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Hospitality Cleaning Supplies: The Essentials

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It’s the age-old question for the hospitality industry, especially vacation rentals and Airbnbs:

How much cleaning should you expect guests to do for themselves when they stay at your property?

Should you ask them to do the dishwashing? Empty the trash? Start a load of towels in the wash? Or just charge a cleaning fee and keep your expectations low?  

The debate rages, but one thing is certain: guests are more likely to clean on their own if you provide them with good-quality cleaning products and cleaning tools. 

After all, who is going to willingly do dishes when all they’ve got to work with is a musty old sponge?! The good news is that many of you are getting it right, according to The Distinguished Guest’s Hospitality Survey. Results show 68% supply a brand-new sponge for every set of guests.

But what else are your vacation rental peers providing as far as hospitality cleaning products and cleaning equipment? What should you provide?

Here are the Essential 8 housekeeping cleaning equipment and cleaners that will help guests help you: 

1. DISH SOAP

I leave a fresh (or refilled), small 2 to 4 oz. bottle of dish soap for each set of guests. My go-to brand is Dawn because the blue bottle matches my décor (yes…it’s true), but not only that—it also cuts grease like a champ.

Every so often, I buy a dozen of the small bottles so I have them handy, and then refill with a large economy bottle as needed. As soon as the bottle starts looking the worse for wear, I replace it.

TDG RECOMMENDS:  Economy Bottle Dish Soap | Meyers Dish Soap

2. A NEW SPONGE

As you might have guessed, every guest at my property is the owner of a pristine new sponge wrapped in plastic. I highly recommend this for the sake of your guests. After checkout, you or your cleaner can use the sponge to clean up any soap scum and hard surfaces, then toss it. It’s a small amount of money well-spent.

Admittedly, this isn’t the most environmentally friendly strategy, but I try to make up for that in other ways at my vacation rental so I can prioritize odor control and hygiene for guests. 

I like Scotch Brite blue sponges, since they are the non-abrasive and easier on my pots and pans.

TDG RECOMMENDS: Scotch-Brite Sponge

3. LAUNDRY DETERGENT

I’m a big fan of the single-use pods for my vacation rental’s washer & dryer. These are easy for guests and ensure they don’t overdo it with detergent. 

Unsure how many pods to keep in stock? 

Take the average number of nights guest stay at your rental and multiply that by two. For example, my average guest stay is 10 days, so I provide 20 pods (in hopes that no vacationer will feel the need to do more than two loads of laundry a day!).

TDG RECOMMENDS: Kirkland Laundry Pods

 4. MULTI-SURFACE CLEANER

This one is important: if you leave a nice-smelling, organic all purpose cleaner for your hard surfaces, guests will be more likely to use it. 

I have a lot of glass at my rental, so I swear by Mrs. Meyer’s—which is a natural product that’s safe on most surfaces (and their scents are just lovely). 

I leave one spray bottle under the sink and my cleaner refills as necessary with my backup supply locked in my storage closet.

I suggest leaving microfiber cloths or paper towel near the cleaning solution to make it easy for your guests to clean.

TDG RECOMMENDS: Mrs. Meyers Multi-Surface Cleaner -this is a great household cleaner

5. CARPET CLEANER

To my dismay, at my Kauai vacation rental, the condo regulations for second-floor units like mine dictate that I must have carpet (no hardwoods)? to reduce noise. 

If you have a choice for your vacation rental or Airbnb, I’d go hardwood all the way. But if you have carpet—or decorative area rugs, even—definitely stock carpet or floor cleaner for guests. Accidents happen, and most guests will be anxious to get the mess fixed quickly.

I have tested several products for carpet care and for me, Folex has performed best. Plus it’s easy to use and is scent-free (no harsh chemical smell!).

If anyone has a solid recommendation for hardwood floor care at a vacation rental, please let me know! I prefer not to recommend products that I haven’t tested (or that have been tested by trusted sources). 

TDG RECOMMENDS: Folex

6. PAPER TOWELS

Cleaning products are important, of course, but don’t forget other consumables, like paper towels. 

The majority of our Hospitality Quiz respondents leave at least 1 or 2 rolls of paper towels for each set of guests. To the 3% who aren’t leaving any at all…you might want to rethink. Of course, we want to be conscious of paper waste, but guests will be hesitant to use your linen towels or microfiber cloths for spills or for cleaning the carpets. 

Purchase a good-quality paper towel like the below. If you “subscribe” on Amazon, you’ll save money and won’t have to think about re-ordering paper towels again.

TDG RECOMMENDS: Kirkland Paper Towels

7. TRASH BAGS

Since Costco is my go-to place to shop, I usually have more than enough trash bags on hand at my rental. I stash a few boxes in my owners closet and my cleaner replaces the large roll under the kitchen sink as needed. It’s an inexpensive no-brainer for me. In my experience, guests seem to abide by the “use what you need, and no more” mentality, especially for trash cans.

