your accommodation for the next ones takes enough time. For this reason, it is common practice among owners to ask for an additional charge for final cleaning.
The price varies according to the house size, as cleaning a studio flat takes less time than cleaning a 200-square-metre apartment.

Our advice is not to ask for an excessively high price; the figure should not exceed EUR 40 for a flat of about 80 square metres.

 

Hiring cleaning services to clean your Airbnb?

To clean your Airbnb, you can decide whether to hire a cleaning service or take care of it yourself. If you have enough time available, managing the cleaning of your property will make you save some money, and it will also allow you to check from time to time what works and what does not.

Relying on professionals will guarantee that your Airbnb is always ready to receive guests, and you will not have to spend your free time cleaning your property. This option is fast and efficient but is undoubtedly more expensive than do-it-yourself cleaning. Airbnb cleaning costs vary depending on the company and the required service.
If you decide to hire an external company, make sure that they are not only efficient but also careful with details.

Now that you have read our guidelines and know everything there is to know about how to clean a vacation rental home, why don’t you download the free template with the Airbnb cleaning checklist we prepared for you?

Download the cleaning checklist Airbnb for free

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