We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Are you heading into or experiencing the off-season at your Airbnb vacation rental? Honestly, it can be pretty tough. It’s always a bummer when the payouts dry up, rates plummet, and inquiries are few and far between. However, there is a great opportunity to deep clean and reset your Airbnb in the off-season. Today, I want to share just how to do this, and keep reading because I am including a FREE Airbnb cleaning checklist!
Why trust me? Well, I am a top-rated Airbnb Superhost, entering my 4th year renting our places on Airbnb. I host thousands of guests yearly at our four condos on 30A and am proud to have a 4.99 average rating. You can’t please 100% of the people 100% of the time, right?
Reset Your Airbnb In The Off-Season
So, back to the off-season. Yes, you are making way less money than you are used to. However, on the plus side, it’s a chance to take a deep breath and exhale. If you are like me, your space stays rented every single day for months on end. It’s nice to get a little breather because we all know that Airbnb hosting is not passive income.
But, after a quick break, it’s time to get back to work. As Airbnb hosts, we would love to reduce prices and book our places 100% of the time. However, after four years of hosting, I can confidently say that dropping prices too low tends to attract both high-maintenance and difficult Airbnb guests.
Therefore, I set limits, and if my places don’t book, that’s that. But I use those empty nights to deep clean and reset my rentals. For me, on 30A in the Florida panhandle, our off-season is most of December through February.
So, this is when I schedule my own longer trips down, ensuring I can get into multiple units to deep clean and get my painters, maintenance techs, etc, scheduled. I always have my Airbnb cleaning checklist in mind before, during, and after my visit!
Why Deep Clean Your Airbnb In The Offseason?
As I mentioned in my 8 Truths I Didn’t Know Before Becoming An Airbnb Host blog post, you won’t always be able to use your space during prime season. It’s busy! It’s hard for me to get down there at all, let alone have enough time to tackle big cleaning and maintenance projects.
So, take your time and enjoy your place in the off-season while also giving it a much-needed reset! There is no better way to find out if small appliances are broken or if the sleeper sofa sags than using your Airbnb just as a guest would.
Benefits of Deep Cleaning Your Airbnb
I am always shocked to hear of Airbnb owners who never visit their short term rental property. It may seem to work for them, but I guarantee you they feel it in their reviews.
Visiting your Airbnb at least 4 times a year is imperative! Only you will take care of it the way you want. Laying eyes on your property and making changes and improvements as needed improves the guest experience and allows you to see/fix issues before a guest does.
Furthermore, deep cleaning your Airbnb with my Airbnb cleaning checklist allows for long-term maintenance and preservation of the property and positively impacts reviews and ratings. We all want Airbnb Superhost status, right?
Reset Your Airbnb With A Deep Clean
A proper Airbnb refresh requires planning in order to be as effective as possible. This allows you to schedule vendors and purchase items before your visit. This is most important if you are far from big retailers such as Target and Home Depot or your property doesn’t allow deliveries from Amazon. My Airbnb cleaning checklist has a bonus page with all of the cleaning supplies I use.
Also, I want to point out that I do not use property managers to manage my Airbnb. I am writing this post for short term rental hosts like me, who self-manage but have an excellent professional cleaning service as boots on the ground. If you use a management company, connect with them before starting your refresh. They may do it as part of the contract’s maintenance and cleaning fee or have additional input.
Taking Airbnb Inventory & Ordering Replacements
Visiting yourself for a quick night a week or two in advance is a good idea. This allows you to make a list of items you need to buy and bring with you next time.
Or, if you can’t visit in advance, you can ask your cleaners if they notice anything that needs to be replaced. You can also ask them to inventory linens and supplies. Sometimes, this is as easy as snapping photos inside cabinets and drawers. This is a quick way to determine if the silverware went missing or if all of the wine glasses are gone!
Regardless, you should plan on replacing your Airbnb sheets and duvet covers annually and thinning out stained towels. We will look more specifically at these items in the Airbnb cleaning checklist sections below!
Getting Started: Gather Your Airbnb Cleaning Supplies
First, you need to make sure you have the proper cleaning supplies with you. This differs from the cleaning items that you leave for guests. I have these all organized in my Airbnb Cleaning & Refresh List on Amazon and linked individually below.
