As a property owner in Tampa, whether you have an Airbnb or vacation rental, you know how important cleanliness is for your business. Guests may forget the view from the balcony or welcome snacks you left on the kitchen counter, but they will remember walking into a clean home or seeing dust on a ceiling fan or hair in the shower. If you’re looking for cleaning services Tampa, you are taking the first step to protecting your investment and receive better reviews. You can learn more about how we help homeowners and short-term rental owners keep their properties looking good to guests from the Cleaning Services Tampa page of our website.
From my experience working with vacation rentals in Tampa Bay, I have learned that running a successful Airbnb is not just about having a nice property – it is about providing your guests with a consistent experience every time they rent from you. When your property is immaculately clean, that will provide your guests with confidence even before they start unpacking. Conversely, if there is just one item that’s been missed, you can quickly turn a five-star stay into a bad review.
This guide explains the cleaning standards that modern-day guests expect, the turnover process that professional cleaners follow, practical ways to save time between bookings, and when investing in a Tampa cleaning service becomes the smartest decision for both your schedule and your business.
Why Cleanliness Equals 5-Star Reviews and More Bookings
Guests today have a very high level of expectation when it comes to their vacation rental. They will often look at multiple listings (upward of a dozen) that have similar pricing, amenities and locations before making a decision on where to stay. Very frequently, cleanliness will be the most important factor in their decision.
In my experience working with guests, they very seldom complain about simple decor or old furniture (unless the decor and furniture are all quite clean). However, as soon as they enter a home and see dirty mirrors (with fingerprints), dusty baseboards, dirty odors, or a kitchen drawer that has dirty dishes in it, they will immediately begin to complain and feel uncomfortable.
Having a clean rental creates a sense of confidence for the guest, and gives them a feeling that the property has been well taken care of and that the host really cares about their experience.
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There is also a relationship between cleanliness and how well a business performs. Rentals that have consistently good cleanliness ratings will typically:
- have five-star reviews;
- attract repeat guests;
- appear to be more trustworthy in search results;
- be able to charge higher nightly rates;
- reduce guest complaints and/or refund requests.
While many hosts are particularly focused on decorating their rental, I feel that cleanliness will give them a greater return on investment than the decor will. If a property has a good design, it will certainly attract guests, but if it is professionally cleaned, guests will continue to return.
Airbnb Cleaning Standards and Guest Expectations
Cleaning an Airbnb is not the same as cleaning your own home, guests expect hotel-quality cleanliness but with all the comforts of being at home.
The way you clean should give each new guest the feeling of being the very first guest of their stay in this property.
This means there is more to cleaning than just visible surfaces. When cleaning vacation rentals professionally, cleaning should include disinfecting, inspecting, restocking, and setting up for photos after each turnover.
The following are areas where guests are likely to check:
Bedrooms
When guests arrive, they will notice immediately that the sheets are fresh and properly made. They will notice if the pillows are placed neatly, how clean and dust free the furniture is, and the floors are spotless or not. Mattresses should be inspected regularly for cleanliness and areas that are under the beds should never be used as a place to hide dust.
Bathrooms
When guests evaluate property cleanliness, many times their opinion is formed by how clean the bathrooms have been cleaned. In particular, toilets, sinks, showers, mirrors, grout lines, faucets, and floors should all be cleaned thoroughly for the best impression possible. It only takes a single water spot or soapy residue to make a guest feel this property is not clean.
Kitchen
Most guests will prepare food while staying in a property. Therefore, counters, appliances, sinks, microwaves, refrigerators, coffee makers and cabinet hardware must all be spotless.
Be sure to also check inside drawers, silverware trays and shelves in the refrigerator. Many guests will look at these locations.
Living Areas
A guest’s overall impression of your property begins with the cleanliness of their furniture, windows, décor, televisions, and upholstered furniture.
Entryways
The entryway to your property is how most guest will first learn what kind of impression they will have of you as a host. Entryways should be free of dust, clutter and clean welcome mats.
What I have discovered over the years is that guests typically form their opinion about the cleanliness of a property within the first five minutes. If the property has been kept clean when they enter, then they are likely to assume the rest of the property has also been well-kept.
Guest Expectations and Common Cleaning Mistakes That Affect Reviews
In my experience working with vacation rental properties, I have found that guests typically don’t comment on the “age” of a property; however, they notice the little things that make them question the overall quality of the property.
The common mistakes include fingerprints on stainless steel appliances; forgetting to dust ceiling fans; hair leftover in the corner of bathrooms, and some crumbs still inside kitchen drawers. To a host who is in a hurry to get from one reservation to another, these may seem insignificant, but to a newly arrived guest (depending on how long they travelled), they are glaringly obvious.
