As the warmer months near, you’re probably thinking about all the ways to keep your bookings through the off-season and prepare it for the summer. You most likely already improve your marketing strategy and set out some specific amenities for the warmer months. But what else are you missing? There’s a chance you’ve forgotten one important step—deep cleaning the home. You need to make sure that your rental is in tip-top shape for the upcoming busy season. From deep cleaning vents to taking preventative maintenance measurements, here are a few important spring-cleaning projects for your vacation rental.
General Tasks Per Room
Spring cleaning can be quite an overwhelming feat, but when you break it into separate projects, it becomes more manageable. The first project you should take on is the easiest. We encourage you to start with the general cleaning tasks, as it’ll make the more difficult tasks less stressful. These should include your typical cleaning routine, but then delve a little further. Make sure that you dust and vacuum but do it a bit more thoroughly than you would otherwise. We have several examples listed below.
Wipe down and dust
Once you’ve done some decluttering, wipe down all the surfaces in the room. That may be with wood cleaner or a Clorox wipe, but once you’re done, make sure to dust. Dusting is essential for ensuring that guests are comfortable in your home. You don’t anyone allergies running rampant. Dust décor, ceiling fans, baseboards, furniture—basically everywhere.
Steam clean carpets
Once you’ve vacuumed the carpets in the different rooms, take it a step further and steam clean. If you don’t have a steam cleaner of your own, reach out to a professional company to ensure that the carpets are cleaned correctly.
Wash windows
Washing windows goes further than just using Windex. The springtime is the perfect time to get into the grit and grime in window wells, screens, and all the different aspects of the window. With more sunlight streaming through, you want to ensure guests have a clean space to look through.
Flip the Bedrooms
Bedrooms are another important spot for spring cleaning. Once you’ve completed all the general cleaning tasks, you can get a little more nitpicky with how you’re cleaning your bedroom. As you usually would with new guests, you’ll want to switch out the bedding, but there are a few other deep cleaning steps you need to take as well.
Find them below.
Inspect all bedding
Just washing the bedding doesn’t cut it when it comes to spring cleaning. You’ll want to inspect all of the bedding as well. All bedding includes pillows, linens, comforters, mattress pads, and anything else found on the bed. This means looking for any holes and tears, stains, or discolorations—this is the opportunity to see whether you need to buy new bedding. Once you’ve decided on the bedding you’ll keep, then you can wash them—and wash them well!
Flip and rotate mattresses
Springtime is the best time for flipping and rotating mattresses. Do this for all beds in the home, as it keeps them fresh and leads to a longer mattress lifespan. It will also help even out the pressure of the mattress—guests won’t appreciate a sunken bed.
Nooks and Crannies
Once you’ve taken care of the bedrooms, then it’s time to think about the property’s nooks and crannies. Chances are there are a lot; bigger chances are that this project will get tiring and annoying fast. However, when you break the nooks and crannies into separate rooms—divide and conquer—the faster you’ll get it done. Remember, spring cleaning wasn’t meant to be finished in a day! Here are some common nooks and crannies you should be sure to get to for your spring cleaning projects.
Scrub bathroom and kitchen tiles
If you have tile in the house, springtime is the perfect time to get down and scrub it. Whether it’s the bathroom floor or along the lining of your kitchen, scrubbing at those grout joints is a pain, but it’s necessary. You’ll want to start cleaning with warm water and a stiff bristle brush, but then let the area soak with some sort of vinegar and water or baking soda and water solution. You (and your guests) will be impressed with how clean it looks afterward.
Move major appliances and clean behind
This is typically specific to the kitchen, but if you have any appliances around the house, move them and clean behind them. Especially for the oven, microwave, and refrigerator, it’s important to pull these out occasionally and scrub away any grime.
Clean out cabinets and drawers
You probably do this is in your home and it’s less likely to happen in a vacation home, but they’re important to clean, nonetheless. Drawers often get stuffed to the brim—take the time to clean out this nook and cranny. Get everything out and clean the inside. Again, this is a small area, but it’ll make a difference in the home’s overall cleanliness.
Update the Exterior
When you feel confident with the home’s interior cleanliness, then take a step outside and see how you can spruce it up. Winter tends to do quite some damage to the yard, so taking the time to clean up the exterior of the home will show guests that you care about first impressions. We have a few typical exterior cleaning tasks listed below!
- Prune bushes and trees
- Power wash siding and driveways
- Clean up the garden and plant fresh flowers
- Look over deck for rotten wood or exposed nails
- Paint the home, fence, and deck railing if needed
- Figure out a schedule for planning exterior home improvement projects
Spring cleaning can be as exciting or as dreadful as you make it. When you step into spring with a positive attitude for the property, then these spring cleaning projects for your vacation rental will seem that much more manageable. If you need help maintaining your vacation rental for guests, reach out to Exceptional Stays. As one of the premier Telluride property management companies, we not only rent out vacation rentals to guests, but we’ll help you manage your own vacation rental property as well. We want to make sure that your property is beautifully maintained and reaches guests, no matter the season. Reach out now!
