Vacation Rental Cleaning
Summer is here, which means it’s time for vacation! Where are you off to this year? A condo on the beach? Or maybe a secluded cabin in the woods? Regardless of where you go, if you’re staying at a vacation rental, you should be ready to do a little cleaning when you arrive.
True, housekeeping after a flight or long car drive is probably the last thing you want to do. However, it can help you get your home away from home set up. That way you can enjoy the space without worrying about who’s been there before you.
Check out the following vacation rental cleaning tips so that you know what to take care of as soon as you arrive.
Check the Trash
Your rental host or the previous guests may have forgotten to carry out their trash before they left. Take a minute to check all the trash cans in the house to see that they’ve been emptied. Next, locate the replacement bin liners so you can start off fresh.
Do Some Light Kitchen Cleaning
The kitchen will be the room you want to focus most of your vacation rental cleaning attention on. After all, ocean swims, hikes and other summer adventures equal increased appetites meaning this room will see a lot of traffic. Our kitchen cleaning checklist can help you make sure your family or friends are eating off clean surfaces and utensils.
Kitchen cleaning checklist
1. Make sure the inside of the microwave is clean.
2. Clean the kitchen sponge by wetting it thoroughly and microwaving it for a minute or two. Keep an eye on the sponge in the microwave and let it cool before removing it – it will be hot!
3. Give the inside of the fridge and freezer a once over to make sure no food items have been left behind.
4. Wipe down all surfaces, including countertops, stovetops and sinks.
5. Check dishes, glasses and frequently used pots, pans or cutting boards to make sure the previous renters cleaned them well.
6. If you find any dirty dishes that you’ll use regularly, give them a good hand washing or place them in the dishwasher.
Head to the Bathroom
The bathroom should be in pretty good shape. That being said, it couldn’t hurt to wipe down countertops, especially if you’ll be spreading out toiletries and toothbrushes. In addition, you might also want to quickly wipe down the sink and shower knobs, as well as the toilet handle.
Take it Outside
If your rental has an outdoor area, it’s worth it to spend a few minutes tidying up. If you can easily locate an outdoor broom, start by giving the space a good sweeping, Then, give any outdoor furniture a quick wipe. Hopefully, the grill and any deck chairs or tables have been left reasonably clean and should be ready to go after a quick once over with a cloth or towel. However, if outdoor items need some extra attention, you can clean them using the following instructions
Vacation rental cleaning probably isn’t anyone’s idea of a good time. However, taking thirty minutes to an hour to get your temporary digs in working order is well worth it when you can relax knowing the cups your family is drinking from have been personally cleaned by you.
5 Ways to Effectively Automate Your Vacation Rental Cleaning
Here are 5 easy ways to automate your short-term rental cleaning.
1. Hire a professional Airbnb cleaning company between guest bookings.
Travelers often hold vacation rentals to the same high standards of cleanliness as full-service hotels, even though rental hosts don’t have access to the same full-time housekeeping crews that hotels do. However, hosts can bring in a team of professional cleaners to scrub their rental properties from top to bottom between guest bookings, taking care of the entire turnover cleaning process.
It’s easier than ever to hire a professional vacation rental cleaning service to tidy up your property after one set of guests departs and before the next guests arrive. Your Airbnb cleaning crew should take care of a number of services, including:
• Making the beds.
• Cleaning and putting away the dishes.
• Sweeping and mopping floors.
• Vacuuming carpets and rugs.
• Cleaning toilets, bathtubs, and showers.
• Taking out the trash.
• Wiping countertops, door handles, and light switches.
• Checking for damages and reporting low inventory.
• These cleaning services will ensure your guests feel comfortable while renting out your space without requiring you to lift a finger.
2. Schedule periodic deep cleanings.
Although cleaning your vacation rental between guest check-outs will keep your property looking fresh and tidy most of the time, it’s important to schedule periodic deep cleanings of your unit, too. These are services that aren’t required all the time, but may be necessary several times per year. When hiring a short-term rental cleaning company, ask about their ability to handle more in-depth cleanings in addition to their basic cleaning services.
Ideally, the company you hire to clean your rental property between bookings will be the same company that handles your rental’s deep cleanings, since the crew will already be familiar with your property and any unique requirements you may have.
Deep cleaning services that you should think about automating include:
• Wiping baseboards.
• Cleaning inside the oven and fridge.
• Shampooing carpets.
• Cleaning inside any cabinets.
• Any specialized cleaning of your bathrooms or appliances.
