Airbnb, how clean do we need to leave the accommodation?

[Crunchymum]

We plan to:

Wash up
Strip all bed linen
Sweep floors
Put towels on a wash (all used)
Clean all surfaces
Make sure shower and loo are clean

Obviously we'll bin all rubbish / take what we need.

Anything else? FWIW we need to leave early (9am) and have 3 young kids and a tonne of shit to take home.

Depends how filthy you've made it during your stay!

I would do the following:
Definitely wash up!
Clean cooker top
Empty and wipe out fridge
Clean kitchen sink and wipe surfaces / dining table
Leave all furniture and other items arranged they were on arrival
Wipe over bathrooms with a damp cloth to remove dust and hair (not a thorough clean unless really grimy).
Dust dressing table and bedside tables free of hair / makeup dust.
Leave beds tidy, not necessarily stripped but also make clear which ones had been used / not used.
Pile damp towels in bath / shower
Swept / hoover up any excessive dirt eg sand, mud, food crumbs (but not bother to vacuum bedrooms unless dirty).
Many wouldn't do as much as I like to, but I have glowing reviews from all hosts I've stayed with.

I absolutely wouldn't wash towels unless specifically asked to. They might not want them washed at the temp you choose to wash them or might use a laundry service. You're almost certainly paying an extra cleaning fee and they will want to make sure they follow their Covid protocols so leaving the place "clean and tidy"/ "as you found it" is enough. You don't need to scrub!

I’d clean up any specific mess - washing up, Chuck stuff out of fridge, wipe up any crumbs or spillages, put towels in a heap, put everything back where it was, and take rubbish out to bins if asked.

But that’s it - they will employ a cleaner and they will just clean over the top of you so it’s pointless —also you aren’t being paid to clean, the cleaner is.

I’d also say:

• make sure dishwasher is emptied and all crockery and cutlery and pans back where you found them.
• Clean the kitchen sink

I agree, don’t bother washing towels unless asked to.

Are you paying a cleaning fee?
If so then I would do what you listed apart from washing towels.

Leave the place decent but you don't need to do a thorough clean you are highly likely to be paying for someone else to do that.

Put the dishwasher on but waiting for the cycle to run/emptying it is impossible if you have a checkout time and want any breakfast!

I've stopped using airbnb as owners said we left a mess and left a horrible review (we had been so tidy and any mess was a few empty water bottles we'd run out of time to collect but we'd generally left cleaner and more hygienic that we found it). I think they did it thinking we would leave a bad review as we'd had lots of problems with WiFi, air conditioning, etc etc. Airbnb didn't reply to me. I'd check reviews they have left for others.

*than we

I would leave it tidy and as others say clean out the fridge, wipe kitchen surfaces and bedroom bathroom any spills etc. I would only hoover if I had been there a while or it was obviously sandy/crumbs. More likely for a week with children. Less likely if it was a weekend or a night just with DH.

They will clean anyway, or employ someone who will and they will need to do it their way for covid protocols. I wouldn't put sheets or towels on a wash as I wouldn't know which settings they use or if they use a service. I would also hate to get blamed for any colour runs (assuming colored or becah towels) or if the owners don't check until the next day then the towels going smelly after the wash is done.

As an Airbnb owner, do not wash the towels. I can't stand when people do this. I send all my linen and towels out for laundering and this makes it so difficult.

I wouldn't even bother stripping beds.

Just put all rubbish in a bin, remove it if you've been asked to.

Give things a quick wipe if it needs it but even then, that should be getting done by owner/cleaner regardless of whether you've done it.

I pay a cleaning fee, I'm not cleaning the toilet or hoovering while I'm on my holiday.

I would make sure the place was generally tidy, put the dishwasher on and clear food out of the fridge.

If you’re paying a cleaning fee I’d do the dishes/put the dishwasher on but not necessarily wait for it to finish, wipe up any obvious mess in the kitchen & bathroom, put bins out if asked (there’s often an instruction booklet of what you’re asked to do).

I wouldn’t strip beds or wash towels, sometimes we’ve been asked to leave towels in a particular place but I wouldn’t do anything else.

@OhHarry

I've stopped using airbnb as owners said we left a mess and left a horrible review (we had been so tidy and any mess was a few empty water bottles we'd run out of time to collect but we'd generally left cleaner and more hygienic that we found it). I think they did it thinking we would leave a bad review as we'd had lots of problems with WiFi, air conditioning, etc etc. Airbnb didn't reply to me. I'd check reviews they have left for others.

We had similar with Airbnb after an owner complained that we’d left mess, when they’d left no instructions about anything and all we left two bottles for recycling (there was no details of what to do with recycling and we’re so used to not putting glass in with normal rubbish), and towels which we left in the bathroom because there was no washing machine and god knows what they thought we should do with them.

They also complained we’d used the bedding for a sofa bed in the living room, when the listing mentioned the bed and they knew the number of people who were staying meant we’d be planning on using it

I wrote them a reply to their review and never heard anything else back.

I clean air b n bs and honestly just give it a tidy up. We've got to clean everything anyway because of covid.

There is usually info about what’s expected

We just did the washing up. A service charge for a cleaner was included so we're not going to do the job for them

Only strip the beds if they’ve asked you to for covid regulations. Don’t wash towels.

I’d only vacuum if there was a specific mess we’d made, sand/mud etc.

Take out rubbish if there’s instructions to do so.

Leave it generally tidy.

I've used Airbnb lots, never thought to do most of the things mentioned. Always make sure it's tidy and there is no garbage lying around but that's it. Pay so much for cleaning fee i wouldn't wipe things down, vacuum, or laundry.

I do leave them a little cleaner than I would a hotel.... but the whole idea of leaving an Airbnb spotless was left over from when people use to rent out their own homes. No one does that anymore, airbnb's are almost exclusively buy 2 lets / 2nd properties / commercial businesses whatever. It's rarely someone renting out their primary residence.

You’re not expected to clean it; unless it’s really bad (as in food all over floor) then I wouldn’t sweep up and I wouldn’t clean the bathroom. I put rubbish away, wash up and wipe surfaces if they’re visibly dirty

I always leave it spotless and give it a thorough clean before we leave. I know it's not necessary, it's what I've always done and will continue to do, no matter where I stay.

You're doing too much
Wash up and put all rubbish in bins etc
Clean up any specific mess or dirt you made but don't bother with sweeping etc. The cleaner will do that.

• I leave it tidy
• kitchen wiped down and sink clean
• fridge emptied
• main bin taken out

Sometimes I strip the sheets. I certainly do not clean kitchen/bathroom/floors/inside the fridge!

I have always done the following...
Run the vacuum round (just because of moulty dog)
Empty all bins
Wipe down kitchen surfaces/oven top
All washing up done/put away
Wipe round bathroom sink/loo

Since covid strip beds (they usually leave bags to put it in

I have an Airbnb property and wouldn't expect half of that- it's what the cleaners are paid to do!

Only point- please don't leave the dishwasher running. It can delay the cleaners hugely. If you must, put it in as early as you can and on a short cycle.

Thanks guys.

Just checked and the booking included a £130 service / cleaning charge, so I won't go too wild.

We've been here a week and have 3 kids but it's mainly laminate (been sweeping regularly) and I can't actually see a hoover. Not that I fancy ending my holiday but hoovering