Airbnb Design Ideas

Cleaning Vacation Rentals? Don’t Miss These Commonly Overlooked Areas

Cleaning involves a lot of steps and processes. Many people overlook certain areas while cleaning vacation rentals, which can, in turn, lead to negative guest reviews. The items below might seem unnecessary to clean, but it’s important to check and clean them often to promote hygiene and enhance your guests’ experiences.

by The Turno Team

Top 9 Missed Places During Turnover Cleaning

Below, find out which spots get overlooked the most when cleaning vacation rentals.

1. Light Switches

These are often touched and frequently used but can easily be overlooked in cleaning. We recommend thoroughly wetting with a disinfecting wipe. For full disinfection to take place, the surface must stay visibly wet for approximately 4 minutes.

2. Security and Lock Keypads

Many properties use a keypad for easy guest entry. This is often on the exterior of the house but can be missed when only focusing on the inside.

These should be cleaned similarly to light switches by ensuring they stay visibly wet with a cleaning solution for several minutes. While this is usually the first point of contact for guests, it is often overlooked during the cleaning process.

3. Towel Racks

Obviously, towels and linens are cleaned between guests, but make sure you don’t forget about the towel racks. Not only do these come into contact with guest towels but they are almost always covered and never get much of a chance to breathe.

These should be wiped down thoroughly to ensure they don’t pass any unwanted germs or odors from a dirty towel to a new clean one.

4. TV Remotes

If there is a TV, smart device, or even a fan, chances are it’s accompanied by a remote. Make sure these are cleaned well to limit the chances of spreading germs in your vacation rental.

We even suggest taking the batteries out so you can depress the buttons and clean the spaces in between them without messing with the TV.

5. Dresser Handles and Knobs

Other highly-touched surfaces that are often neglected are handles and knobs for dressers and cabinets.

Make sure these are cleaned well — and while you’re at it, wipe down the insides of the drawers too. Let surfaces dry fully after they’ve been wet to get the full benefit of the disinfectant cleaner.

6. AC Filters

A clean AC filter is very important for an efficient and longer-lasting air conditioning system. The first step to cleaning your AC filter is to vacuum it. For window AC units, take off the cover and vacuum regularly. To avoid damaging the filter, make sure to use the vacuum attachment without a brush.

Next, soak the filter in a bathtub with room temperature water. Add enough liquid detergent to lather up the tub, then submerge the filter for about 10 to 15 minutes. After soaking, use a hose to wash off the soapy solution and let the filter dry.

Then, spray the filter with a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water. Wait around 10 to 15 minutes for the solution to kill any bacteria and rinse. Lastly, let the AC filter air dry for at least two hours, depending on the size. Rest the filter on the wall with newspapers on the ground to speed up the process. Ensure the filter is fully dried before putting it back in the unit.

7. Coffee Makers

If you have a Keurig, it is essential to clean the water reservoir because it can start to retain mold and mineral deposits after a long period without cleaning.

To do this, empty out the reservoir and take apart the coffee maker to wash any removable parts of the machine with dish soap. Dip a toothbrush in white vinegar and clean around the part where the coffee pod goes in, as well as the water reservoir area. After the pieces are dry, reassemble the coffee maker to wash out the inside of it.

Fill the reservoir with 4 cups of white vinegar and 2 cups of water. Run the machine with nothing except for the vinegar and water solution, and keep running it until the machine cycles all of the solutions. Repeat the process of the vinegar cycle but with plain water to rinse out any remaining gunk and vinegar from inside the machine.

Now, the machine should be fully clean and ready for making fresh coffee. To learn how to remove coffee stains, visit this article.

8. Fridge

While it is important to wipe down the outside of the fridge with a disinfectant, it is just as important to clean out the inside and wipe down all of the drawers and shelves.

To clean out the refrigerator, make sure to:

  • Empty everything out of the fridge and throw out expired food
  • Take out shelves, drawers, and any containers in the fridge
  • Wash the removable parts with dish soap and dry
  • Use a soapy towel to wipe the inside of the fridge, then wipe with a different clean towel to dry
  • Put everything back inside of the fridge after all the shelving has dried

For a clean-smelling fridge, leave an open box of baking soda inside to help combat strong odors.

9. Dishwasher

Having a clean dishwasher means having even cleaner dishes. But your dishwasher can accrue mold without proper care, so it is important to be thorough while cleaning.

First, take the racks, filter, and utensil holders out of the dishwasher and soak them in a mixture of warm water and white vinegar for 30 minutes. Next, remove debris by wiping the inside of the dishwasher and using a toothbrush for hard-to-reach areas.

Fill a bowl with white vinegar, place it in the dishwasher, and run it on a hot water cycle. Then, take out the bowl, sprinkle about one cup of baking soda along the bottom of the dishwasher, and run a short cycle. After the short cycle, your dishwasher should be good as new. Remember to wipe the outside door of the appliance as well.

How to Ensure a Thorough Cleaning Every Time

It’s no secret that cleaning a vacation rental is a demanding task. You have to get an entire home clean in just a few hours while making sure to dust, sanitize, and vacuum every nook and cranny.

A helpful way to remember all of your cleaning to-dos — and never overlook an item or area in your short-term rental again — is to use a checklist.

To make sure you never miss a cleaning and that everything is ready to go for each set of guests, turn to Turno. Our app connects professional cleaners with hosts to put vacation rental cleaning on autopilot.