TDG RECOMMENDS: Kirkland Trash Bags

AND A BONUS: HANDHELD, CORDLESS VACUUM CLEANER

If your property is in a sand-prone area, or just has lots of tile and hardwood, a cordless vacuum cleaner is a lifesaver for your guests. (Especially guests like yours truly, who find the feeling of sand on a tile floor to be like nails on a chalkboard!)

Really, having any kind of vacuum accessible for your guests is a plus, but the advantage of a cordless, handheld vacuum is that its slim, lightweight, and nearly effortless for guests to use. Which, of course, ups the chances that they’ll contribute a quick mid-week clean and save you time on deep cleaning at check out.

We know Dyson products are a bit of a hit to the wallet, but some items are your rental are just worth the splurge—and this is one of them. Brooms are great as a Plan B, of course, but they do require more elbow grease and may mean guests will leave a bigger mess for you or your cleaners. 

TDG RECOMMENDS: Dyson Cyclone Cordless Vacuum 

A final note. Many vacation rentals owners, managers and Airbnb hosts are reluctant to leave high-quality hospitality cleaning supplies for guests—or any at all. But on average, providing these small conveniences won’t break the bank. 

For my three-bedroom, three-bathroom condo, I estimate that the average I spend on these guest-friendly cleaning supplies for each turnover is approximately $7.00.

Worth it! And who knows, it may encourage guests to leave your space in a better better shape than they would have otherwise. 

Happy shopping! Have specific questions? I’m happy to help. 

Need more help getting your vacation rental started? Check out The Distinguished Guest Blueprint course to learn more about my step-by-step approach to short-term vacation rental ownership.

Client Love

If you own a short term vacation rental or are considering purchasing a vacation rental Alanna’s course, Blueprint For Beginning...

Melissa MacNail

Vacation Rental & Boutique Hotel Supplies
5
2021-11-01T12:23:59-07:00

Melissa MacNail

If you own a short term vacation rental or are considering purchasing a vacation rental Alanna’s course, Blueprint For Beginning Rentalists, is an absolute must. Alanna has gone above and beyond to lend her expertise in the hospitality business with several years of personal experience. This course is extremely thorough; complete with checklists and extensive resources, walking you through the process of finding a qualified realtor, to the ins and outs of running your business, marketing, and so much more. You will not find another course out there to match the quality of what this course has to offer. Coming in as a newbie myself I feel well equipped with the proper tools and know-how to run my business successfully and how to continue to grow in the future. In addition to the course material, Alanna holds weekly office hours via zoom where you can ask any questions you may have as well as connect with fellow owners gaining even more insight and knowledge to this ever growing and evolving industry. From personal help and feedback on website design, channel management, interior design, insurance and so much more. These are just a few of the many ways Alanna has helped me personally and I look forward to staying connected over the coming years through her office hours and private Facebook group as questions and scenarios arise. If you desire to create a profitable vacation rental investing in the Blueprint For Beginning Rentalists course will set you and your business up for success!
Alanna has been my go-to person as I've navigated the learning curves of running my vacation rental businesses.  She helped...

Cathy Scott

Vacation Rental & Boutique Hotel Supplies
5
2016-05-03T18:24:44-07:00

Cathy Scott

Alanna has been my go-to person as I've navigated the learning curves of running my vacation rental businesses.  She helped me re-brand my properties, market them effectively, and connect with other valuable industry resources.
Alanna at The Distinguished Guest has been an invaluable resource while setting up my first vacation rental.  I recently bought...

Robert Howell

Vacation Rental & Boutique Hotel Supplies
5
2020-11-01T08:47:41-08:00

Robert Howell

Alanna at The Distinguished Guest has been an invaluable resource while setting up my first vacation rental.  I recently bought a house in Hilton Head Island and knew nothing about what it takes to be a successful vacation rental.  Alanna has always been willing to lend a helping hand and responds quickly to all of my many questions!  If you're looking to set up a new vacation rental or refresh an existing rental, I would highly recommend contacting Alanna to help out.  She provides a 5 star experience!
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Celine Girard

Vacation Rental & Boutique Hotel Supplies
5
2021-08-30T08:38:31-07:00

Celine Girard

Regardless if you are new to the industry or have more than a decade of being a vacation rental host, this course is for you! The course covers a lot of information, delivered in easy to follow modules with a clear, logical and effective structure. Equipped with downloadable workbooks, checklists and resources; I am now confident and ready to be the best host possible for my guests.
Alanna Schroeder’s common sense approach, level headed ideas, and years of practical experience all come together in her excellent course on STR...

David Boe

Vacation Rental & Boutique Hotel Supplies
5
2021-09-03T08:09:53-07:00

David Boe

Alanna Schroeder’s common sense approach, level headed ideas, and years of practical experience all come together in her excellent course on STR hosting. Every page yields valuable insights, which are thoughtfully presented with clarity and purpose. A terrific resource.
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