Why Orlando Airbnb Hosts Need a Different Approach
Did you know that the city of Orlando has the largest Airbnb market in the United States? With an annual revenue of 2.1 billion dollars and over forty-seven thousand active listings! What’s even more remarkable is the fact that over 7.8 million nights were booked in Orlando, in the year of 2024 alone.
This should come as no surprise. Orlando is a city that receives a consistent flow of tourism year-round due to the theme parks, shopping centers, restaurants, and warm climate that remains almost year-round. In fact, the city has been ranked the number one most visited city in the United States in 2024, with approximately 75.3 million tourists. Tourism supports up to 37% of jobs in Orlando, making it the backbone of the local economy.
The rapid expansion of Orlando’s hospitality market has created unprecedented demand for quality services. Our article on Orlando’s Rapid Growth Creates Demand for Professional Home Cleaning Services analyzes exactly how the demand for house cleaning services has increased over the years due to the growth of Orlando city.
But Orlando is not only a tourist destination. It also serves as a hub for conferences, business events, forums, and business deals. It is not uncommon to see a company hosting its conference, training, or meeting in one of Orlando’s luxury hotels or commercial properties. Orlando is built around a high turnover of tourists, business conferences, time-sensitive visitors, and temporary residents. Such high turnover of residents has created a strong need for Airbnb properties and has raised the interest of many hosts.
Managing an Airbnb can be challenging, especially if you are just starting out, working on getting your first reviews, worrying that the property might be damaged, or concerned that residents won’t be satisfied with the rental. But what are some of the practical tips that a host can implement today to make each guest’s experience in Orlando slightly better?
These are the tips that even if you are hiring an Airbnb cleaning service to clean your space after the guests (which we strongly recommend), are practical strategies that we as a cleaning company believe hosts could use right away to start making a different experience for their guests. At first glance, these tips may seem simple, yet these are the simple tricks that our cleaning company has noticed not many Orlando hosts do or think about. In this article, we’re sharing the exact strategies we would use if we owned a couple of Airbnb properties ourselves. These are tricks that could genuinely help hosts stand out in Orlando’s competitive Airbnb market.
Cleaning Tips for Orlando Airbnb Hosts
As an Airbnb cleaning company that has performed over a thousand residential and commercial cleanings in Orlando, we know exactly the areas other cleaning companies miss. We know exactly what a lot of the Orlando hosts do and don’t. These tips are based on our observations and experiences. Here are the cleaning tips our team has for any host in Orlando who wants to make their guest experience stand out!
Create A Cleaning Checklist
You may already have an Airbnb cleaning company that handles cleanings between guests, a cleaning professional who comes in regularly, or you might do the cleaning yourself. Creating a checklist is something both you and your cleaners can always refer to for consistency. We recommend sitting down and creating two separate lists: one for cleaning between guests for regular maintenance, and one for deep cleaning that you can request to be performed once a month.
Take the time to think about frequently touched surfaces, which appliances, spots, or areas are highly used by your guests, and customize the checklist to your property. Your goal is to create a list of essential tasks that need to be performed. Using this list, you will be able to ensure not only that these essentials are being covered during guest turnover cleanings but also be able to customize your cleaning plan with a rental property cleaning service to ensure only essentials are being covered and you are not charged for tasks that can be performed during deep cleanings.
The deep cleaning checklist will consist of tasks that are more time-consuming and can be performed once a month or in emergencies. We also recommend that you look into creating a list of supplies that need to be restocked after each guest to minimize any extraneous expenditures and have every supply available. The checklist will ensure a consistent quality that all of your guests can enjoy, will allow you to negotiate the right cleaning plan for your Airbnb property, and ensure that all of the essential or frequently used areas are covered.
Add an Air Purifier
You may be surprised, but an air purifier can significantly reduce the amount of dust that floats throughout your property. You don’t have to purchase an expensive air purifier; one that costs between $100-200 will do just fine, and one filter of an air purifier can in fact last up to 6-8 months. However, the benefits don’t stop there. The air purifier also helps eliminate smells, weird odors, noticeably improves air quality, and reduces allergens and irritants in the air.
You can activate it between guests, ask your cleaner to do so, or leave it running continuously. This is a great investment that can both reduce the costs of cleaning and improve guests’ experience with your property. Adding an air purifier to your Airbnb is a smart consideration that pays dividends in guest satisfaction and it is something you can always mention or display on your listing as well.
Open Windows During Cleaning
This trick is obvious, but you would be surprised by how many cleaning companies and hosts forget about this one: open your windows. When cleaning your property, try opening windows to reduce the odor of any cleaning chemicals used, allow fresh air to enter the house, remove any smells or odors, and improve air quality. The last thing a guest wants is to enter a property they’ve just rented only to be met with a strong smell of food or something worse from previous guests.
