Airbnb properties need a full professional clean after every single guest checkout, regardless of whether the previous guest stayed one night or two weeks. Beyond that standard turnover clean, properties also need periodic deep cleaning, regular carpet care, and a mid-stay clean for longer bookings.
Hosts who don’t have time to manage this themselves typically bring in Airbnb cleaning services London to handle the full schedule, since getting the timing wrong on any one of these stages shows up quickly in guest reviews. Here’s exactly how often each type of cleaning should happen and what each one covers.
Turnover Cleaning: After Every Checkout
This is non-negotiable. Every guest expects to arrive at a property that’s been completely reset, no matter how short their predecessor’s stay was.
A proper turnover clean covers:
- Kitchen – dishes washed and put away, all surfaces wiped, appliances cleaned externally, bins emptied
- Bathroom – toilet, sink, shower or bath, and floors fully sanitised
- Bedrooms – all linen changed and washed, surfaces dusted, floors vacuumed or washed
- Living areas – tables and seating wiped down, floors swept and washed, rubbish removed
- Outdoor areas – patio furniture and floors cleaned if applicable
If you offer a daily service during a guest’s stay, the version you’d run each day is shorter: kitchen and bathroom cleaned, beds made, and linen changed only if needed. Our turnover service guide covers how to structure this if you’re managing back-to-back bookings with tight gaps between guests.
Deep Cleaning: Every 4-12 Weeks Depending on Bookings
Turnover cleaning keeps a property guest-ready, but it doesn’t reach everywhere. Dust, grime, and wear build up in places a standard clean skips. A deep clean catches all of it.
A deep clean includes:
- Cleaning behind and under furniture
- Scrubbing tile grout and skirting boards
- Washing walls, windows, and light fittings
- Cleaning inside the oven, fridge, and microwave
- Dusting ceiling fans, vents, and blinds
- Steam cleaning fabric furnishings where needed
How often you need this depends on your booking frequency:
| Booking Frequency | Deep Clean Interval |
|---|---|
| 3+ bookings per week | Every 4–6 weeks |
| 1–2 bookings per week | Every 2–3 months |
| Seasonal or holiday-only | Before and after peak season |
A property turning over three or more times weekly sees far more wear on bathrooms, bedding, and kitchen surfaces than one with occasional bookings. Match your deep clean schedule to actual usage rather than a fixed calendar date.
Signs You Need a Deep Clean Sooner
Don’t wait for a guest complaint to tell you something’s off. Watch for:
- Fingerprints or smudges building up on walls and doors
- Dust visible on light fittings, fans, or skirting boards
- Smells that linger even after a standard clean
- Slow-draining sinks or showers
- Cleanliness ratings dropping despite regular turnovers
Any of these mean it’s time to bring in a deep clean ahead of schedule.
Carpet Cleaning: Every 1-2 Months
Carpets hold onto dust, allergens, and odours long after they look clean on the surface. Vacuuming alone doesn’t remove what’s trapped in the fibres.
For high-traffic Airbnb properties, professional carpet steam cleaning every one to two months keeps things genuinely fresh rather than just visibly tidy. Properties with lighter foot traffic can stretch this to once every two to three months.
Mid-Stay Cleaning: For Bookings Over 7 Nights
Guests staying a week or longer often appreciate a cleaner coming in partway through. This isn’t a full turnover clean, just a refresh:
- Kitchen wiped down and dishes cleared
- Bathroom sanitised
- Beds made and linen changed if needed
- Floors given a quick vacuum
Some hosts include this in the booking price for longer stays. Others offer it as a paid add-on guests can request.
What Happens If You Clean Less Often Than This
Skipping or rushing any of these stages catches up with you quickly. Guests notice dust on surfaces, lingering smells, or a bathroom that doesn’t feel properly sanitised, even if everything looks fine in photos. That shows up directly in cleanliness ratings, which affects your search ranking and future bookings.
It also costs more long term. Grime left to build up takes longer and more effort to remove later, and neglected maintenance issues, a slow drain, a chip in the paint, a loose tap, tend to get found by guests instead of by you.
How to Build a Cleaning Schedule That Works
The most reliable approach combines three layers:
- Turnover clean after every guest, without exception
- Deep clean scheduled based on your actual booking volume, not guesswork
- Carpet and fabric cleaning on a fixed monthly or bi-monthly rotation
Pair this with light maintenance checks during deep cleans, testing smoke alarms, checking lights, and restocking essentials, so small issues get caught before they become guest complaints. Our Airbnb cleaning guide for hosts walks through the full room-by-room checklist if you want a detailed reference to work from.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to clean my Airbnb after every guest, even a one-night stay?
Yes. A full turnover clean is required regardless of stay length. A one-night guest leaves behind the same kitchen mess, used towels, and bathroom residue as someone staying a week, just on a smaller scale.
How long does a typical Airbnb clean take?
Most turnover cleans take 2-4 hours depending on property size and condition. Deep cleans take longer, often a half day or more for larger properties.
Can I do deep cleaning myself instead of hiring a professional?
You can, but it’s time-consuming and easy to miss spots like behind appliances or inside extractor fans. Many hosts handle turnovers themselves early on and bring in professionals specifically for deep cleans.
What’s the difference between a turnover clean and a deep clean?
A turnover clean resets the property for the next guest: dishes, linen, bathrooms, surfaces, and floors. A deep clean goes further into the areas a standard clean doesn’t reach: behind furniture, inside appliances, grout, light fittings, and vents.
Does cleaning frequency actually affect my Airbnb rating?
Yes, directly. Cleanliness is one of the most heavily weighted categories in guest reviews, and a poor cleanliness score affects your search visibility on the platform.