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 March 21, 2020
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How to Clean a Vacation Rental
Cleaning a vacation rental is not the same as cleaning your own home. In
this post, I will walk you through how to clean a vacation rental. My Orlando­
based team has been involved in vacation rental cleaning for several years
and we have cleaned over 10,000 appointments to date. By following this
guide, your clean should be a walk in the park.
Start with the laundry
First, start with putting all of your linens to wash. Then, clean the towels. If
this is a turnaround, you may not have enough time to wash every single
comforter. Because of this, many hosts choose to use duvet covers to keep
bedding as clean as possible. Please note, laundry is a constraint on your
cleaning time. Always start vacation rental cleaning with laundry.
Clean your vacation rental with the same flow each time
Next, check the home for left behind items, damages, major changes, and
cleaning tasks that will require extra time. For example, if the shower is in
unusually bad shape you can tackle that item first since it will require extra
time.
Start with the most difficult rooms first
When you actually begin cleaning, tackle the most difficult room first. You
can clean the vacation rental in this order:
1. Bathrooms
2. Kitchen
3. Bedrooms
4. Living Areas
5. Outside Areas
Follow the wall to wall method of vacation rental cleaning
Work your way through each room, wall to wall. Start with high areas, such
as ceiling fans and move to dusting the surfaces and blinds. In the
bathrooms, leave no hair behind and lay out towels. In the kitchen, make
sure dishes, pans, pots, and utensils are clean and sanitized. As for beds,
they must look crisp like they do when you check into a nice hotel suite.
Floors are always the last task. You do not want to leave your footprints
behind. Floors look their best when they are freshly swept, vacuumed, and
mopped.
Use the right cleaning products
Cleaning a rental is not just about making a vacation property look clean.
Your space also has to be clean and sanitized. Find out more about the
difference between cleaning and sanitizing here. Also, be careful using
harsh chemicals on delicate surfaces. If your surfaces allow it, please use
Clorox in showers and bathtubs. Bleach works very well at killing black
mildew and germs. Sanitize surfaces with Lysol or Lysol equivalent for the
safety of your guests. With laundry, make sure you bleach whites and wash
on a warm setting to kill germs. Here are my product recommendations:
Best vacation rental cleaning products
Bathrooms
Easy­Off Specialty Kitchen Degreaser Cleaner, 16 fl oz Bottle
Cerama Bryte Best Value Kit: Ceramic Cooktop Cleaner 28oz,
Scraper, 10 Pads, Burnt­on Grease Remover 2oz
Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner and Polish ­ Streak­Free Shine for
Refrigerators, Dishwasher, Sinks, Range Hoods and BBQ grills ­ 22 fl.
oz.
Pine­Sol Multi­Surface Cleaner, Lemon Fresh, 28 Fluid Ounce Bottle
Scotch­Brite Heavy Duty Scrub Sponges, Powerful Scrubbing for
Stuck­on Messes, Tougher than Your Worst Messes, Stands Up to
Stuck­on Grime, 9 Scrub Sponges
Cleaning Scrub Sponge by Scrub­it ­ Non­Scratch ­ Scrubbing Dish
Sponges Use for Kitchens, Bathroom & More ­ 24 Pack
O­Cedar EasyWring Microfiber Spin Mop, Bucket Floor Cleaning
System
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Multi­Surface Everyday Cleaner, Lemon
Verbena, 16 Fl Oz, Pack of 3
Granite Gold Daily Cleaner Spray And Refill Value Pack ­ Streak­Free
Stone Cleaning Formula, Made In The USA
Weiman Granite Cleaner and Polish ­ 24 Ounce (2 Pack) Safely
Cleans and Shines Granite Marble Soapstone Quartz Quartzite Slate
Limestone Corian Laminate Tile Countertop
Orange Glo 2­in­1 Clean & Polish Wood Furniture Spray ­ 16 oz ­ 2 pk
Kitchen and Living Areas
Tilex 01100 Mold and Mildew Remover, 16 Ounce, 1 Bottle
Clean­Up Cleaner w/Bleach, 32 oz. Bottle
Clorox Gel Cleaner with Bleach 30 Ounce Spray Bottle
Scrubbing Bubbles Bubbly Bleach Gel Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Extended