At all times, I have multipurpose spray, Windex, Folex, air fresheners, brooms, and a small vacuum for guests to use. But I only keep the bleach, carpet cleaner, fan dusters, magic erasers, drain snakes, etc., back for my own use.
I recommend having some cleaning solutions and tools on hand for an Airbnb Deep Clean. I reference many in my Airbnb cleaning checklist below.
- Clorox Clean-Up Bleach Spray
- Magic Erasers
- Folex
- Multipurpose Spray
- The Pink Stuff
- Velcro Drain Cleaner Tools
- Extendable Swiffer Dusting Tool
- Swiffer Dusters
- Little Green Carpet Cleaner
- High-Quality Vaccum
- Baseboard Cleaning Tool
- Touch-Up Painting Tool
- Electric Scrub Brush
- Wall Cleaning Tool
- CreviceCleaning Brush
- WD40
Room-by-Room Airbnb Deep Cleaning Guide
So, now that you have your essential cleaning tools, let’s go through area by area and get to work on this Airbnb cleaning checklist.
TIP: I recommend reading this entire post and downloading the printable Airbnb cleaning checklist BEFORE heading to your Airbnb. It helps you gather the proper items and get a game plan!
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE AIRBNB CLEANING CHECKLIST PRINTABLE PDF
1. Cleaning Airbnb Walls, Windows, Outlets, Fans, Lights & Doors
To not be redundant, I want to hit on these items first, as they apply to every room. I like to do these items first, as they often leave a mess on the floors and the bed/furniture in the case of a fan.
Walls: Every room will require a magic eraser for the walls. These are usually very effective in removing scuffs. So, go through your entire place with one before determining if you need to repaint or touch up paint. Also, if you have a lot of open wall space and high ceilings, a wall-cleaning tool will be very helpful.
Outlets: Wipe down each outlet face plate and make sure the plate is secure. Always disinfect light switches as part of your vacation rental cleaning process.
Windows: Your cleaning team likely cleans the interior at each turn, but you will need to tackle the exterior of the windows. Also, use a crevice-cleaning tool to clean the hard-to-hit areas.
Fans: You can use a fan cleaning tool, like this one, or the extendable Swiffer to dust the fan. Afterward, you should get up on a ladder and wipe it down with a spray. I really like that Swiffer for dusting my vents and light fixtures as well.
Lights & Bulbs: Test all lightbulbs and replace them as needed. Make sure you have extras on hand for your cleaners. I always keep extra batteries, light bulbs, and wine glasses in the cabinet above the refrigerator. Dust and wipe down all parts of the light fixtures.
Doors: Use the magic eraser as needed. Check that doors open and close easily. Use WD40 as needed, especially on sliding exterior or closet doors.
2. Refreshing Your Airbnb Living Room
Either you tackled all of the above at once or plan to do it room by room. So, let’s move on and get started in the living room! Here are the steps I would take on my Airbnb cleaning checklist to deep clean and refresh my living room, game rooms, and sitting rooms.
Sofas and Chairs: Remove couch cushions and vacuum inside. Spot treat stains with Folex and elbow grease, or use the Little Green upholstery cleaning tool. I have a full blog post about this fantastic portable cleaner here. If you have a sleeper sofa, open it up and make sure it works. Check for stains on the mattress and sofa bed mattress pad and treat those.
Cabinets: Check inside each cabinet and ensure things are where they should be. Open up games and make sure all of the pieces are there. Wipe down the entire inside before placing items back inside.
Electronics: Tighten cables on your Airbnb TVs and AV equipment. Dust items. Make sure you have at least one backup controller.
Furniture: Dust and polish all furniture. Use an Allen wrench or screwdriver to tighten it as needed. Make sure felt pads are still on the bottom of the chairs. I always keep a small tool kit in my Airbnbs for guests to use, and it has these items for when I am there, too!
Rugs: Slow vacuum your area rugs. Then, bring them outside to shake if needed and then re-vacuum them. Again, use Folex or the Little Green to spot clean as needed. Occasionally, either have the rugs cleaned or replace them.
3. Refreshing Your Airbnb Bedrooms
Next up are the bedrooms. Hopefully, you are staying in your Airbnb, and ensure the mattress is comfortable! The following Airbnb cleaning checklist will help make sure you remember everything.
Mattress: First, strip everything off the bed. Your mattress should be fully encased in a protector. Unzip it and check for any sign of bed bugs. Then, check the mattress and protector for stains. Clean or replace the mattress as needed.
