Airbnb Design Ideas

Ultimate Airbnb Cleaning Checklist + Free Template

Cleaning your property is a very important part of owning a vacation rental. You could have a beautiful property, but if it is unclean and unkempt, that will take away from the appeal. When cleaning your rental, you want to make sure your cleaning team doesn’t miss a step. To assist in this, we’ve provided an Airbnb cleaning checklist as well as some tips and products to use in each part of your property.

by The Turno Team

What Is an Airbnb Cleaning Checklist?

It is no surprise that one of the most important components influencing a vacation rental guest’s experience is the property’s overall cleanliness. This is where an Airbnb cleaning checklist comes in.

An Airbnb house cleaning checklist is a physical or digital list of tasks for hosts or cleaning services to complete in between guests’ stays.

Whether you manage a bed and breakfast, a cabin, or any other type of holiday home, cleaning can be quite a chore. To make the task easier, use a vacation rental cleaning checklist to help ensure happy guests and more positive reviews every time.

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Example Housekeeping Checklist Template for Airbnb

Below, we’ve provided an Airbnb cleaning checklist template for each main room in a short-term rental. Use these vacation rental checklist templates as you clean your property, or give it to your professional cleaner.

Kitchen

  • Wash, disinfect, and put away dishes
  • Sanitize all surfaces, including counters, cabinets, and tables
  • Disinfect the inside of the sink and backsplashes
  • Wipe down the interiors and exteriors of small appliances, including the microwave and coffee maker
  • Clean the inside and outside of the oven, refrigerator, and freezer
  • Refill kitchen supplies, including dish soap, dish towels, and sponges
  • Clean the windows and dust the windowsills
  • Sweep and mop the floors
  • Take out the trash, disinfect the garbage can, and replace the trash bag
  • Make sure all kitchen supplies are arranged nicely
Gloved hand wiping down electric stove top

Bedrooms

  • Remove mattress protector, sheets, pillowcases, and blankets and launder properly
  • Dust the tops of dressers and nightstands before vacuuming
  • Wipe down other surfaces, such as ceiling fans and décor
  • Clean smudges from windows and dust windowsills
  • Disinfect high-touch items like light switches and TV remotes
  • Check the room for any personal belongings (if found, notify host)
  • Ensure there’s no sign of damage on bedding, furniture, and other items
  • Vacuum the drapes using an attachment on your vacuum cleaner
  • Vacuum the floors, including under the bed, addressing any carpet stains if needed
  • Empty the trash cans and wipe them down
  • Remove trash and clean trash cans
  • Make sure the bedrooms are stocked with necessary inventory, such as linens
  • Remake the bed with a fresh set of bedding
  • Ensure any décor, artwork, and knick-knacks are arranged nicely
hands pulling bed sheet tighter

Bathrooms

  • Gather dirty towels and bathmats and launder appropriately
  • Check the drawers and cabinets for personal items (if found, notify host)
  • Clean the mirrors and windows using a microfiber cloth and glass cleaner
  • Clean and disinfect the countertops, backsplashes, sinks, and faucets
  • Scrub the bathtubs and faucets and/or the showers and shower doors
  • Remove hard water stains using a solution of vinegar and water
  • Sanitize the toilets, making sure to clean inside, outside, around, and behind
  • Dust the windowsills, vents, and fans
  • Empty and wipe down the trashcan
  • Sweep and mop the floors
  • Ensure there are enough amenities, such as hand soap and toilet paper
  • Check the entire bathroom for signs of wear-and-tear, mold, and other damage
  • Put out clean towels and bathmats
  • Ensure bathroom items, such as the hairdryer, toothbrush holder, soap dispenser, and more, are arranged nicely
Vacation Rental Cleaning

Because That Airbnb Bathroom Won’t Clean Itself!