Another common mistake is to rely solely on visual cleaning. A property may appear clean; however, if a refrigerator has an unpleasant odor or if there is moisture buildup in the bathroom, guests often assume that the entire property has not been properly maintained.
When hiring a professional Airbnb cleaner, they will use a detailed checklist and not rely on memory. Each turnover will also be performed using the same system to help prevent any areas from being missed and to ensure that all guests receive the same high quality service.
Unfortunately, guest expectations have changed a great deal over the last few years. When people travel nowadays, they compare Airbnb properties to not just other vacation rentals, but they also compare them to hotels.
In my opinion, when guests arrive at a property, they want the property to look like it has been completely revamped. For example, when they arrive at the property, they expect to see the beds made up like they have been done by professionals. They expect the bathrooms to smell fresh but not like they have been perfumed heavily; they expect every surface in the home to look as if it has been cleaned to a pristine condition.
When guests first arrive at the property, they usually conduct a quick inspection to check out the condition of the home. For instance, they might check out the bathrooms, the kitchen countertops, inside the refrigerator, underneath the sheets, and around high-touch areas (e.g., light switches, door handles).
If a guest has a good first impression of the property, they are likely to overlook minor imperfections elsewhere in the home, which is why experienced hosts know that maintaining cleanliness is one of their best investments when it comes to protecting their reviews.
Complete Turnover Cleaning Checklist
More than just replacing linens for a successful turnover. Every guest needs to feel that their new space has been fully renewed.
Professional cleaning service companies usually use a top-down cleaning process which minimizes cross-contamination and creates uniformity.
Step 1: Property Inspection
Before you can clean a job, you need to evaluate the property thoroughly.
You are trying to find the following items
- forgotten personal property;
- furniture/appliance damages;
- missing parts;
- maintenance concerns;
- excessive wear/stains; etc.
Taking photographs before you begin to clean will help document unanticipated damage that may occur during the time between reservations.
2. Remove All Used Linens and Trash
Locate all used towels, bedding products, bath mats, and kitchen linens right away.
Get rid of all the trash bags from the following areas:
- Bathrooms
- Kitchen
- Bedrooms
- Offices
- Outside (if needed)
Having a clean area to work in will make the rest of the turnover go faster.
3. Dust From The Ceiling Down (Prior To Vacuuming)
Dust all ceiling fans, vents, shelves, artwork, blinds, lamps, and furniture before you vacuum.
If you start by dusting down from the top of the highest surfaces then your dust will not fall on to an area of the house that you have already cleaned.
Step 4: Bathroom Cleaning and Sanitization
Bathrooms need to be cleaned and sanitized because of how quickly guests will notice them compared to other rooms and associate cleanliness with them.
Every time there is a changeover, the following should happen:
- Toilets should be disinfected.
- Sinks and countertops should be cleaned.
- Mirrors should be polished.
- Soap scum should be removed
- Walls and tubs in showers should be sanitized.
- Any toiletries that were provided must be replaced.
Towels should be folded consistently for a polished look.
Step 5: Kitchen Restoration
The kitchen is often left until last longer than what the host would expect.
Every time there is a changeover, the following cleaning should be done:
- Countertop (there are different types of materials to clean depending on type)
- Backsplash
- Sink
- Faucet
- Inside microwave oven
- Shelves in refrigerator
- Outside surface of the stove
- Outside surface of the dishwasher
- Cabinet front
- Coffee Station
Cleaning small details such as removing fingerprints from stainless steel appliances will create a significant impact on the guest experience.
Step 6: Bedrooms
Replace used linens with clean linen sets, look after and fluff pillows, check mattress condition, wipe down bedside tables, and vacuum under bed when possible.
Guests typically will check bedding first so presentation is just as important as cleanliness.
Step 7: Floors
Vacuum carpets before mopping hard floor surfaces.
Focus on high traffic areas such as entryways, or under dining tables; also the corners of bathrooms and areas where sand from Tampa’s beaches often come into contact with your carpet.
Step 8: Last walk through
Finally, when leaving the property, perform a full walk through.
Check all lights are on, all mirrors are streak-free, all remotes work, all supplies are stocked, and the house has a pleasant but not heavy fragrance.
Executing this type of final walk-through is the difference between average cleaning and exceptional; most likely you will miss some small things if you don’t do an entire walk-through.
Time-Saving Airbnb Cleaning Hacks for Busy Hosts
When you’re managing short-term rentals, you’re often working around very tight deadlines. And although there are no shortcuts in the production of a quality product, there are many ways to speed up the turnover of your properties while still meeting your standards.
One way to save time is to have several sets of linens that are identical. While your current set of linens is being cleaned, you can replace them with another set that has already been cleaned.