3. Keep tabs on toiletries and supplies.
Keeping your vacation rental adequately stocked with toiletries and other supplies is an important part of ensuring guest satisfaction (and in turn, ensuring positive reviews and ratings). It’s easy to slip up and forget to replace supplies like paper towels and toilet paper, and you can bet your guests will certainly take notice!
It’s worth hiring an vacation rental cleaning company who will take the time to do a quick inspection of all your property’s supplies and notify you of any that need to be replenished before the next guest checks in. Automating this simple (yet crucial!) step allows you to be proactive about ensuring your guests’ satisfaction, all without requiring you to add another step to your to-do list.
4. Get notified of any damages.
Unfortunately, dealing with damages is something that many vacation rental hosts have to deal with from time to time. It’s never fun to have to inspect for and correct damages, but an even bigger problem is failing to notice them in the first place and 1) allowing the damage to spread or become worse, or 2) receiving negative reviews from future guests who were inconvenienced by the damage.
Some vacation rental cleaning crews may be able to look out for and notify you of any damages, helping you to achieve peace of mind by knowing that potential damages won’t go unnoticed. Better yet, some companies will even photograph damages for you, ensuring that you have adequate documentation for reimbursement.
5. Schedule cleanings and submit payments instantly online.
As a vacation rental host, you’ve got enough on your plate with managing guest bookings and ensuring positive guest interactions and experiences. Stopping by a brick-and-mortar business or picking up the phone every time you need to schedule a cleaning can eat up a lot of the time you could be spending on your guests.
Free up more of your valuable time by opting for an Airbnb cleaning company who allows you to schedule all of your upcoming turnover cleanings, send messages and share notes, re-schedule cleanings, and submit payments with just a few clicks in an online platform.
There are a number of ways for you to save time and avoid headaches when it comes to managing your vacation rental business. While so many of your tasks can be accomplished digitally, it’s still necessary to put forth a little physical effort to get your property cleaned for incoming tenants. By doing some research and finding the right service for your vacation rental turnover cleanings, you’re sure to quickly automate your entire between-guests system.
FAST AND EFFICIENT VACATION RENTAL CLEANING TIPS
1.Make a checklist
Whether you are doing the cleaning or hired a cleaner to clean your vacation rental, making a checklist ahead of time is very beneficial. With your busy schedule, it is easy to forget to take care of some important tasks for cleaning. Making a set checklist for your cleanings will solve this issue. If you have hired a vacation rental cleaner then a checklist is very important so that the cleaner knows exactly what you would like done for your property. Here is a sample checklist for cleaning per room:
KITCHEN
• Wash and put away dishes
• Wipe down and organize cabinets
• Wash floor
• Clean inside and outside of refrigerator and microwave oven
• Clean appliance interiors and exteriors: This includes coffee maker and toaster
BEDROOM
• Dust tops of drawers and dressers: We recommend you do this step before you vacuum, this way you can vacuum any dust.
• Change sheets and pillowcases
• Vacuum floor: If there are any stains in the carpet, be sure to clean them immediately. Keep stain remover handy between guest visits to avoid long-term stains on your carpet!
• Vacuum drapes: Using an attachment to vacuum drapes keep them from getting dusty.
• Clean smudges from windows: This is important so that guests can enjoy the views that your property offers, opposed to seeing fingerprints!
BATHROOM
• Scrub bathtub and faucet
• Wipe down mirrors: Using a microfiber cloth with a cleaning product is a great method for cleaning smudges off of mirrors.
• Scrub toilets
• Remove hard water stains: Vinegar is a great way to remove those pesky water stains. Simply put a small amount of vinegar on a wet wash cloth, and wrap it around the water stained area.
• Empty and wash trash can
LIVING ROOM
• Dust tabletops
• Dust electronics
• Organize media cabinet
• Steam clean sofa/chairs: It is great to have your sofa steam cleaned semi regularly to ensure it is left clean as new!
• Dust mantels and shelves
2. Set time limit per room
Setting a time limit for cleaning each room of your house is a good way to ensure a fast cleaning process. You can base the time spent on each room based on what you have on your cleaning checklist for each room.
3. First, start high!
A smart place to start is with tall pieces of furniture. This way when you dust tall furniture, the dust does not dirty your previously cleaned floor.
4. Vacuum
When it comes to dusting tops of drawers and dressers: We recommend you do this step before you vacuum, this way you can vacuum any dust. Vacuuming does not take long but it is an important task to complete after each guest.
5. Carry your cleaning caddy
While you are cleaning each room, carry around your cleaning caddy! This is a simple way to save time having to stop cleaning to retrieve different cleaning products
6. Ice cubes to remove wrinkles
A quick fix for wrinkled sheets is ice cubes and some heat. By putting sheets in the microwave with ice cubes for about 5 minutes, you will have perfectly steamed linens.
