Cleanliness is the single most common factor in Airbnb reviews — mentioned more often than location, decor, or even value for money. It’s also the easiest thing to get wrong under time pressure, especially with a tight same-day turnover between checkout and the next check-in.
A proper checklist does two things: it keeps quality consistent even when you’re rushed, and it prevents the kind of overlooked detail that shows up in a review headline (“clean apartment but bathroom wasn’t great”) more than it should.
Before You Start: Strip and Reset
- Strip all bedding, even if it looks unused — guests notice fresh linen smell more than they notice anything else in the room
- Collect and start laundry immediately so it has time to finish before you need to remake beds
- Open windows briefly to air out the space, especially important after a smoking-adjacent stay or if the previous guest cooked something strong-smelling
- Do a quick walk-through first, before deep cleaning, to spot anything unusual — damage, missing items, anything left behind
Bedroom
- Fresh sheets, pillowcases, and duvet cover on every bed, every turnover — no exceptions
- Check under the bed and behind the headboard for anything left behind
- Dust surfaces, including lamp bases and picture frames
- Vacuum or sweep the floor, including corners and under furniture
- Check that all lamps and bedside outlets work
Bathroom
- Full disinfect of toilet, sink, shower/tub — this is the area guests scrutinize most closely
- Replace all used toiletries (soap, shampoo) rather than topping up half-empty bottles
- Fresh towels, folded neatly — a small presentation detail that reads as “cared for”
- Check and clear the drain of hair or debris
- Wipe down the mirror completely — streaks are one of the most commonly mentioned small complaints
- Replace toilet paper with a fresh roll, not just what’s left
Kitchen
- Wash, dry, and put away all dishes — nothing left in the sink or dishwasher
- Wipe down countertops, stovetop, and the inside of the microwave
- Check the fridge for anything left by the previous guest and wipe down shelves
- Empty and reline the bin, and take rubbish out before it starts to smell
- Restock basics if you provide them (coffee, tea, dish soap) rather than leaving near-empty containers
- Check that all appliances are switched off and reset (oven, kettle)
Living Areas
- Vacuum upholstery, not just floors — crumbs and pet hair (if pets are allowed) tend to hide there
- Fluff and reposition cushions and throws
- Dust electronics and remote controls, which get touched constantly and cleaned rarely
- Check under sofa cushions for anything left behind — this is one of the most common places guests lose items
- Straighten any rugs or furniture moved during the stay
Final Walkthrough (Don’t Skip This)
- Check all lights turn on and off properly
- Confirm the wifi is working, if you provide it
- Reset thermostat or air conditioning to your default setting
- Check smoke detector isn’t disabled (a surprising number get unplugged by guests cooking)
- Do a final scent check — a lightly scented space feels clean, but avoid overpowering fragrance, which some guests find as off-putting as a bad smell
- Take a few quick photos of the reset space — useful both for your own records and occasionally for resolving a guest dispute
Building a Repeatable System
The checklist above works best as an actual physical or digital list you check off each time, not something you rely on memory for — especially once you’re managing back-to-back same-day turnovers or handing cleaning off to someone else.
A few things that make this more sustainable as you scale:
- Standardize your supply kit so cleaning always starts with the same tools in the same place
- Time yourself once on a thorough clean, so you know realistically how much buffer to leave between checkout and check-in
- Write the checklist for someone else, even if you’re currently doing it yourself — it makes handing off to a cleaner far easier later, without you needing to explain everything from scratch
The Bottom Line
A consistent cleaning checklist is one of the highest-leverage things a host can put in place — it protects your rating more directly than almost any other single habit, and it’s the difference between “clean” showing up in every review versus becoming the complaint that costs you a star.