Are You Equipped to Provide Five-Star Cleanliness in Your Short-Term Rental?
Elevate Your Short-Term Rental Property Cleaning Game:
Our list of 25 Essential Products and Equipment to keep your STR 5-Star Ready!
In the competitive world of short-term rental properties, providing a clean and welcoming environment is crucial to attracting guests and securing positive reviews. Whether you're managing a vacation home, Airbnb, or other rental property, achieving professional cleaning results is non-negotiable. But to achieve this level of cleanliness, you need more than just elbow grease (we can make that easier with our STR Turnover Checklist too!).
The right products and equipment are the key to assuring your success
and your guest’s comfort. (You’ve heard the job is always more efficient with the right tools, right?) In our comprehensive guide, we'll outline the essential tools of the trade and recommend top-notch products to help you elevate your cleaning game and delight your guests.
Vacuum Cleaner: A high-quality vacuum cleaner is the cornerstone of any cleaning arsenal. Opt for a model with powerful suction and versatile attachments to tackle various surfaces effectively.
Recommended Products: We like the compact Shark Rocket for its ease of use and portability.
For a cordless option, we offer the Dyson V11 Torque Drive Cordless Vacuum. (insert affiliate link here) This cordless vacuum offers powerful cleaning performance and versatility, making it perfect for efficiently cleaning smaller short-term rental properties.
Pro Tip: if your unit is more than 1200sf, we recommend corded vs. cordless for reliability and overall performance.
Broom & Dustpan: While we typically recommend vacuuming over sweeping, there are times that you need your trusty Broom and Dustpan!
Recommended Product: O’Cedar Pet Pro Broom and Step-On Dustpan. Get into corners and under those toe-kicks (a personal pet-peeve), then easily clean off hair and debris (without getting your hands dirty) with the convenient Step-On Dustpan.
Mop: A reliable system for all floor types is a necessity for being efficient. More and more homes have hard flooring (wood, tile, laminate, etc) and having a simple method that works for everything is essential.
Recommended Product: 18” Flat Head Microfiber Dry and Wet Mop. This professional mopping system includes the frame, telescoping handle, wet mopping heads, and dry dust mop pad.
Pro Tip: To prevent the need to fill a sink or mix a cleaning solution on site, we pre-moisten ours and store in a gallon zip-lock.
Cleaning Apron: Keep the essentials at hand, save steps, save energy, and most importantly, save time.
Recommended Product: Supply Maid Waterproof Apron – fully adjustable for waist sizes 24”-52”, multiple pockets to keep everything from your phone, cleaning cloths, and grout brush handy. It also has side loops for your cleaning solutions, and innovative belt hooks to attach dusters and more.
Cleaning Caddy: In addition to the cleaning apron, your caddy will keep everything organized and close at hand.
Recommended Product: Professional Cleaning Caddy with Detachable Divider – it has handy pockets for your cleaning solutions, cloths, and a dedicated one to keep your phone safe. The inner lining makes it easy to clean, and includes a shoulder strap to make heavier loads a breeze to carry.Microfiber Cleaning Cloths: Microfiber cloths are a must-have for cleaning surfaces without leaving streaks or lint behind. They're highly absorbent and with proper care, can be used for hundreds of cleaning services – this not only makes them economical, they are also eco-friendly.
Recommended Product: Color Coded Microfiber Cleaning Cloths. These durable and affordable microfiber cloths are perfect for wiping down surfaces, dusting furniture, and achieving a streak-free shine. We like to specify colors for specific tasks.
Pro Tip: wash all microfiber products separate from any cotton (or non microfiber) materials. Read more about it in our article “My Love Affair with Microfiber”.
Scrubbing Pads: Most of the time simply wiping a surface is not sufficient to getting it clean. A little (or a lot) of scrubbing may be needed to ensure things are truly clean.
Recommended Product: 3M Cleansing Pads. These tough scrubbing pads are large, can be safely used on most surfaces (countertops, glass, tile, tubs, etc). We typically cut them in thirds for a more workable size, but they can also be placed on the floor and used whole.
Grout Brush: Cleaning grout can be one of the most challenging tasks, but a specialized grout brush makes it much easier to tackle stubborn stains and mildew buildup.
Recommended Product: Liberman Grout Brush. We find this brush effective not only for grout lines, but getting under the lip of undermount sinks, around faucets, and more.
Detail Brushes: AKA Toothbrushes 😉- Get into corners and small grooves with these firm bristled brushes.
Recommended Product: Color Coded Toothbrushes. We like to select a color for dry work (dusting), another for wet work (around faucets), and another for the toilet (around hinges).
Feather Duster: If you don’t think a feather duster can make your cleaning job easier, you haven’t used the right one – or perhaps you haven’t used it properly (check out our video “How can an Ostrich help you Keep Your Home Dust Free”.
