Your Guide to AirBNB Rental Cleaning During the Pandemic

It might surprise you to learn that by April 2020, Airbnb suffered a 72% decrease in bookings.  Due to Covid-19, cancellations even outnumbered bookings themselves! Nonetheless, through extensive upheaval in safety regulations, gross bookings were back up to a 1% increase as early as June.

Travel remains essential to so many of our lives, but safety must hold even greater priority. With these few simple cleaning techniques, you can keep your Airbnb rental space as safe and sanitized as possible.

So Your Guest Just Left… Where to Start?

Before you actually begin cleaning your rental space, it is important to take a few precautionary measures.

Firstly, be sure to keep your rental space clean from you. That means always remembering to wear a mask and gloves while cleaning, as well as disinfecting your hands beforehand. Also, make certain to do your research and use only cleaners and disinfectants approved for combating the Covid-19 virus.

All rental spaces are different, but you should keep your space as ventilated as you can while cleaning. That might mean opening some windows, turning on air conditioning, or even running a fan.

Clean First, Then Sanitize

Now that you have prepared your cleaning space, donned gloves, and disinfected, it is time to get rid of all that visible dirt, dust, and mess.

Any hard floors, tables, and countertops will require a good scrubbing with soap and water. You will want to use whatever tool is best suited for the material, be that a sponge, brush, wash rag, or paper towels. From there, a good sweeping and vacuuming will rid the space of any roaming dirt, dust, or crumbs left behind.

The Covid-19 virus is vulnerable to high temperatures, so all dishes and laundry should be washed at the highest heat settings. Obviously, dishes and linens will take time to wash before your cleaning will be officially complete, and that’s okay! Just be sure to disinfect and put your mask and gloves on again when you need to leave and re-enter your rental space to exchange them.

Once your rental space has been properly cleaned, you should then use a spray disinfectant on all surfaces. Once finished, allow your ventilated space to air-dry for at least the length of time that your chosen disinfectant specifies on its label.

(Sanitization tip: remember to sanitize more than just the surfaces you have already cleaned! From door handles to device remotes, keep any point of contact between your guests’ hands and your rental space in mind.)

Just Like New!

By this point, your surfaces should all be cleaned and sanitized, and your dishes and linens all replaced. Your work inside the rental space is complete, so be sure not to reenter unless you’re willing and able to disinfect the space once again.

On your way out, be sure to remember to close any windows you may have opened for ventilation. It pays to be thorough, so if you really want to go the extra mile, you may also want to clean or change your air filters as well.

From here, you should safely discard any disposable cleaning products, as well as maintain all non-disposable gear. Vacuum filters should be changed, masks and rags should be washed, and so on. After all, each future cleaning itself should also be as sanitary as possible!

So, now that your Airbnb rental space has been disinfected and restored to pitch perfection, that of course brings us to the actual stay…

Minimize Risk During Your Guests’ Stay

As guests make themselves comfortable in your rental space, any risk of virus transmission should be minimized. There are numerous steps you can take to keep person-to-person interaction as limited as possible.

For one, put yourself in your guests’ shoes prior to their arrival. Make sure they have access to everything they could likely need while staying in your rental space.  This means contactless entry and exit, as well as independent access to a key or lockbox.

You should also use text or Airbnb messaging to establish an open line of communication with your guests. That way, if any unforeseen needs or complications arise, your guests can reach you without in-person interaction.

Of course, physical intervention might still be necessary on your end, eventually. In such cases, always stay masked and keep at least six feet of distance between yourself and your guests.  Providing your guests some on-the-house disinfecting supplies certainly won’t hurt either!

Consistency, Consistency, Consistency!

Constant cleaning and sanitation can be hard work. Still, as guest after a guest stays night after night in your rental space, it is certainly no area in which any Airbnb manager can afford to slack off. Nonetheless, life happens, and sometimes habits can be hard to maintain.

In such cases, cost-efficient professional help is always something to consider. Time is money, and a quality cleaning service can be a great way to ensure a sanitized rental space when you can’t be everywhere at once… or even if you just need some downtime from Airbnb management!

With a quick visit to TheMagicHelpers.com, you can get a free custom cleaning quote and receive instant peace of mind. Our maid services are always willing to accommodate your exact schedule and specifications. Contact us today!

Now more than ever, a safe rental space means happy guests and an Airbnb that stays profitable through all the rest of the pandemic has to offer. So be proactive, stay safe, and happy managing!