Living Room

  • Wipe down end tables, coffee tables, other furniture, and shelving
  • Dust appliances, such as televisions and other electronics, and décor
  • Clean the interiors of the windows and sliding glass doors and wipe down the windowsills
  • Dust any light fixtures, such as ceiling fans and lamps
  • Sanitize frequently touched items like TV remotes and light switches
  • Clean and refresh cloth items such as couches, chairs, and throw pillows
  • Launder any throw blankets and replace them once clean
  • Use the attachment on your vacuum cleaner to clean under the couch cushions
  • Sweep and mop and/or vacuum the floors as appropriate
  • Ensure any media, such as books, DVDs, and board games, as well as any décor or artwork, are arranged nicely
  • Make sure the throw pillows are fluffed and the throw blankets are neatly folded
  • Put the welcome book in an area where it will be easily accessible
woman vacuuming rug in living room

Other Areas of the Home

Dining Room

  • Wipe in between furniture spindles for hidden crumbs
  • Make sure nothing has been stuck to the bottom of the table
  • Wash tablecloths and any other washable fabrics
  • Disinfect any highchairs or booster seats
  • Clean centerpieces

Be sure to move the furniture aside when cleaning the floor to get any remaining crumbs. If there is a wooden dining table, finish by using a wood polish. If there is a glass table, be sure to remove all fingerprints and smudge marks.

Exterior

  • Remove any dead leaves and branches from the lawn
  • Trim bushes and mow the lawn regularly
  • Remove weeds and other debris
  • Wipe down outdoor furniture
  • Clean railings
  • Sweep the patio and deck

The exterior of a house is a preview of the character of the home itself. A well-maintained lawn creates an inviting welcome to any property. On the contrary, an unkempt lawn might make guests second guess their stay. It may also be a good idea to pressure wash the driveway and any walkways every so often.

Airbnb Cleaning Checklist PDF

For an easy way to print and use our sample turnover cleaning checklist, we’ve created a PDF for hosts and cleaners to download and print in just a few clicks. Our printable Airbnb checklist template is organized by room, so it’s simple to use and ensures no cleaning task is missed.

Download a Free Airbnb Checklist PDF

Benefits of Using an Airbnb Cleaning Checklist

A detailed vacation rental cleaning checklist will help ensure your cleaning service has thoroughly prepared the property for the next guests. Checklists will also impress your customers, showing organization and attention to detail in your cleaning routine.

How an Airbnb Cleaning Checklist Benefits Hosts

Imagine your guests have just checked out from your vacation rental property. Now, you only have two hours before your next guests arrive. If you’re cleaning your own property, this scenario can be stress-free with an Airbnb host cleaning checklist.

If you work with a professional cleaning service, requiring that they use a specialized checklist will give you peace of mind that every nook and cranny of your rental will be cleaned properly. Whether you use a Turno public checklist or build your own, you will be on the right track to a 5-star clean every time.

How an Airbnb Cleaning Checklist Benefits Cleaners

As a vacation rental cleaner, your success is largely based on the reviews given by guests to the Airbnb host. If a host receives poor feedback about their property’s cleanliness, they may decide to not have you work with them again.

A cleaning checklist helps prevent bad reviews about cleanliness by making sure that you and the host are on the exact same page. You’ll be able to know exactly what needs to be cleaned so that you’ll never miss a spot. When guests — and hosts — are satisfied with your work, you’ll have created a lasting customer relationship.

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How an Airbnb Cleaning Checklist Benefits Guests

Guests generally feel more comfortable in rentals that are aesthetically pleasing. An attractive property that is visibly free of mess and clutter can offer guests a chance to escape their everyday lives.

But do you know what guests don’t like? You guessed it: unclean properties — and more specifically, a property that shows any sign of the last person’s stay. Airbnb reviews tend to be heavily swayed by the cleanliness of the property. Guests will be much more likely to give 5-star reviews and book again when their Airbnb is spick and span.

How to Use an Airbnb Cleaning Checklist

The Turno checklist feature allows hosts to create and share professional Airbnb cleaning checklists using dozens of pre-made templates. Vacation rental cleaners can then follow these checklists to ensure that the short-term rental cleaning goes smoothly.