Recommended Product: 16” Long Handle Ostrich Feather Duster. These dusters have soft ostrich feathers that have millions of separate, wispy filaments that collect and hold the dust rather than just move it about. They also do not leave an electrostatic charge in dry conditions.
Microfiber Duster: We also like to have a microfiber duster in our arsenal. They can be used to reach up into corners to get cobwebs, dust lighting, and get under furniture.
Recommended Product: Extendable Duster Kit. Extend up to 6’ to reach without getting on a step stool. Includes a lambs wool style duster – that is great for more delicate items (chandeliers and such) as well as a chenille duster that is bendable to help with those ceiling fans and such.
Whisk Broom: This compact little tool is great for ease of brushing crumbs from upholstered furniture, getting hair from around furniture prior to vacuuming – and more.
Recommended Product: Libman Whisk Broom. If you have a team, or multiple properties, you can save when buying in bulk.
Rubber Brush: Excellent tool for getting pet hair gathered up on upholstery or rugs.
Recommended Product: Pet Hair Rubber Brush.
Pro Tip: Mix liquid fabric softener and water 1:4 in a spray bottle. Mist it over furniture or rugs with pet hair. Let it set a few minutes – it will release any static and make it much easier to clean up the hair. (and it smells pretty good too!)
Lint Roller: Especially important for pet friendly properties, but also handy to do a once over on bedding and furniture to ensure any stray hair or lint is picked up.
Recommended Product: Evercare Pet Bundle Giant Pet Roller
Pumice Stone: For stubborn rust, lime, and hard water stains.
Recommended Product: Pumice Cleaning Stone with Handle. Use on Pools, Grills, Ovens, Porcelain Sinks, and Toilets. Buy two so you have a separate one for the toilet!
All-Purpose Cleaner: An effective all-purpose cleaner is crucial for tackling a variety of cleaning tasks, from kitchen countertops to bathroom fixtures.
Recommended Product: Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner. A great balance of eco-friendly and suitable cleaning performance is. This biodegradable cleaner is tough on dirt and grime while being gentle on surfaces and the environment. Plus, it comes in a range of delightful scents to freshen up your space.
Glass Cleaner: Achieving streak-free windows and mirrors is essential for creating a polished look in your rental property. A quality glass cleaner gets the job done quickly and efficiently.
Recommended Product: Windex Original Glass Cleaner. Windex is a household name for a reason – its ammonia-based formula cuts through grease and grime, leaving glass surfaces sparkling clean with minimal effort.
For a more eco-friendly, non-ammonia option, try MRS. MEYER'S CLEAN DAY Mirror & Window Cleaner
Tub & Shower Cleaner: While short-term rentals are cleaned frequently, it’s still good to have a solution to tackle hard water and soap scum.
Recommended Product: Zep Foaming Shower and Tile Cleaner.
Pro Tip: For those showers and tubs with more challenging stains, we rely on Bio-Clean. It is safe, biodegradable, and effective on tile, glass, fiberglass, and more.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Maintaining clean and fresh-smelling toilets is essential for guest satisfaction. Look for a toilet bowl cleaner that effectively removes stains and eliminates odors.
Recommended Product: CloroxPro Commercial Solutions. Clorox toilet bowl cleaner combines the power of bleach with a clinging gel formula to thoroughly clean and disinfect toilets, leaving them sparkling and germ-free.
Pro Tip: while we require every bathroom to have a toilet brush, we also keep a Clorox Toilet Wand in our caddy. Refills can be bought in bulk. This way we don’t have to run and grab a brush from another bathroom if one is MIA. It is worth the $.50-.75 to keep moving and not play hide-and-seek with a toilet brush.
Odor Eliminator: Even the cleanest rental properties can sometimes develop unpleasant odors. An effective odor eliminator helps neutralize odors at the source, leaving your space smelling fresh and inviting.
Recommended Product: Odoban Disinfectant and Odor Eliminator. In Eucalyptus, Lavendar, or Fresh Linen. This multi-use cleaning spray is ready to use; it cleans, disinfects, freshens, and eliminates unpleasant odors. This handy, ready-to-use formula can be used on non-porous household surfaces as well as upholstery, carpets, bedding, showers, walls, and floors.
Providing professional cleaning results for your short-term rental property requires the right products , equipment, and cleaning system. By investing in high-quality tools and following an effective cleaning system, you can ensure that your property stays clean, sanitized, and welcoming for every guest. With the recommended products listed above, you'll be well-equipped to maintain a spotless environment that earns rave reviews and repeat bookings. For help in developing an effective and efficient cleaning system, you can grab our Turnover Checklist to help keep you on track.
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