Airbnb Cleaning Checklist: Everything You Need for a 5-Star Stay

🧹 Airbnb Cleaning Checklist: Everything You Need for a 5-Star Stay

When guests walk into an Airbnb, they expect it to feel freshly prepared — as if no one has stayed there before. Cleanliness is the most referenced point in short term rental reviews — both good and bad and it’s arguably the biggest factor that shapes your ratings, bookings, and guest loyalty.

But achieving that spotless, guest-ready standard isn’t the same as cleaning your own home. Short-term rental cleaning is closer to preparing a hotel room — with extra layers of detail, safety checks, and presentation.

In this guide, we’ll explore what makes Airbnb cleaning different, what great housekeepers actually do, and why a professional Airbnb cleaning service is key to enhancing your reviews, income, and guest experience.

✨ Why Airbnb Cleaning Goes Beyond “Clean”

Cleaning your own home might mean doing a quick vacuum or wipe-down. But preparing an Airbnb for guests is another level entirely.

A professional short term rental cleaner isn’t just tidying — they’re creating a flawless guest experience. They’re thinking beyond the basics:

Checking inside high-up cupboards for dust and crumbs
Wiping light switches, remote controls, and door handles
Descaling the kettle so it’s fresh and limescale-free
Checking all lamps and lights work
Adjusting the thermostat to the right temperature
Looking under beds, sofas, and furniture for forgotten guest items
Spotting maintenance issues before the guest does — like a dripping tap, a broken blind, or a loose handle
Photographing wear and tear so issues can be fixed before they escalate

It’s this attention to small details that turns good guest experience into glowing reviews.

🛠️ What a Great Airbnb Cleaning Service Covers

At Red Kite Hosts, our Airbnb cleaners follow a detailed process that goes far beyond the basics. While each home is different, here are some of the key tasks we make sure are covered — with housekeepers using their knowledge and initiative to keep each property looking its best:

Kitchen Preparation

Replenishing household items for guest use: hand soap, washing-up liquid, kitchen roll, tea towels, bin bags, dishwasher tablets
Replenishing any food items supplied: we always stock tea, coffee, sugar, oil, a selection of basic herbs, salt and pepper, and many of our hosts also like to add thoughtful extras such as a fresh loaf of bread, a bottle of wine, or local treats
Removing leftover food from the fridge, freezer, and cupboards
Wiping down the kettle, and descaling it when needed
Cleaning the oven, hob, splashback, and surrounding walls
Cleaning inside cupboards and drawers — including high shelves
Checking glasses, crockery, cutlery, and pans are sparkling clean and stored properly
Cleaning coffee machines and emptying pod trays and water tanks

Bathrooms

Restocking toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, body wash and hand soap
Putting a new toilet roll on the holder and leaving spares nearby
Setting clean bath mats and hand towels
Emptying bathroom bins
Wiping down dispensers and fixtures

Bedrooms

Checking drawers and wardrobes for any left-behind guest items
Confirming hairdryers are in place
Making sure beds are neatly presented with fresh linen

🛋️ Beyond the Standard Checklist: Additional Cleaning Tasks Tailored to Each Home

While we follow a core cleaning checklist for every changeover, we also tailor tasks to suit the specific features and unique requirements of each property.

Here are just a few examples of the additional checks and preparations we carry out, depending on what the home includes:

Checking and preparing sofa beds, including whether they need to be set up as a bed or left as a sofa, ensuring the inside is spotless, and making up the bed if requested.
Cleaning BBQs, including the grill, utensils, and clearing any leftover ash or residue.
Inspecting hot tubs on arrival to see if they need draining and refilling; if not, testing and balancing chemicals, and ensuring the temperature is maintained.
Taking and photographing an oil tank meter reading, with a report if levels are low.
Topping up log baskets if firewood is provided, ensuring guests have enough for their stay.

These kinds of tailored tasks help keep homes guest-ready and maintain high standards across every stay. Our housekeepers act not just as cleaners, but as caretakers of each property, ensuring every detail is handled — whether it’s part of the standard clean or something unique to your home.

👀 Why Housekeepers Are More Than Cleaners

One of the most valuable parts of a professional Airbnb cleaning service is that housekeepers aren’t just cleaning — they’re protecting your property’s reputation.

A great housekeeper acts as your eyes and ears between bookings, spotting problems long before a guest would:

A bin that wasn’t collected
A broken lightbulb
An uncut lawn
A missing remote
A small leak under the sink

By reporting issues early, they help prevent bad reviews, protect your home, and keep standards consistently high.

At Red Kite Hosts, we believe having the same person every time is the best approach, so we set everything up to ensure consistency — assigning a dedicated cleaner or small team who truly get to know your property inside out.

📍 Why Use Professional Airbnb Cleaners?

Finding reliable, experienced Airbnb cleaners near me isn’t always easy — and domestic cleaning experience isn’t enough for short-term rentals.

Professional holiday rental cleaning services provide:

Cleaners who understand hotel-standard presentation
Flexibility for last-minute bookings and fast turnarounds
Reporting of maintenance issues
Proactive stock monitoring and replenishment
A trusted, consistent person who knows your property

We work with vetted Airbnb cleaners in Oxford, Bath, Cheltenham and the Cotswolds, pairing each property with cleaners who care — helping you maintain five-star standards without the stress.

📞 Ready to Hand Over the Hassle?

Looking to find Airbnb cleaners who deliver more than just a surface clean?

At Red Kite Hosts, we take care of everything — from sourcing and managing your dedicated cleaner to stocking supplies, reporting maintenance, and ensuring your property stays guest-ready all year round.

Get in touch today to learn more about our professional Airbnb cleaning service.