Try opening windows on opposite sides of the property to create cross-ventilation. You may also want to open doors for extra airflow. Leave the windows open for at least an hour for best results. We promise you, this makes a noticeable difference that guests will appreciate immediately upon arrival.
Provide Guest Cleaning Supplies
Not every guest feels comfortable leaving spills, stains, or trash behind. We suggest designating a closet or corner of the house with basic cleaning supplies for guests to use. You may be surprised, but we’ve seen a number of properties that were partially cleaned by guests before we even arrived. This gives your cleaning company less hassle, can reduce the turnaround time between guests, reduces the chance of damage to your property, and allows guests to have a better experience in case something does happen.
These cleaning supplies do not have to be expensive. Leave a simple vacuum, mop, backup trash bags, extra paper towels, and a window cleaning solution. You will be surprised how many guests will actually clean. Having cleaning supplies readily visible already provides a psychological incentive for your guests to maintain the space.
Wipe Ceiling Fans
Let’s face it: almost every home in Orlando has a ceiling fan, and let’s be honest, those rarely get wiped or dusted properly. Due to Orlando’s continuous warm weather, ceiling fans are used frequently, especially by tourists from colder states or countries. What we’ve noticed is that many cleaning companies miss ceiling fan cleaning, despite many ceiling fans collecting substantial amounts of dust.
Make sure your Airbnb cleaning service or you wipe or dust ceiling fans at least once a month. This will improve air quality, create better first impressions of rooms inside your property, and ensure safe operation of your ceiling fans. This is a small detail that is often missed, despite ceiling fans being installed in almost every property in Orlando.
Use Flour Sack Towels
Your guests will use many paper towels, and it’s not really worth providing fresh new rolls each time. Instead, look into providing guests with one roll of paper towels and have small flour sack towels around the property placed in easy-to-reach spots. This reduces the number of paper towel rolls you have to purchase, gives your guests a more luxurious experience, saves the environment, and reduces the chance of your next guests finding used paper towels under beds or furniture.
We’ve found countless paper towels under furniture or scattered around properties. You don’t want your next guests finding one stuffed somewhere. Buy a set of flour sack towels, and it will last you much longer than purchasing large quantities of paper towels. Also consider that a set of kitchen flour sack towels is relatively inexpensive to purchase and can be washed and reused repeatedly.
Use Wrinkle Spray to Prepare Bedrooms
Are you looking to achieve that perfect bedroom look with zero wrinkles on bed sheets? Wrinkle spray can also be used on bed sheets, which means you don’t have to iron. Wrinkle spray saves you time preparing the bedroom, gives it a hotel-like finish, removes any odors from the sheets, and gives your bed sheets a fresh scent that guests will definitely notice.
We’ve found that some Airbnb hosts are already using this trick to transform bedrooms for their guests. If you haven’t tried it, it’s worth implementing. You use wrinkle spray in three easy steps: lightly mist the area of wrinkled sheets, run your hands over the fabric to smooth it out, and that’s it! The results are impressive and guests immediately notice the attention to detail.
Remove Hair Thoroughly
We’ve spoken to many hosts, hotel managers, and property managers, of which many have stated that guests finding hair most often leads to the worst consequences and negative reviews. When a guest enters your property, it feels as if they are temporarily home. There is a psychological aspect to this sense of ownership. So when they do find hair or signs of other guests who have stayed on the property, they may question the safety and comfort of their environment.
Finding someone’s hair in the bedsheets right before sleep is not an experience anyone expects or tolerates. Make sure your cleaning company thoroughly inspects for any hairs that may be left on or in critical or frequently used areas. This includes bedding, bathroom floors, shower drains, and countertops. For a comprehensive approach to maintaining your property, check out our guide on How Do I Deep Clean My House? A Complete 12-Step Guide, which provides step-by-step instructions on how to deep clean your Airbnb property in Orlando with helpful tips that make the process manageable.
Airbnb Cleaning Services in Orlando
If you’re looking for a reliable partner to maintain your Airbnb property, Aqua Cleaning and Janitorial is here to help. Our cleaning team has combined experience of over 25 years, and we work with homeowners and property managers throughout Greater Orlando, keeping homes clean and guest-ready. We understand the unique demands of rental property cleaning and can customize a cleaning plan for your property to fit your budget and ensure that all of the unique cleaning needs of your space are met.
We offer one-time cleanings, deep cleanings, and recurring maintenance between guests. Schedule a consultation with our team to see how we can support your Airbnb property with professional cleanings that keep your guests happy and your reviews positive!
Managing a successful Airbnb business in Orlando’s competitive market requires more than just basic cleaning. These tips should give you, as a host, practical ways to make each guest’s experience a little more memorable and maybe even special. By paying attention to these small details that other hosts overlook, you can create an experience that actually stands out. One that leads to better reviews, repeat bookings, and ultimately, a more profitable rental property. And if you ever need help maintaining your property, you know exactly who to call! We are here to help you succeed in Orlando’s thriving hospitality market!
