2026 Update
Cleanliness continues to be one of the top factors influencing guest reviews on Airbnb. In 2026, travelers expect spotless, well-maintained spaces that feel freshly prepared. Regular inspections, the right tools, and detailed cleaning checklists help you stay five-star ready all year long. Read on to find out my best Airbnb cleaning tips!
Airbnb Cleaning Tips for Hosts
How you approach your Airbnb cleaning and turnover is crucial to your success. Guests expect a sparkling, fully functional property on arrival—and anything less can lead to disappointing reviews. Even one mention of “not clean enough” can drop your ranking fast.
Between guests, it’s easy to miss grime that quietly builds up—especially during high season. That’s why monthly deep inspections matter. Here are 10 forgotten spots that could gross out your Airbnb guests—and how to fix them.
Between guests, it’s easy to miss grime that can build up over time. This is true, especially during high season, so a good spring cleaning is a great idea. Make sure to inspect well at least once a month for these 10 things that are grossing out your Airbnb Guests.
Airbnb Cleaning Tips
At minimum, schedule a professional or self-clean after each guest’s departure. Your cleaner acts as your eyes and ears, spotting maintenance issues, damages, or missing items. Even if there’s a week between stays, clean right away to prevent odors and bacteria from settling in. A light refresh before check-in adds that just-cleaned feeling guests love. Here is the cleaning schedule that I give my cleaners. I even add in photos of how I want each room set up every time.
1.Fingerprints on the Walls — CSI: Airbnb Edition
As a mom, I know fingerprints well—but guests notice them even faster. Take a good look at your walls and baseboards; you’ll be surprised how many little smudges have appeared. Decorative mirrors too!
Solution: Grab a magic eraser and wipe down the walls, doors, and baseboards. Once a year, touch up the paint where needed.
2. The Faucet — The Grime That Time Forgot
Those faucets can harbor some seriously gross buildup, especially if you have hard water. Mineral residue cakes around the base and overflow hole—guests notice! Don’t give up and leave it.
Solution: Use a hard-water cleaner or a toothbrush dipped in baking soda. If you want to make life easier, try a small rechargeable scrub brush. It’s been a game changer for us!
Here is a Bob villa article on how exactly to scrub off hard water deposits.
3. Back of Chairs –Sticky Situations
Always check the back of your Airbnb dining chairs. I bet there’s a bit of pasta sauce clinging on for dear life. If guests touches a sticky chair back they will be grossed out. You might be shocked at what’s living on the backs and legs of dining chairs—sticky fingerprints, sauce splatters, chocolate smudges…
Solution: Mix warm water with a little dish soap and go to town with a sponge that has a scrubber side.
Freebie: Grab my Room-by-Room Vacation Rental Essential Checklist for free here!
4. Light Switches –The Germ Hotspot
During cold season, guests are constantly touching these! It’s a germ hot spot and often missed.
We once had a guest who arrived with the flu. I could hear coughing and sneezing the whole weekend from the suite. Cringe! I was determined to completely air the place out and do a deep cleaning. That’s when I saw the light switches. We have metallic switch covers and they were covered in fingerprints and had some gunk on the wall around. How long had they been like that? Luckily, the next guests did not have to ask themselves that same question.
Solution: Use some disinfecting cleaning wipes, or spray a paper towel with an all-purpose cleaner and wipe those switches down!
5. The Airbnb Sofa – Where Crumbs Go to Retire
Imagine the remote slips down the side of the couch and your guest reaches down, only to be greeted by a handful of crumbs and a sticky candy wrapper- ew! This is an Airbnb cleaning tip 101!
Solution: Vacuum all cushions and cracks, wipe away spots with a damp cloth, and finish with a lint roller. If you allow pets, consider a small animal hair vacuum.
6. The Blinds – Dust’s Favorite Vacation Spot
Blinds gather dust and grease faster than you think—especially near the kitchen. If you have blinds they may have an oily residue with dust on top. Vinyl blinds splattered with grease, such as in a kitchen, require a bit more cleaning than blinds that are simply dusty. Not the best combo for a guest to see when washing dishes.
Solution: Vacuum first, then wipe vinyl slats with a mild soap-and-water mix. For fabric shades, use a duster or vacuum brush.
7. Bathroom Hidden Zones –The Icky Corners
Yes, you clean the toilet—but what about behind it, and on the sides? Guests do notice the floor corners and baseboards from that throne angle. Also, check the insides of the vanity, I’ve had guests leave items there many times or leave the hairdryer cord in a tangle.
Tip: Sit on the toilet and look around with fresh eyes. Use wipes or a Pur steam mop ( best invention for hosts!) to clean behind and around the base. Don’t forget to check inside vanities for left-behind items.
8. Kitchen Hood and Vents – Grease’s Secret Hideout
Grease builds up quickly and catches dust. It’s one of the easiest ways for a clean kitchen to still feel unclean.
Solution: Spray and wipe with dish soap on a damp cloth. Vacuum your air vents regularly—they’re magnets for dust.
9. Trash Cans – Under the Lid Surprises
Even the cleanest bins can harbor smells and sticky surprises. The underside of lids often hides splatters or residue guests don’t want to see.
Solution: Wipe both inside and out with easy bleach wipes or a disinfectant cleaner after every checkout. Any leftovers are unwelcome guests and no one wants to see that!
10. Inside the Fridge –Leftovers and Takeout container
I ask guests to do a little cleaning in the kitchen before they leave and this is totally acceptable. I ask them to take or throw away and items in the fridge, load the diswasher and take out the trash.
Wipe down shelves and drawers after each stay. A little baking soda inside keeps things fresh between guests. Trust me, I once stayed at an Airbnb with an unplugged fridge that had take out in it.
Tips: I use a Kitchen sign in my own Airbnb, It makes the turnover way easier, here is the exact one I use.
11. Bugs on the Loose — Your Unwanted Plus-Ones
Nothing grosses guests out faster than bugs. Prevention is everything. Especially spiders in the shower. Spiders are sneaky! They’ll slip into your space through the tiniest cracks around windows, doors, and even pipes. Do a sweep before check in to grab any under the bed campers or shower curtain Surfers.
Tip: Consider scheduling eco-friendly pest management with Terminix Pest Control to protect your property and keep guests comfortable.
For more Airbnb cleaning tips, read my Article on how to How to Keep Spiders from Checking Into Your Airbnb in 2026
12. The Microwave – Where Soup Goes to Explode
Microwave splatters are like confetti… except not fun at all. Guests pop in leftovers, and boom — tomato sauce fireworks. Even tiny splashes on the ceiling of the microwave can make an otherwise spotless kitchen feel a little… meh.
Solution: Give it a quick wipe after every checkout. For stubborn splatters, heat a bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon for two minutes, then wipe clean — everything slides right off and the kitchen smells fresh.
Do a Seasonal Deep Airbnb Cleaning
I do a seasonal deep cleaning in my Airbnb. I also have a iRobot Roomba that I let loose in there an hour or so before each check-in if I am around. It’s a great machine to gather any dust that has settled and clean under the beds and furniture. Make sure to check for the nitty-gritty and use my free Airbnb cleaning checklist. If you have professional cleaners make sure they use your checklist. Those are my Airbnb cleaning tips!
Elevate Your Hosting Game
Cleanliness is just one part of a five-star stay. To truly elevate your Airbnb and attract repeat guests, you need the right systems, checklists, and templates.
That’s where my Airbnb Mega Bundle comes in. It includes everything you need to design, manage, and market your Airbnb beautifully—from guest messaging guides to cleaning checklists and decor resources.
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