Hosting on Airbnb can be an amazing experience. Connecting with strangers, sharing your place, and of course, receiving those lovely five-star ratings. But only one thing could turn your fun-hosting work into a stress factory: cleanliness.
Not just disarray but utter cleanliness. Because truth be told, a guest finds a single hair lingering in the shower and the chances for your glowing review decrease even faster than you can say "refund." And as a proud Airbnb manager, you can't have every single dust bunny in the room being chased down by you. So, what's the solution? You were right—it’s the perfect cleaner.
Let’s do it together.
1. Understand What You Actually Need
Okay, even before you think of hiring someone, first, you must figure it out, your actual needs. Every Airbnb is a little different, right? Just like my friend’s tiny studio apartment takes about 45 minutes to clean, but our client four-bedroom palace? Yeah, a whole different ballgame here.
Here’s what to think about:
Size matters: Cleaning a small flat is no big deal. A three-bedroom beach house? Nah.
Fast turnovers: Do you have back-to-back guests? Your cleaner should move like, “I didn’t even know sheets could dry that quickly” fast.
Special amenities: Do you allow pets? Got a hot tub? Honestly, you need someone who’s a little extra not scared of the additional tasks. I learned that hard way when we had to use a vacuum cleaner to our carpet after this glitter cleaning. Not happening again.
Think of it as ordering a pizza. You don’t just say, “I want pizza.” You say, “Extra cheese, pepperoni, stuffed crust, hold the olives.” Be straightforward about your toppings...uhm...needs.
2. Where the Heck Can You Find a Cleaner?
Now that you’ve prepared your cleaning wish list, the first thing that comes to mind is where to discover this mystical creature who likes to scrub toilets and fold towels. (Spoiler: They exist.)
Here’s where to look:
Online platforms: Technical sites like Turno, Yelp, or Thumbtack are useful. But pro tip, trust only the reviews written by fellow Airbnb hosts. They understand the host's struggle.
Airbnb host communities: Your best pals for this are the other hosts. Become a member of Facebook groups or operate in the local forums. Request recommendations, and boom, you have found the goldmine.
Cleaning companies that specialize in Airbnbs: These are the true MVPs. They already have the knowledge. They understand that the guests want to enter a clean environment that looks like a hotel without paying the price of a hotel.
And, don’t forget to ask your neighbors or friends. Sometimes, the best cleaner can be found right under your nose. Like, the one living in the next apartment.
3. Don’t Just Hire Anyone—Find the Right Cleaner
The thing is that you’re not just looking for any cleaner. No, you want someone who will fit in your Airbnb perfectly. It’s like dating. Only this time you don't swipe left or right but look for the clear surface.
So, what should you be looking for?
Experience with short-term rentals: The Airbnb cleaning is a completely different scheme compared to typical house cleaning. Your cleaner has to be quick, effective, and has to pay attention to the tiniest details.
Reviews and recommendations: Don't take their word for it. Look at the reviews! Other Airbnb hosts will be frank. Believe me; I've read reviews like, "My guests found a receipt under the sofa that my cleaner had left." You can’t just make this stuff up.
Insurance and bonding: Problems arise, things break. You need to ensure if such happens you are secure.
Here’s my advice: Try to do a trial run. Engage them for a single cleaning and see how they do. The last time I hired a cleaner, she was good at vacuuming but she missed the mirrors completely. They looked as if they had tears of smudges. It’s better to know it right away if it doesn’t fit.
4. Build a Relationship (You Need This Person!)
Did you find your perfect cleaner? Don’t just treat that person like one who gets in and out. Build a relationship. Because listen closely, a cleaner who cares about your Airbnb becomes gold. That’s real gold.
Give the feedback: Both the good and the bad. Did they do great? Tell them so. Did they overlook something? Mention it, but do it kindly. They aren’t mind readers.
Show appreciation: A little bit of kindness goes a long way. Once I wrote a small thank-you note for my cleaner, and the next time, she went above and beyond, placing a cute towel arrangement and everything! Who knew a towel in the shape of a swan could bring so much happiness?
5. Use Tech to Keep It All Together
Here is where technology can be helpful. Well, maybe not directly but they can save your sanity. If you're running a circus of clients and cleaners using a chaotic mix of texts, emails, and sticky notes you need to change your form.
Apps like Properly: Bring in the personal assistant effect as you have cleaning checklists and the record of what has been done.
Automated schedules: Merge your, and your cleaner's calendar so they know exactly when they should come. Less back and forth means less hassle.
You just won’t believe, since I started using Turno, it felt as if I got my life back. And my cleaner also, because she knew exactly what to do without me having to send a reminder text ten times.
6. What If Things Go Wrong? Be Ready
Even the best cleaner ever can get sick or may have an emergency. Now, you have guests checking in at 4 PM and a no-show cleaner at 2 PM? Trust me, your blood pressure would skyrocket.
There’s what you’ve got to do:
Have a backup cleaner: Maintain a list of other cleaners who can step in once your main one is not able.
Emergency supplies: Keep some required basic cleaning supplies on-site so you can use them in a snag situation.
Instructions on Hand: Prepare a simplified cleaning checklist with you. This way, if you (or a friend) have to do the cleaning, you will know what to do.
7. Stay Ahead of the Game
You won't believe how much the cleaning industry changes. It is true. The green products, the new procedures, the more effective gear, are all things we've learned from the field. Providing more is the edge you need to win the game.
For Example, after a guest left a review about chemical sensitivity, we switched to using only natural cleaning products. Now we are proudly stating that we utilize environmentally safe products and guess what? The review count went up and we had more guests who were environmentally conscious. That was a win-win.
8. Watch Those Reviews
Your guests will be honest about the cleaner if the latter is doing the job. Well, the guests will air their views through the stars and the number of reviews.
Positive reviews: Most likely indications of your cleaner doing a great job.
Negative reviews: The time to conduct the investigation will start. Did the cleaner overlook something? Or was the place not up to standard?
Don’t forget to monitor the repeat guests either. If a person comes back, it means he has a good time including cleanliness.
The Bottom Line
Managing an Airbnb is hard, but you can easily avoid making it a headache. All you need is a good cleaner and with some tech to keep things orderly and a bit of communication you can have your property looking spotless.
Honestly, unless you have special guests strolling in the door, there’s no feeling like the one of a normally clean area. Call us if you will need any help!