READ: Best Mattress For Your Airbnb
Bed: Check and vacuum under the bed. It is crucial to tighten the bed if it is loose or wiggly. Polish or use Folex to clean the headboard if it’s fabric.
READ: Best Bed For Your Airbnb
Bedding: Inventory all bedding in your cleaner’s closet. You should replace duvet covers and mattress pads as needed. I replace bedding throughout the year. Whether you do or not, at this point, you need to make sure you have 3+ complete sets of Airbnb sheets and duvet covers.
READ: Best Bedding For Your Airbnb
Pillows: Each pillow should have a high-quality, low-noise pillow protector by Allerease. Launder and replace those as needed. Pillows will likely need to be replaced annually. My favorite pillows are this gel pillow and this regular pillow. I have two of each on each of my Airbnb beds.
Furniture & Rugs: Dust and wipe down all surfaces and tighten them as needed. Clean any rugs as needed.
4. Deep Cleaning Your Airbnb Kitchen
This room requires the most effort because you must wipe every cabinet inside and out, check to ensure appliances are working, and inventory all of your Airbnb kitchen items. In addition to your Airbnb cleaning checklist, you should have a running kitchen inventory list.
Dishware, Glassware & Flatware: Take time to make sure you have the proper amount of items for guests. If you are missing many things, buying a new Airbnb dishware set or flatware set is sometimes better than adding replacements that don’t match. I like to use the Sussex Silverware from Target. They sell extra spoons, knives, etc, in sets of 6 or 10, so I can easily grab more as needed without having mismatched silverware. Sharpen knives as needed.
Cabinets & Surfaces: Wipe all cabinets, counters, and other surfaces inside and outside. Tighten knobs and wipe the faceplates well. Remove any extra items that got left there by guests. Make sure to wipe inside all of your kitchen utensil organizers.
Appliances: Deep-cleaning appliances such as the refrigerator, oven, and microwave are standard. However, don’t forget to use products like TrueFresh dishwashing machine cleaner and TrueFresh disposal cleaner on a monthly basis. You will also need to ensure all small appliances are clean and working. Replacing inexpensive items such as your Airbnb coffeemakers is sometimes easier. You may need to use a stainless steel cleaner on the exteriors of your sink and appliances.
Cookware & Storage: Inventory your cookware and storage containers to ensure all lids are present. Clean and replace as needed. You’ll want to replace your Airbnb cutting boards annually.
5. Airbnb Bathroom & Laundry Room Refresh
The bathroom is my least favorite room to deep clean. But they are small, and a clean bathroom makes all the difference to an Airbnb guest! My Airbnb Bathroom Essentials blog post shares everything I have in our vacation rental bathrooms and is a great read!
Tub, Shower, Toilet, Sink: Thoroughly deep clean these. I like to use this high speed electric spin brush. Check to make sure the drains are working. You will likely need to use a Velcro drain cleaner to clear them out. I am always shocked at how much hair I pull out of our showers! Replace shower curtains and recaulk as needed.
Replace your toilet brushes and plungers each year if needed (it probably is). Also, use a product like TrueFresh toilet bowl cleaner tablets monthly to keep your toilets looking new, especially if you have hard water.
Cabinets: Again, take everything out of the cabinets and wipe them out well. Clean inside every drawer and make sure items such as the hair dryer are working. I like to make sure there are ample extra bottles of hand soap and that my first aid kit is still pretty full.
Towels: I replace towels more than any other item in my Airbnb because I want them always to feel clean and hotel-like. Likewise, inventory your bath towels, hand towels, washcloths, makeup cloths, bath mats, etc, and replace them as needed.
Laundry Room: Use a product like TrueFresh washing machine cleaner in your washer on a monthly or quarterly basis. And deep clean /reorganize this space as needed.
READ: Let’s Talk Airbnb Towels
6. Cleaning Out Closets
This is probably the most satisfying part of this process! If you have been hosting for a while, you know that guests love to “be helpful” and leave things behind for others.
Once, I arrived at one of my one-bedroom condos on 30A, and when I opened the closet, a giant beach tent and multiple pool floats fell out at me in the face. I cringed, wondering how long it had been like that because guests were literally unable to use this bedroom closet.
