November 3, 2022
Whether you are spot-cleaning between guests or performing a deep cleaning job during the offseason, it is hard to know where to start when tidying up your vacation rental. There is normally only a limited amount of time to get the job done, and what seems like a never-ending list of things to do. In order to make the job easier and more effective, we have put together this checklist for vacation rental cleaning:
After your guests check out and you go in to clean up for the next reservation, what do you do first? The first step to a successful cleaning job should always be to survey the property. Once you know what shape your rental is in, you know what areas need to be hit the hardest. As you do your walkthrough, check to see if there is any damage to the property, look for left-behind belongings, and any other major concerns. If there is any type of damage, be sure to report it immediately so there is time to address the concern. During the initial walkthrough, you should also go ahead and remove any soiled linens from the bathroom and strip the linens off the bedding.
Once you have completed your initial inspection, you should start your cleaning job with the tasks that are going to take the most time. For example, if the dishes need to be washed, start those first so the cycle has time to finish while you are doing other things. If you discover that one area of the property needs to be deep cleaned, start there and work your way to the smaller jobs as you go. When you do your walkthrough, you should be able to take note of the areas that need to be worked on the most.
If you come across any areas that are stained, you will want to treat those rather quickly for a couple of different reasons. First of all, the sooner you can treat the stain, the easier it will be to get the surface back to what it was before. Also, some chemicals require the need to let them sit for a few minutes, so treating them early will give you time to clean another area while you wait. This is especially helpful if you notice kitchen stains that require the use of a degreaser or other chemical.
When you begin any cleaning job, the trick is to touch everything while taking the fewest amount of steps possible. One of the biggest tips on how to achieve this is to work your way out of the unit. When cleaning each room, work your way from high to low and from either right to left or left to right. If you follow a wall all the way around the room cleaning as you go, you should finish at the door so you can move straight into the next room. Following these steps should ensure that you don’t miss any details so you aren’t having to waste time going back to the rooms that are finished.
Before you finish mopping the last room of the job, be sure to take one last look around the property to make sure you did not leave any cleaning materials or rags laying out anywhere. Also, use this time to double-check that you completed all the necessary tasks that you found during your initial walkthrough. Before leaving each room, make sure that all the windows and exterior doors are locked. Finally, you should be able to finish mopping the main entrance and close and lock the door behind you for the completion of another successful cleaning job.
Would you like some more cleaning tips? Email us today at [email protected] for a downloadable checklist for vacation rental cleaning!
