Vacation Rental Software

How to Automate Airbnb Cleaning

Cleaning is one of the most time-consuming tasks for Airbnb hosts. Luckily, automation is a new way to ensure that your vacation rental property is always up to par — without all the manual labor. Learn how you can put your short-term rental turnover process on autopilot in six simple steps.

by The Turno Team

What Is Vacation Rental Cleaning Automation?

You can spend thousands on fancy vacation rental cleaning robots and gadgets so that your property essentially cleans itself. Or, for a more accessible option, you can hire experienced cleaning professionals to handle your turnovers all at the touch of a button. 

Cleaning automation software like Turno streamlines the process of cleaning an Airbnb property. This saves you time and money by freeing you up to handle other tasks. 

With this platform, you can find trusted cleaners in your area or work with professionals you already know and love. You’ll receive automatic notifications when the cleaner starts and finishes the turnover and if they have any questions along the way. You can even automatically schedule each cleaning and pay your cleaning crew.

professional cleaner holding a container of cleaning supplies and her smartphone in the other hand

Once you have your cleaning process down to an automated science, you can focus on Airbnb business growth strategies and more.

6 Easy Steps to Automate Airbnb Cleaning

Below, learn how you can use automation software to make your vacation rental cleaning easier than ever. 

1. Hire a Professional Cleaner

There are several ways in which you can find a cleaning professional in your area. For example, you can utilize online tools such as: 

  • Craigslist
  • Facebook Groups
  • Google

The problem with these methods, however, is that you may not know whether or not the cleaner is reliable or does a thorough job until it’s too late. Instead, you can use a dedicated cleaner marketplace like Turno to find an experienced and vetted cleaning professional in your area. 

Turno connects you to local cleaners and allows you to assess their rates and reviews before selecting one to perform a cleaning job. Once the cleaning project is done, you can submit your own rating and review for the cleaner and decide whether you’d like to continue working with them in the future or try someone new. Software like ours simplifies automating your Airbnb cleaning.

Looking for a professional vacation rental cleaner?

2. Share Your Booking Calendar

Perhaps you use your Google Calendar to track your bookings. Or maybe you’ve been in the game for a while and use a project management system. No matter where you keep track of your guest bookings, you can share this calendar with your cleaner so they’ll know exactly when to be at your property for each turnover without all the back-and-forth texting, emailing, or calling. 

hand holding phone with calendar pulled up on screen while looking at calendar on laptop with a notebook and pen in front of them

Platforms like Turno can automatically sync with your booking calendars on Airbnb, Vrbo, and other OTAs. This means that whenever someone makes a reservation at your rental, it will automatically populate on your unified Turno calendar. You can share this calendar with your cleaner to ensure everyone is on the same page. 

3. Create a Checklist

Cleaning a vacation rental differs from a regular cleaning. There are countless overlooked cleaning spots in an Airbnb, such as baseboards and ceiling fans, that must be wiped down to ensure a spotless and dust-free property. 

How can you make sure that your rental is cleaned to your — and, ultimately, your guests’ — standards? Checklists. An Airbnb cleaning checklist is an essential tool to help you make sure that every nook and cranny of your vacation home is squeaky clean and sanitized. 

If you use Turno for scheduling, you can also take advantage of the checklist feature. It allows you to create your own custom checklist or choose from a vast collection of checklists made by experienced vacation rental hosts. You can share your checklist with your cleaners, and they won’t be able to complete the cleaning project until every item is checked off. 

4. Keep Track of Inventory

Similar to the checklist feature on Turno, the platform also offers an inventory tracking system. That way, you can always be confident that your property is well-stocked with the essentials. 

Simply determine how many items you want available at your property at any given time. For example, you may always want to have at least three rolls of toilet paper stocked. Then, your cleaner can let you know when an item is running low. 

rolls of toilet paper stacked in a small basket

This system is beneficial because it’ll save you from having to make extra trips to your property to check inventory yourself.

5. Schedule Recurring Deep Cleanings

A vacation rental cleaning is already fairly thorough, but there will also be times when your property needs a deep cleaning. Say you have your busy season in the summer. You may choose to schedule your deep cleaning after these back-to-back guest stays. 

A turnover automation platform like Turno allows you to schedule incremental deep cleanings to keep your property in the best possible condition. You’ll be able to continue with your normal day-to-day operations while your deep cleanings are automatically scheduled and performed without you having to lift a finger. 

Ensure your rental is always guest-ready with Turno.

6. Send Payments Instantly

Did you know that short-term rental hosts spend around 40 hours per year sending payments to their cleaning staff?

Automation tools help you instantly compensate your cleaners once they complete a turnover. Taking the manual work out of paying your cleaners will cross one more thing off your to-do list and free up your valuable time. 

professional cleaner using a smartphone to keep track of his cleaning time

Try Software to Automate Airbnb Cleaning

Automating your vacation rental cleaning routine allows you or your professional Airbnb cleaning company to complete each turnover efficiently and to a high standard. Consistent cleanings allow your guests to enjoy a welcoming and comfortable environment and allow you to rack up those 5-star reviews.