If you own or manage a short-term rental, reviews matter. Good reviews bring more bookings. Bad reviews kill momentum. And nothing affects your reviews more than cleanliness.

It doesn’t matter how great your listing looks in photos or how fast your Wi-Fi is. If guests arrive to dusty surfaces, dirty showers, or smelly linens, your ratings will take a hit. Even if everything else is perfect, poor cleanliness can ruin a stay.

Guests judge fast—and they judge hard

The moment a guest walks through the door, they’re evaluating the space. They notice:

• Streaks on mirrors
• Stains on bedding
• Food crumbs
• Dust in corners
• Unpleasant smells

Even one or two cleanliness complaints can lower your overall star rating, limit your visibility on booking platforms, and turn away future guests.

Cleaning for Airbnb is not like cleaning your home

Home cleaning and STR cleaning are not the same. When you clean your own home, you know your own mess. When you clean for guests, you're preparing for strangers with no tolerance for surprises.

Guests expect hotel-level standards. That means going beyond everyday cleaning. You need to:

• Check hard-to-reach places
• Sanitize high-touch areas
• Reset the space fully between stays
• Leave no trace of previous guests

Common areas hosts forget to clean

Even great hosts can overlook small areas. These include:

• Ceiling fans and vents
• Under the bed
• Between couch cushions
• Shower corners and grout
• Inside drawers and cabinets
• Fridge seals and handles
• Light switches and door knobs
• Remote controls and appliances

Guests will notice these details. If they’re dirty, guests may assume the whole place is dirty too.

Reviews mention cleanliness more than anything else

Read any group of reviews and you’ll see it. Guests mention cleanliness more than amenities, location, or even price. Some examples include:

• “Immaculately clean”
• “Spotless and fresh”
• “Dirty bathroom”
• “Couldn’t sleep in the bed”

Good or bad, it always shows up.

Bad reviews can block your listing

Platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com use algorithm rankings. That means:

• Higher-rated listings get shown first
• Lower-rated listings get pushed down
• Anything below 4.5 stars starts to hurt you

Once your average drops, it’s hard to recover. Consistently high cleanliness scores help keep your listing visible and competitive.

Caresbnb offers cleaning support for hosts

We help you maintain cleaning standards with:

• One-on-one training for cleaners or staff
• Custom manuals for your property layout
• Standardised cleaning guides for all STRs
• Virtual walkthrough sessions to train remotely

This way, you get reliable, repeatable results—no matter who’s cleaning.

You don’t need a fancy home to be 5-star clean

Top ratings aren’t about granite counters or luxury finishes. They’re about:

• Fresh-smelling rooms
• Crisp bedding
• Clean showers and toilets
• Neat kitchens with no old food or crumbs

Guests can overlook simplicity, but they won’t forgive dirt.

Cleaning is the one thing you can’t fake

Photos can hide flaws. Descriptions can overpromise. But guests will know within seconds if the space was truly cleaned.

If it wasn’t, they won’t forget it—and neither will their review.

Cleaning impacts revenue

Hosts with top cleaning ratings enjoy:

• Higher nightly rates
• More 5-star reviews
• Better guest communication
• Repeat bookings
• Priority placement on search platforms

Hosts with poor cleaning scores often deal with:

• Fewer bookings
• Lower prices
• Lost Superhost or Premier status
• Refund requests
• Risk of delisting

Simple tips to improve your cleaning results

• Use white sheets and towels—they show cleanliness
• Replace stained or tired-looking items
• Keep a locked supply closet on-site
• Follow a detailed checklist for each turnover
• Train a backup cleaner as a safety net
• Take photos after each clean before check-in
• Deep clean once a month, not once a year

These practices build guest trust and improve your review score.

Ready to upgrade your cleaning setup?

Whether you need a basic checklist or a full property-specific manual, we can help. We’ll review your setup and guide you on what’s missing.

To get started, send your property details to info@caresbnb.com.

Clean property. Better reviews. More bookings.

Cleanliness is the foundation of STR success. Get that part right, and everything else runs smoother. We’ll help you get there.

You can also take your STR to the next level with our custom cleaning and setup manuals — designed specifically for your space and team. Just search our website for the links to order.