What Do You Need to Know Before Hiring Vacation Rental Cleaning Services?
VACATION RENTAL CLEANING IS DIFFERENT FROM RESIDENTIAL CLEANING
Many people don’t realize that vacation rental cleaning goes beyond regular house cleaning chores. Many tasks that vacation rental cleaning requires are not performed by residential cleaners. This is why you need to hire a service that specializes in vacation rental cleaning. Professionals will be prepared to complete tasks such as cleaning and changing linens, restocking toiletries, and notifying you of any damage or issues.
If you don’t live near enough to routinely check your property, it’s vital that you hire an expertly trained vacation rental cleaning service you can trust to keep you up-to-date on your property’s condition.
HOW TO FIND A GOOD CLEANING SERVICE
Many cleaning companies and contractors will say they’re the best, but you can’t simply take their word for it. You’re going to have to do a little research to find a truly excellent vacation rental cleaner. The best way to do this is to ask friends and acquaintances for referrals of cleaners they trust, especially if they have experience booking vacation rental cleaning.
If you can’t get a referral, search online for professional cleaning companies. A company is usually more reliable than an independent contractor. They are also more likely to have licensed, insured, and bonded employees, which is vital. When you’re interested in a company, ask for references so you can hear what their clients think of them before you commit to anything.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE HIRING A VACATION RENTAL CLEANING SERVICE
There are many questions you can ask prospective cleaners before picking one. Some will be about your specific needs, others are just common sense. Not sure what to ask? Here are some suggestions:
• How much experience do you have cleaning vacation rentals?
• Do you send the same person every time? What if they are unavailable?
• Are you available for quick turnarounds or last-minute emergencies?
• What add-on services do you offer?
• Who provides the cleaning supplies?
• How will you communicate with me about issues or low supplies?
• How do you measure quality?
• What happens if you damage my property?
• What kind of training do your employees receive?
• Do you have a satisfaction guarantee? How does it work?
• Remember, the whole point of hiring vacation rental cleaning services is to make managing your property easier. Asking the right questions will help you compare your options and identify the experienced, high-quality cleaners. You should feel confident in who you hire to take care of your property.
Look for a company that puts your needs first and has proven policies and procedures in place that make their services as easy for you as possible. Avoid companies who don’t have the experience with vacation rental cleaning or who can’t satisfactorily answer your questions.
WHAT MAKES A VACATION RENTAL CLEANING DIFFERENT
A vacation rental cleaning goes above and beyond what you’d expect from a typical house cleaning. Your housekeeper needs to be ready to provide a higher level of service, and handle tasks like:
• Cleaning the linens that were used by previous guests
• Sanitizing surfaces after previous guests check out
• Checking that the next guest has sufficient quantities of toilet paper and cleaning products
• Keeping an eye out for damage
• Checking for missing items and taking pictures of any damage
• Testing various items in the house to be sure they work
In other words, your housekeeping service isn’t only cleaning. It’s also going to make your home guest-ready
IF YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT DOING IT YOURSELF…
The first decision you need to make about cleaning your vacation rental is whether you’re going to do the work yourself or hire a service to handle it for you.
Doing your own cleaning is an easy way to cut down on management costs and increase your income. But it only makes sense if you live locally and can afford to treat your vacation rental as a full-time job.
Even if doing it yourself seems like an attractive option, ask yourself an honest question: Can I commit to deep-cleaning the entire property more than once a week?
In high season, you might have “quick turns” where a guest checks out at 10 a.m. and the next guest checks in at 4 p.m. In that window, you’ll need to provide a thorough cleaning. If you can’t guarantee you’ll be ready and willing to do that, you need to hire someone who can.
IF YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT HIRING A CLEANING SERVICE
Working with a cleaning service is a great alternative
If you don’t want to handle the cleaning yourself or you don’t live near your rental property, it’s helpful to have a trusted housekeeper who will visit your home on a regular basis to keep things in great shape for guests.
A cleaning service can also keep an eye on the state of things and let you know if anything is looking worse for wear. If a remote control is missing or an item has been damaged since the guests checked out, you’ll know immediately and can take swift action.
Whether you’re rolling up your sleeves and doing the cleaning yourself, or hiring a rockstar cleaning team, remember that the goal is to deliver consistently clean accommodations. When you meet guests’ expectations for a tidy vacation rental, you don’t just avoid complaints. You make a great first impression that can turn into amazing reviews that keep your property booked.
