Cleanliness is the number one reason behind a negative rating. Whether you offer your entire place, shared or a private room, cleanliness is one factor that can make or break an Airbnb. After all, who wants to sleep in a clump of dust bunnies and a place that reeks of odd smells?
Since most guests use Airbnb during travel, coming to a clean, fresh, well-put place is more likely to receive positive ratings and repeat visits.
So, no matter how you elbow grease your property, whether you hire a cleaner or do it yourself, here are some common cleaning mistakes you should never make.
Biggest Cleaning Mistakes Airbnb Hosts Make
- Expecting too much from your renters
Just like all fingers aren’t created equal. Similarly, you cannot just assume every guest to be obsessed with cleaning. It is never a bad idea to hope for the best but make sure you’re ready to deal with a disaster.
Needless to say, expecting your guests to leave the place in immaculate condition is an illogical expectation. Yes, you can always mention checking out cleaning rules to subtly tell them to respect your property, but asking for overly demanding tasks may only complicate check-out procedures and result in a bad rating.
- Doing things at the last minute.
Just like many other arduous tasks, many people tend to procrastinate cleaning duties. However, when it comes to your vacation rental, leaving things for the last minute can make things stressful and mistakes can occur. If you want to deep clean your place, you must start preparing ahead and make the best use of the available time. This involves considering that your guests won’t be leaving with a clean room upon departure.
Besides, cleaning up immediately after will get your apartment ready for any new guests, even for emergency reservations.
- Handling everything yourself
Professional Airbnb cleaning services are there for a reason—they're the best for the job. Not only do they provide a high standard of professional cleaning, but they also leave every nook and cranny looking pristine and intuitively tidy.
However, most Airbnb hosts take it upon themselves to clean their listings. They don't realize that no matter how much effort they put in, the element of a professional touch will always be missing, and it will probably take a significant amount of their time.
- Giving out vague Instructions
If you don't believe you're up for the job or the word 'cleaning' triggers your anxiety, hiring a cleaning service might be the best option. However, even a professional team can miss out on important details if you fail to give clear instructions.
In order to ensure that the team knows what is expected, organize a home tour and specifically mention any issues and places you want them to give special attention to. You can also leave specific notes to help the cleaning team follow your requests.
- Think “okay” is enough
While sometimes we need to lower our expectations in life, things must be taken seriously when we talk about your rental business. This means always striving for the best.
Because if you call anything "okay" or "good enough," chances are, it isn't good. This mentality might lead to poor decision-making and settling for mediocre cleaning standards. Consequently, causing a negative experience for your guests and, hence, poor reviews.
Is Airbnb Cleaning Different from Standard Home Cleaning?
Usually, people think that cleaning an Airbnb is no different than any regular house. So why would you need any special tools or cleaning products that people don't use in their homes, right? If only it were that easy!
In all honesty, your Airbnb's demand depends entirely on what your customers say about their experiences. While you might think that a few stains here and there would be no big deal, did you know it's enough to get your Airbnb a one-star rating?
The last thing you need is to get negative reviews on your Airbnb listing. This is why you should never take chances with your rental property. After all, what's better marketing than a positive word of mouth from your previous clients, right?
Should I use Airbnb Cleaning Services?
While most guests are considerate about issues like parking spots, broken appliances, or a slow internet connection, guess what – your renters won't ever compromise on cleaning. And rightly so. After all, they're paying for a well-maintained property and expect it to be at least – if not more, as clean as other similar priced rentals.
So, whether it's the kitchen, washroom, or any other part of the rental, everything must always look and smell like new. All appliances must be working and clean. You must clean the drainage system on a regular basis, not to mention the bathtub, sink, shower, and toilet need special attention since these are the most obvious spots harboring germs. Besides, a nice-smelling bathroom is one of the easiest ways of earning some brownie points with your guests.
Having said that, it's easier said than done. The mere thought of just cleaning, dusting, scrubbing and washing after every guest leaves can be overwhelming. You may be able to do this weekly or twice in a month, perhaps, but you probably don't have the time and energy to do it regularly. Besides, keeping a house spotless clean needs some skill.
For this reason, most Airbnb's prefer outsourcing their cleaning through top-rated cleaning services like Turnify. Using such services not only ensures that every corner of your house is left sparkling clean, it will give you peace of mind and also help boost your Airbnb rating.
Bottom Line
When it comes to cleaning your listing, there’s a lot to take care of as a host. However, it only takes a small misstep to risk long-lasting damage to your rentals. Since you cannot take any chances, we recommend partnering with a professional cleaning service to help you achieve excellent results and earn a good rating time and again.
Happy Cleaning!