When guests book a stay in your Airbnb, they expect a certain standard. First and foremost, they expect your rental to be clean. If they walk into grimy accommodations where obviously no one has bothered to rinse out the shower or dust down the cobwebs, they will, at the very least, complain to you. But more likely they will leave a bad review online, which can impact future business.
Your guests’ satisfaction isn’t the only thing you need to worry about in terms of the cleanliness of your Airbnb. The state and federal governments also set standards that your vacation home must meet before you can rent it out. This includes cleaning and disinfecting between guests. In this post, we’ll discuss an Airbnb cleaning checklist to help you make sure every inch of your rental meets cleaning requirements as well as how to find an Airbnb cleaning service and what cleaning supplies you should stock in your rental for your guests to use during their stay.
Airbnb Cleaning Checklist
Whether you clean your Airbnb yourself or hire a cleaning crew, you will want to make sure everything on the list below is checked. The list is divided into the different areas of your home to make it easy to follow.
Let’s go room by room when building out your Airbnb cleaning checklist.
Bathroom (Also see our Airbnb Bathroom Essentials Guide).
- Replace towels with fresh, clean ones
- Remove hair/clogs from sink/shower drains
- Clean faucets
- Clean shower/tub including shower curtain
- Fill hand soap
- Sweep/mop the floor
- Empty the trash
- Clean the toilet
Bedroom
- Change bedsheets and linens
- Check closets
- Empty trash
- Sweep/vacuum including under the bed
- Dust/wipe down fan blades
- Clean windows
Kitchen
- Clean refrigerator/remove leftover food
- Clean crumbs and other messes from cabinets
- Clean sink/faucets
- Replace kitchen towels
- Empty/run dishwasher (if needed)
- Fill hand soap
- Take out the trash
- Wipe down countertops
Laundry/Utility Room
- Clean up detergent spills
- Clean laundry baskets
- Remove lint from the dryer
- Wipe down washer/dryer exterior including knobs and buttons
Living Room
- Wipe down/dust high-touch areas
- Check closets
- Empty trash
- Sweep/vacuum including under furnishings
- Wipe down/dust fan blades
- Clean the windows
Exterior & Backyard
- Remove trash/debris from the yard
- Clean grill and any other outdoor cooking equipment/areas
- Disinfect outdoor dining areas
- Pull weeds
- Shake out welcome mats
- Sweep decks/patios
- Wipe down patio furnishings
Deep Clean
There will be times when you’ll want to do a deep cleaning of your Airbnb. Depending on how popular your rental is, you should conduct the following tasks:
Once a Month
- Check for burned-out light bulbs
- Ensure working plumbing throughout the home
- Trim overgrown shrubbery/landscaping
- Remove weeds from patios/walkways
Every 3-6 Months
- Open windows and doors to air out the property
- Dust all furnishings
- Clean behind stove and refrigerator
Once a Year
- Empty/wipe down inside cabinets
- Address any small/light stains on carpeting
- Repair chipping paint
- Repair scuffs on walls, furnishings, counters
Finding a Good Airbnb Cleaning Service
Hiring a good cleaning service for your Airbnb is important because it ensures your guests get a good first impression and encourages them to leave positive reviews about your rental. Below, we give you tips on finding the right cleaning crew for your property as well as a few important questions to ask when deciding.
Where to Look for an Airbnb Cleaning Service
You have a couple of options when it comes to finding a cleaning service for your vacation rental. Your first option is to hire a personal maid. A personal maid delivers a customizable experience as only one person will address the specific cleaning needs of your property and conduct the tasks as trained by you. The downside to using a personal maid is that you may have problems getting your rental cleaned if she is sick or takes a vacation.
Your second option is to find a professional Airbnb cleaning service. A simple Google search will reveal a multitude of cleaning services, or you could use a website like TurnoverBnB, which helps you find a reputable cleaning service as well as automate the scheduling and paying of said cleaners.
This website, complete with a mobile app, literally puts your rental on autopilot, so you never have to worry about whether your Airbnb is ready for the next guest.
Questions to Ask an Airbnb Cleaning Service Provider
To ensure a strong partnership with your cleaning service, you must convey your needs clearly and ask the right questions. If/when you get a chance to talk with your cleaning crew, be sure to discuss the topics below.
- What are the scheduling/notice time requirements? Be sure you know the requirements for scheduling cleanings between guests. This is especially important if you use self-check-in as your next guests are the first to see the rental after the last guests have vacated. Automating the process using the TurnoverBnB app is the best way to ensure a smooth cleaning schedule system.
- Is the cleaning crew experienced in short-term rental cleaning? The Airbnb industry is a chaotic one with guests coming and going at a moment’s notice. The cleaning crew you choose should be prepared for this type of environment and be able to turn a rental over quickly.
- What is the standard turnaround time? An experienced cleaning service should be able to turn over a 3-bedroom rental in about 90 minutes.
- Who will provide the cleaning supplies? Sometimes the Airbnb host supplies the cleaning supplies. You can buy cleaning supplies in bulk and store them in a locked closet that only the cleaning crew has access to. Other time, the cleaning company will provide everything so you don’t have to stock it.
- Do you screen your employees? You are essentially allowing strangers into your property. You need to know that the cleaning service provider employs honest, trustworthy individuals.
- Do you charge a flat fee or by the hour? Working with a provider that charges a flat fee is easier to manage than one that charges by the hour. With that said, you should expect to pay no more than $100 to have a one-bedroom vacation home cleaned between guests. If the company you choose charges a flat fee for a specific set of services, be sure to ask about fees for add-on services such as deep cleaning and linen washing.
Passing Along the Airbnb Cleaning Fees
Most hosts pass on the cost of cleaning their rental properties to their guests as part of the rental fee. This charge isn’t meant to profit from, but rather, to reimburse you for the cost of hiring a cleaning service, supplies, and/or your time to clean the rental yourself.
Many hosts will charge $5-10 above and beyond the cleaning service fee to cover the cost of supplies such as toilet paper, paper towels, coffee, various cleaning supplies, and anything else the guests have requested. Anything related to cleaning – supplies, snow removal, lawn care, equipment/tools, etc. can all be considered in the cost of the cleaning fee you include in your Airbnb listing.
Supplies to Stock in Your Airbnb Rental
As we said earlier, hosts usually stock cleaning supplies and other essentials for the cleaning service to use and restock between guests. This list is not all-inclusive as each rental is unique and you may have your own set of instructions for your cleaning crew. In general, however, the list below is a great place to start.
- Trash bags
- Hand soap
- Dish soap
- Body wash
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Toilet paper
- Paper towels
- Laundry detergent
- Dish soap/dishwasher detergent
- Coffee filters
- Sugar/artificial sweetener
- Tea bags
- Ground coffee
- Creamer
- Salt
- Pepper
- Vinegar
- Olive oil
Keep all these Airbnb cleaning supplies in a locked closet or bin so that guests don’t have access to them. Let your cleaning crew know to alert you when something is low or out of stock so you can replace it immediately. The last thing you want to do is run out of something and not know it before the next guests arrive.