As a host, you can create your vacation rental cleaning checklist on the Turno web app and assign different checklists to different properties. You can also add or subtract cleaning items to a particular checklist. This ability is beneficial when you want a deep cleaning, that involves more checklist items, for a property.

If you create a helpful checklist and would like to share it with other hosts and cleaners, be sure to check the “make it public” button. You can also make certain checklist items private, such as key codes or addresses, on a public checklist for your privacy. Sharing your short-term rental cleaning checklist is a great way to support your fellow vacation rental hosts.

As a cleaner, the checklists are viewable on both the website and Turno mobile app. On the mobile app, cleaners can check the circles next to the checklist items and then “complete” the project when they are finished.

Hosts will receive an email notification when the cleaner marks the project as complete. This provides peace of mind especially when the turnover window is tight and the next set of guests is soon to arrive.

Airbnb Guest Cleaning Expectations

You don’t have to provide an Airbnb cleaning checklist for guests, however, some hosts choose to do so to make sure the property is tidied up a bit before the professional cleaning takes place.

Turno cleaning checklist feature

An example Airbnb guest cleaning checklist might include:

  • Picking up trash from around the property
  • Placing dirty dishes in the dishwasher
  • Piling dirty towels in the tub or neatly on the floor

If you do choose to ask guests to tidy up before checking out, you can list your policy in the House Rules on your listing.

Top Vacation Rental Cleaning Supplies

Whether you’re a vacation rental host who’s cleaning their own property, or if you’re hiring a professional cleaner, it’s key to know what supplies are needed to make your Airbnb sparkle. Not only will this help avoid any last-minute trips to the store, but it will also ensure that the property is fully ready for the next renters.

Much like a mechanic’s toolbox, each cleaner’s supply kit will vary. The following supply list is a starting point to expand upon as you determine more specific items to fit your needs.

Your Airbnb cleaning items checklist may include:

  • Vacuum
  • Mop (traditional or Swiffer type)
  • All-purpose cleaner
  • Glass cleaner
  • Bathroom disinfectant
  • Microfiber cloths
  • Toilet brush
  • Duster
  • Wood polish
woman holding cleaning supplies

Airbnb COVID-19 Cleaning Procedures

With the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic, the vacation rental industry found that a standard cleaning list may not be enough to fully disinfect and sanitize a home. To combat this fear, Airbnb developed its Enhanced Clean process.

The 5-step Airbnb COVID cleaning checklist includes:

  • Prepare by ventilating the property, using approved cleaning products, and washing hands frequently
  • Clean the property, making sure to dust, vacuum, mop, and wipe down surfaces
  • Sanitize high-touch surfaces, allowing the disinfectant to sit for the proper length of time, and then air-dry
  • Check each room to ensure no surface or item was missed
  • Reset the property by washing your hands before restocking guest supplies and disinfecting your cleaning equipment before the next job

If you work with multiple cleaning staff, be sure to share this COVID cleaner checklist with the entire team.

Cleaning Tips for Year-Round Property Maintenance

Cleaning an entire dirty property at once can be a challenging task. To make it less daunting, clean regularly and check off additional maintenance as needed.

Off-season Airbnb cleaning duties include:

  • Check the plumbing
  • Replace any burnt out light bulbs
  • Clean behind appliances (oven, dishwasher, and refrigerator)
  • Touch up the paint

When the property is not in use, consider adding protective coverings over the furniture. This will help to eliminate excess dust and make it easier to clean during the busy rental season. Roll up rugs and store them so they don’t gather dust or acquire new stains.

You’ve Got the Checklist, Now Find the Cleaner!

Make Cleaning Simple With an Airbnb Cleaning Checklist

No matter if you’re an Airbnb host or cleaner, you’ve probably experienced driving home after a long day and having a nagging feeling that you forgot to do that one little thing. Vacation rental cleaning checklists help you — or your cleaning service — stay on track and never miss a task.

In addition to checklists, Turno offers numerous other features for hosts to help streamline and automate their day-to-day operations. From auto-scheduling to inventory tracking, we can help simplify your vacation rental cleaning process.