Conscientious Cleaning Can Bolster Bookings
Whether you regularly let out a rental space, host your home, or take your personal refuge in the comfort of a well-situated home-away-from-home, regular cleaning and maintenance are critical now more than ever. Generally speaking, Airbnb bookings have been in decline due to travel restrictions and orders to shelter in place, but in the spirit of looking forward and doing a little prospecting, spending some time doing extra home maintenance and cleaning today could pay off (even if not right away!).
Eventually we’d all like to get back to whatever the new “normal” is going to be and that will include travel. Already many city dwellers have found it necessary to commence on a very early summer home retreat. The world has changed and so we have changed in order to keep ourselves and our families safe and healthy. Inevitably this will extend into many arenas, including the care with which consumers go about selecting a vacation rental.
Airbnb, the best known homeaway rental platform, already holds its hosts to very high standards, with penalties for hosts who routinely receive low cleanliness scores. And even so, the COVID-19 pandemic has unequivocally raised the bar for hosts and vacation seekers’ standards. In hopes of sunny, warm and healthier days ahead; here are some suggestions to help you implement a more conscientious cleaning routine based on CDC recommendations and advice from experts in rental property management.
- After Checkout: Based on CDC recommendations, it is best to limit access to your rental, cleaning included, for at least 24 hours immediately after guests leave.
- Exhibit Caution: Due to the risk of COVID-19 exposure, some homeaway platforms require a longer period between hosting guests, for up to 72 hours, to ensure that the location is properly cleaned and disinfected.
- Keep Your “Customers” Informed: A little communication can go a long way. Taking the time to inform potential guests of the additional precautions you are taking to prevent the spread of infection could be the difference between a booking and a cancelation. You might want to include information about your enhanced cleaning routine in your online descriptions. Be careful of your wording, so not to make an unsubstantiated claim such as “COVID-free.”
- While You’re At It…when cleaning and disinfecting the space don’t forget to clean other recreational amenities used by guests; things like bicycles, surfboards, games, books or sports gear.
- Empty The Vacuum Cleaner After Every Cleaning and wipe with a disinfectant product that is approved by the EPA to kill viruses. Let the product sit on the surface for at least 30 seconds or as long as the product label tells you to. Do this for other household appliances as well. Dispose of or wash your cleaning supplies.
- Take Out The Trash! If you are using disposable wipes or other supplies to clean, promptly remove them from your home with all trash after you are finished.
- Protect Yourself with gloves and a mask and remove them properly to avoid cross-contamination. Wash your hands immediately after cleaning.
- Help Your Guests To Keep It Clean by providing them with plenty of essentials like hand soap, sanitizer, toilet paper, tissues, paper towels and disinfectant wipes.
- Consider Hiring A Cleaning Company that specializes in Airbnb turn cleans. Many companies, like A la Maid are happy to also perform regular maintenance, laundry delivery services, will stock and replenish essentials and conduct periodic deep cleaning. This kind of support is invaluable, especially for property owners who do not live near their rental.
(Visit alamaid.com for more information or call (860)664-4121 to book a free estimate!)
References:
Information referenced from the Airbnb resource center online:“Cleaning guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19”
https://www.airbnb.com/resources/hosting-homes/a/cleaning-guidelines-to-help-prevent-the-spread-of-covid-19-163
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/disinfecting-your-home.html
Information referenced from “5 Ways to Effectively Automate Your Vacation Home Rental,”
https://learnbnb.com/5-ways-effectively-automate-vacation-rental-cleaning-courtesy-maidthis-cleaning/
https://www.vrbo.com/discoveryhub/tips-and-resources/guest-management/checklists-for-a-great