Positive reviews start with a clean rental property. Keep your listings in top shape with our ultimate cleaning checklist.
Imagine this. Your guests just checked out of your vacation rental property. It’s a same-day turnover so you only have a few hours before your next guests arrive. This can feel stressful—whether you’re doing the Airbnb cleaning or have a team handling it. That’s where a rental cleaning checklist comes in.
A vacation rental cleaning checklist removes the ambiguity of how your properties should look for each new guest. Building a checklist will speed up your turnovers and make sure everything is clear and communicated with your team.
In this blog, we are going to go over what supplies you need for cleaning, how often you should clean, tips when hiring a cleaning crew, and of course—a cleaning checklist for you to use and customize to your cleaning routine.
Here are the essential cleaning supplies. These supplies should allow you to handle most of the general cleaning tasks, but make sure you adjust your cleaning supplies list for your Airbnb property needs.
Besides the basic cleaning supplies, Airbnb hosts might also consider adding a few extra items to their cleaning kit. A barbecue cleaning brush is useful for hosts who have a grill for their guests, making sure it's clean and ready to use. A step ladder helps in cleaning spots that are hard to reach, like high shelves and light fixtures, to keep every part of the rental clean. An extra-long duster is also handy for removing dust and cobwebs from high places, like the tops of furniture and corners of rooms, to help keep the place looking neat
For Airbnb properties, the cleaning schedule should be tailored to guest turnover and the length of stays. There are several time windows to consider when scheduling your cleaning and using your Airbnb cleaning checklist.
A question often asked by many an Airbnb host is: “How much of the cleaning tasks should I expect my guests to do?” This is a fair question, but it’s important to remember that this is a hospitality operation. So a rule of thumb is, to try to have your guests do as little of the cleaning routine as possible.
Including simple cleaning instructions in your Airbnb house rules can set clear expectations for guests regarding the cleanliness of your property, potentially motivating them to tidy up during their stay. Providing guests with high-quality, accessible cleaning supplies can make it convenient for them to address spills and minor messes promptly. This approach not only encourages a cooperative effort in maintaining the property but also contributes to a more pleasant stay for everyone.
Given the significant time, focus, and energy required to clean an Airbnb to a high standard, hiring a professional cleaning team can be a wise decision. A professional team can clean more efficiently and effectively, freeing up your time to focus on enhancing guest experiences and expanding your business.
Here’s what we suggest when looking for short-term rental cleaning services. Drive around the town where your listings are on Sunday (the highest turnover day for vacation rentals). A less labor-intensive way to find cleaners is a simple search on Facebook or Craigslist.
To help your cleaners, crafting a Standard Property Appearance (SPA) checklist is an option. An SPA details the exact cleanliness and set up standards for every area of your rentals. Include photographs of each room at its ideal presentation, providing a visual benchmark for your cleaning team.
Incorporate this SPA into your onboarding process for new cleaners, ensuring consistency and efficiency from day one. By implementing this practical tool, you not only streamline the cleaning process but also significantly boost the likelihood of receiving glowing reviews consistently.
Since your cleaners are your boots on the ground when it comes to your vacation rentals, leverage them to help with supply restocking. So when cleaners notice any of your supplies or even utilities are low in stock, have them fill out a form that goes directly to your inbox so that you can track and update inventory.
If you're giving the checklist to a 3rd party break it down into YOUR property's specific rooms. Even within those rooms break down further, eg don't just say "wipe fridge" use terms like "disinfect fridge" this will let the cleaners know exactly what's expected and what products they should be using.
Another option is to color code your tasks: 1 color for tasks done every time. 1 color for tasks done weekly. 1 color for tasks done monthly.
Clear communication and an even clearer checklist template will make sure quality doesn’t slip through the cracks.
In addition to having a cleaner checklist, you can also use these tools to help manage your cleaners.
We went over the importance of a cleaning routine, the types of cleaning supplies you should have, what goes into a good short term rental cleaning checklist, and easy ways to add an external cleaning team.
To make sure you have gotten as much valuable information, here is a Cleaning Checklist Template you can use for your operation.
Happy hosting.