If your cleaning supplies are organized within portable caddies, you will be able to minimize the amount of times you travel between your cleaning rooms. All of your cleaners will have the products and tools at their disposal without having to run back to your storage closet.
I highly recommend developing a universal layout when utilizing decorative pillows; towel placement; toiletry arrangement; and kitchen accessories arrangement. By keeping these items in a universal layout, you will eliminate any second guessing each cleaner will have during the turnover process.
Utilizing technology can be another great solution. Digital checklists, scheduling apps, and automated reminders can all be of great service when trying to remember important tasks between back-to-back reservations.
The best advice I can give you is to address minor maintenance issues as they occur. By changing out a burnt-out light bulb; tightening a loose handle; or fixing a leak in the faucet at the time of your turn, you will help to prevent more expensive issues in the future.
Hiring Professional Airbnb Cleaners in Tampa
It gets to a point when it is no longer realistic for you to manage all of your turnovers yourself, regardless if you are an owner of an Airbnb or multiple properties. An Airbnb cleaning service providers allow you to focus on being a host and not rushing to and from check outs or check-ins.
A professional cleaning provider in Tampa knows that cleaning a vacation rental is not the same as cleaning a typical residential home. Timing is very tight, expectations for cleanliness are high and the need for consistency is a must.
A professional cleaning company that can offer flexible scheduling, detailed turnover checklist, inventory reporting, communication after every cleaning party, reporting any damages from guests, and assistance with restocking if needed should be chosen as your cleaning partner.
Hosts who only hired a professional company during busy seasons at first found out after awhile that getting a professional cleaning consistently saved them time, protects their on-line reputation, and reduced guest complaints.
At Wow Now Cleaning, we offer our special Airbnb pricing for recurring clients, designed specifically for hosts who need consistent turnover cleaning throughout the year.
Cleaning Fees: How Much Should Hosts Charge?
Hosts are often unsure about the amount to charge for cleaning fees on their Airbnb properties, and there isn’t a universal answer: depend on
- How big your rental is;
- How many bedrooms and bathrooms there are;
- What types of laundry services (if any) need to be provided;
- What types of amenities (hot tubs, pools, etc.) you’ll offer;
- How quickly you’ll turn over properties; and
- What the average price of cleaning in your area is.
Many homeowners incorrectly believe that charging low cleaning fees will help them get more bookings, but most guests will pay a fair fee for cleaning if they can do so and have a property that same high standard of cleanliness. That said, don’t try to minimize your cleaning fee; by focusing on creating value through your property, any guest that receives a perfect guest experience will create nothing but positive reviews and ratings for you.
Our goal is for you to build a loyal customer base through excellent service, resulting in increased revenue per night and a smaller percentage of repeat customers.
Managing Same-Day Turnovers
The most stressful part of operating a vacation rental is usually the same-day turnovers.
When guests check-out in the morning with another set of guests check in only hours later, every minute counts.
The biggest factor in making sure you accomplish this is to be prepared long before you begin cleaning.
Typically, professional cleaning crews prepare themselves by checking schedules ahead of time, assigning all responsibilities ahead of time, preparing beds/laundries ahead of time, and stocking your supplies with enough time before the arrival of guests.
In addition, communication is also a very large factor. If you have any maintenance problems definitely let us know sooner rather than later.
If you regularly have same-day bookings on your schedule, working with experienced Tampa house cleaning professionals can help reduce your workload and ensure every turnover is completed to the standard your guests expect..
From my experience, hosts who use an organized system (versus waiting to the last minute to complete) are the hosts that earn the best guest reviews consistently year after year.
Final Thoughts
In the world of running a successful Airbnb, providing an additional experience (beyond having a comfortable place to stay) is essential. Each turnover provides an opportunity to create a memorable experience and build a good reputation.
The hosts that receive consistent five-star customer reviews do not always have the most updated furniture or the largest properties. They know that an immaculately cleaned property will foster trust between them and their guests.
Having a systematic approach to cleaning along with attention to detail and consistency will always create superior cleaning results when compared to the haphazard cleaning style (that generally occurs right before check-in).
If you choose to perform your turnovers & cleanings yourself or if you choose to contract with a professional cleaning company, investing in quality vacation rental cleanings is one of the best investments you can make in your business. A truly clean property not only looks more appealing to customers, but also will receive better reviews from those customers, ultimately increasing the likelihood of repeat bookings and contributing to the long-term profitability of your Airbnb.
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Hey everyone, I’m Khrystyna! I’ve got experience in all sorts of cleaning, which I gained at Wow Now Cleaning. Now I’m sharing it with you all! I’d appreciate any comments or feedback on my tips, so feel free to write!