Your property cleanliness directly impacts your booking revenue and your search visibility on booking platforms. Recent data from AirDNA shows that guests prioritize cleanliness over almost every other metric when leaving feedback. In fact, more than one third of short term rental property managers lost bookings or received negative reviews due to staffing or contractor issues (but not us – more on that later).

When you run a short-term rental, you operate a hospitality business. This comprehensive guide provides actionable strategies to streamline your workflow and secure flawless reviews from every guest.

Master the Top Down Cleaning Method
You must always clean from the highest point in a room down to the floor. Dust falls downward during the process. If you vacuum the floor before you wipe the ceiling fans or top shelves, you will have to vacuum a second time. Start with lighting fixtures, move to furniture surfaces, and finish with the floors.

Standardise Your Turnover Cleaning Checklist
Create a physical or digital document for your property. Divide this checklist by room to keep the process organized. A standard checklist ensures you never forget hidden areas like the inside of the microwave or the space underneath the bed.

Secure Reliable Cleaners with In House Teams
Outsourced cleaning companies frequently balance multiple clients and skip appointments during peak seasons. You also might get an excellent cleaner one day and an entirely different situation the next. When you use a company with dedicated in house cleaners, you eliminate no shows. Our team at Bedspoke use in house cleaners exclusively to maintain absolute control over scheduling and quality standards.

Guarantee Consistent Quality Control
In house teams undergo standardised training and follow identical protocols for every property. According to hospitality industry reports, companies using structured internal service systems achieve twenty five percent higher consistency ratings than those relying on outsourced workers.

Remove Hair Everywhere From Bathrooms to Bedrooms
Stray hair stands as the primary reason guests drop their cleanliness ratings from five stars down to three stars. Check all corners of your bathrooms and bedrooms with a high powered flashlight. Use a fresh lint roller on all freshly laundered bedding and towels to catch any airborne particles. Clean the shower drains after every check out to keep the plumbing clear and remove trapped hair.

Eradicate Hidden Dust From High Friction Surfaces
Dust accumulates quickly on baseboards, window sills, and the tops of television screens. Use microfiber cloths to trap dust instead of pushing it back into the air. Guests notice these details immediately when they sit down or open window blinds.

Upgrade to Hotel Quality Linen and Laundry Standards
Your choice of linen affects how easily your team can sanitise the property between bookings. The right fabrics save hours during turnover days.

Switch to White Sheets and Towels
White fabrics allow you to use generous amounts of bleach without risking colour damage. White linen also signals absolute cleanliness to your arriving guests. Hotels use white for this exact reason. If a stain occurs, you can treat it directly without ruining the set.

Keep Extra Linen Sets on Hand
You need at least three full sets of linen for every bed in your property. One set stays on the bed, one set sits in the linen closet ready for use, and one set goes through the laundry process. This rotation eliminates time pressure during short check in windows.

Clean Inside the Fridge and All Major Appliances
Always open the refrigerator and discard any food items from previous guests. Wipe down the shelves with a food safe sanitiser. Clean the inside of the microwave, toaster trays, and coffee machine. A week old salad or sticky spill inside an appliance guarantees a bad review.

Neutralize Kitchen Odors Naturally
Avoid heavy chemical perfumes that might trigger guest allergies. Place a small dish of baking soda or charcoal in the corner of the refrigerator to absorb odors. You can also wipe down metallic surfaces with a mixture of vinegar and water to eliminate fingerprints and water spots.