1. Kick Things Off Right

The tried-and-true professional cleaning method for getting started right is to find the part of the home that’s farthest away from the front door. The play here is to go as far as you can, and then work your way forward, eventually getting back to the front door. Another pro-tip before getting started is to open all of the doors in the house. Then, as you finish each room, close each door to keep track of where you’ve been.

2. Keep Your Eye on the Ball, and Follow the Wall

Don’t just wander around the house cleaning without a plan or pattern. If you try this method, you’ll likely miss spots, or even clean things twice. Instead, “follow the wall.” When you’re done cleaning one room, follow the perimeter wall to the next one. Repeat this process until you’ve visited (and cleaned) all of the rooms. By following the walls, you’re less likely to miss anything.

3. Kitchen Cleanliness for the Win

Your guests are expecting an especially clean kitchen because this is where they’re going to be preparing their meals. Be sure to hit all of these places for maximum cleanliness. The main thing to remember is that you need to disinfect all surfaces. You’ll notice there are a lot of ‘tops’ to worry about for starters: stovetop, countertops, tabletops, chair tops. 

Check to make sure the microwave isn’t gross on the inside, and refill any hand soap and dish soap as needed. Now continue on to cleaning the sink, and wiping down every knob, light switch, and handle in the kitchen. Finish up by emptying out the fridge, and then sweeping and mopping. 

4. Bathrooms are Game Winners

Even more so than the kitchen, your guests are going to be paying careful attention to your bathrooms. If you miss something in here, you’re in for a bad review (or worse).

Start at the top, and work your way down, beginning with the main mirror. From there, move on to the sink and countertops, being certain to get them spotless of any hair, stains, or anything else unsavory. Next, move on to the shower, and clean the walls from top to bottom as well. Now that everything has fallen into the tub, run a bit of water in it and give it a scrub (and then let everything run down the drain). Finally, give the toilet a good brushing, and finish off by sweeping and mopping the floor. 

Oh, and be sure to refill the toilet paper and hand soap.

5. Bedroom Blitz

On to another more private area, the bedrooms. This is where people are going to be sleeping, so you have to ensure the feeling of absolute cleanliness. 

A great place to start in the bedrooms is with the linens. Strip any comforters, and then change out the pillowcases and sheets with fresh ones. Now take some time to disinfect any blankets properly with disinfectant sprays (or wash between each use). A pro-tip is that you need to change the linens in every bedroom between each booking– you never know who slept where. 

Next, dust all of the surface areas such as dressers and nightstands, and then disinfect all lamp switches, light switches, and doorknobs. Finally, vacuum the area of all the dust and artifacts you’ve knocked onto the floor with your cleaning.

6. Coaching Your Common Area 

Now that you’ve spent some proper time in the more private areas of the bathroom and bedrooms, it’s time to make sure that the higher traffic areas are spic and span. 

Higher traffic spaces like living rooms and game rooms can be a hotbed for germs and messes, so take extra care. Like many of the other rooms, start high, and work your way down– dust ceiling fans, shelves, and other surfaces. Next, work through the room and disinfect everything that people touch frequently: things such as remote controls, stereos and soundbars, handles of window blinds, and the handles that recline furniture. Disinfect any throw pillows (people may have had their faces on them), and arrange all decorations and objects in the room so they don’t look messy.

Finally, if it’s a hardwood or tile area, sweep and mop. If it’s a carpeted area, vacuum.

7. Finish the Game Strong with Outdoor Spaces

You want to be sure that any outdoor spaces look tidy and welcoming. Start by sweeping with an outside broom to get rid of any leaves, sticks, or other unsightly debris. Straighten out any patio furniture and wipe it down, positioning cushions nicely. Clean and arrange any other outdoor items such as grills, pool chairs, etc.

8. Get the Extra Point

Finally, now that you’ve cleaned all of the rooms, work your way throughout the house and empty all of the trash cans, replacing the bags with new ones. We saved this step for last so you can do it all in one fell swoop, taking one trip out to the outside trashcans.

You’ll Win With Coral Breeze Cleaning

This playbook is only scratching the surface, and if it seems daunting, let us help. We’ve been writing the playbook on vacation rental cleaning for years, and are 100% up to the minute on AirBnB’s cleanliness regulations. 

Give us a call, and let’s talk about how we can be the last cleaning company you’ll ever hire.