So, get rid of the things that shouldn’t be in there. Reorganize it as needed. Make sure you have plenty of matching high-quality hangers. This is all part of my mental Airbnb cleaning checklist and something I do every time I am at our condos.
If you have beach chairs, umbrellas, and sand toys in your closets like I do, you will likely want to replace them annually. These are my favorite sand toys for our Airbnbs!
READ: Airbnb Closet Must Haves
7. Freshen Up Your Airbnb Common Spaces
Hit all remaining interior areas. Dust and wipe down everything. Do one last pass-through, clean your moldings with a baseboard buddy, and make sure the floors look nice.
8. Tackle Your Airbnb Outdoor Areas
Furniture: I only have condos with small balconies. So, I only have a small table and chairs and replace them every 12-18 months. The intense Florida sun ages them quickly. If you have outdoor spaces at your short-term rental, I always recommend Polywood furniture, which lasts a long time. Our Polywood pool furniture at home still looks brand new!
Grills & Firepits: You may want to hire a professional to tackle these items. But you want them to look new. Again, this may be one of those areas where a replacement is less work and roughly the same cost as trying to clean them.
Lights, Games, Etc: If you have outdoor games, firepits, string lights, or other items outside at your Airbnb, use this opportunity to make sure they are in good shape. Wash or replace as necessary.
9. Locks, Labels & An Updated House Manual
Just a couple more things, and you are done! I bet your place looks so much better already!
Locks & Labels: Lastly, replace the batteries in your Airbnb smart locks. If you use labels at your Airbnb, printing a new set may be a good idea. Dingly and peeling labels always make a place look unkempt.
House Manual: I do not use a physical house manual in my vacation rentals (read why here), but I use this opportunity to ensure my house manual data is 100% current. Additionally, I go in and edit some of my saved Airbnb message responses in the Airbnb mobile app as needed to make sure they are serving me as best they can.
My Airbnb Looks Great, Now What?
I bet you are vowing never to fall behind again. But be proud of yourself. Short-term rentals endure a lot of wear and tear. Deep cleaning and refreshing your Airbnb in the off-season is just part of the job!
Just make sure to plan for routine maintenance at your Airbnb. You should be on a quarterly maintenance plan with your HVAC company. Ask your cleaners to inventory items every month, especially in the kitchen.
Airbnb hosts need to address potential issues before they become major problems. If you have big projects, consider taking care of them in the off-season!
There is one more thing I want to mention here. After I have my place thoroughly cleaned, I do have my cleaners come through on the day that I leave. Once they are done, I walk through with them to correct any issues. For example, I tell guests the sofa bed sheets are in the cabinet under the TV, and they were putting them in the closet by mistake.
You can also use this opportunity to take some new photos! Or, film some video to use on your rental’s social media pages.
But What About Painting My Airbnb?
Yes, I still need to talk about this. Painting is such a big project. I find that I need to repaint my entire Airbnb every 2 years or so. I plan ahead, budget for the project, and do it during our slowest month.
Other than that, guests are reckless. Even if you paint your place top to bottom, the next guest will likely scrape a chair against the wall. Just do your best with magic erasers, touch up walls when truly needed, and plan to repaint from time to time.
FREE Airbnb Cleaning Checklist For Hosts
I know this is a lot of information! So, I have created an easy-to-read, downloadable, and printable Airbnb cleaning checklist for you. This list breaks down tasks by room, just as I did here for easy reference.
Are You Ready To Reset Your Airbnb in 2024?
I want to reiterate the importance of deep-cleaning your Airbnb in the off-season. Not only does it give you a fresh start for the upcoming reason, but it’s the most valuable use of those empty nights on your calendar.
However, remember to enjoy yourself too! Being a great Airbnb host means knowing the area and loving it as much as your guests. Use this opportunity to try new restaurants in the area or re-visit your favorite shops. Experiencing your destination just as a guest does makes you a better Airbnb host!
More Airbnb Hosting Tips
For more helpful Airbnb hosting tips, including everything from getting started to filing Airbnb taxes, check out the 5-Star Airbnb Hosting sections of my blog.
You can also follow my Airbnb Hosting Board on Pinterest, and my Amazon storefront is full of my favorite products, including many video demonstrations!
Lastly, my new Airbnb Hosting Facebook Group has over 100 members and will be a great place to learn more from me and other Airbnb hosts.
PIN: Airbnb Reset + Airbnb Cleaning Checklist