Neck to ensure Freshness, Rainshower Scent, 24 oz
Bagcraft 300591 Sani/Shield Printed Toilet Seat Band, Paper,
Blue/White, 16" Wide x 1­1/2" Deep (Case of 1000)
Windex Original Glass and Window Cleaner Spray Bottle, Original
Blue, 23 fl oz ­ Pack of 6
12"x12" Microfiber Cleaning Cloth 6PCS 3 Colors(Green Blue
Orange) Reusable Wash Clothes for House Boat Car Window
Cleaner 2PCS Screen Cloth as Gift
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Original, Cleaning Pads with Durafoam, 9
Count
Laundry
Bounce Fabric Softener and Dryer Sheets, Outdoor Fresh, 240 Count
Tide PODS Laundry Detergent Liquid Pacs, Clean Breeze Scent, HE
Compatible, 96 Count (Packaging May Vary)
Downy Unstopables in­Wash Scent Booster Beads, Fresh, 20.1
Ounce (Pack of 1)
How to inspect a vacation rental cleaning
Don’t forget, every vacation rental clean needs to be inspected. This is
called the final walk­through. Here is how to inspect a vacation rental:
1. Check every dresser, drawer, closet, and under every bed to make
sure nothing has been left behind by previous guests.
2. Pantry and cabinets need to be checked for left behind food. All
dishes must be clean.
3. Surfaces and floors must have no streaks, hand prints, or footprints.
4. Hair needs to be checked for. Pay special attention to the bathrooms
for small hairs.
5. Document any damages by taking pictures and pay special attention
to items needing maintenance. Photo evidence is required for claims
on Airbnb and VRBO.
How long should cleaning a vacation rental take?
Vacation rental cleaning on average takes 2­4 hours. Cleaning time is
determined by 4 main factors.
1. Laundry
2. Size of property & number of beds
3. Condition guests left home in after departure
4. Experience level of your vacation rental cleaner
Best vacuum for cleaning vacation rentals
For cleaning hard floors and hair, we recommend the Bissell Zing Canister,
2156A Vacuum, Green Bagless To clean carpets and floors, heavier duty
Oreck Commercial, Professional Upright Vacuum Cleaner, U2000RB1 is
recommended.
Best supplies to leave for guests
Our cleaning team leaves enough starter amenity for the first night. If you
want to provide them with bathroom kits (think soap and shampoo) in
addition to essential amenities like toilet paper and paper towel, we
recommend this Terra Pure set.
Terra Pure Hotel
Soaps and...
$118.99
Shop now
Cleaning expectations for vacation rentals
Travelers expect a clean property upon arrival, always. Therefore, it is
helpful to ask previous guests to do their part. Even though they pay a
cleaning fee, they can do a few tasks to help your cleaning crew timely
prepare your home for new guests. These checkout instructions may
include:
1. Stripping the beds
2. Starting the towels or washing towels they used (host preference)
3. Taking out the trash
4. Starting the dishwasher
5. Double checking for items and not leaving any personal belongings
behind
6. Setting the alarm and locking your door
Guest cooperation goes a long way in helping your cleaning team prepare
your property for a 5­star experience on the next turnaround.
Conclusion
Cleaning your vacation rental requires a lot of attention to detail, preparation,
and a passion for the process. Remember, we all need to do our part to
create memorable guest experiences and happy guests. My hope is that this
post serves as inspiration, and a starting point in your own vacation rental
cleaning process. You can also reference our vacation rental cleaning
checklist. If you are in need a vacation rental cleaning service or want to
become a cleaner with our team, please leave a comment below. Any
feedback? Please share. If you found this post helpful, please pass it along
to your friends.
1 COMMENT
Tyler Johnson
APRIL 30, 2020
That’s a good point that it would be a common courtesy to do things like taking out the trash on your way out. I feel
like that would help make it smell better for the next renters, so it would be nice for them. I’ll have to make sure I do
stuff like that if I decide to get a vacation rental instead of a hotel.
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