Step 1: How we prepare for safer cleaning
- Ventilate rooms before and while we clean. Regulatory authorities such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommend opening outside doors and windows and using ventilating fans to increase air circulation in the space before beginning to clean and sanitise. So where possible we ventilate the space for as long as we can before and during cleaning.
- Gather the right cleaning supplies. We recommend only using disinfectant and sanitiser solutions that are registered with the relevant governmental agency (e.g. the European Chemicals Agency).
- Review the safety guidelines for chemicals. We always read the labels on your products to understand their active ingredients and how to use them properly.
- Wash our hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. If that’s not possible, we use a hand sanitiser containing 60% alcohol at a minimum, and refer to local governmental agency for the latest guidelines.
- Wear protective equipment at all times. Before we enter the space, put on protective equipment such as disposable gloves, aprons or gowns, and masks or cloth facial coverings.
- Take out all the rubbish Starting with this step helps prevent dirty rubbish from contaminating the space once it has been cleaned. We make sure to line all the waste bins with fresh bags, which will make it easier to dispose of tissues and other waste.
- Unplug before cleaning. For safety and to protect fixtures, we unplug appliances before cleaning. Plugged appliances that are turned “off” are still connected to electricity until unplugged.
- Collect all dirty linens throughout the space. Laundry is one of the most time-consuming activities between guest turnovers. We Collect all linens as soon as we enter the space, and avoid shaking dirty linens, which could increase the spread of germs.
Step 2: Clean dust and debris
Cleaning is when you remove germs and dirt from surfaces. For example, using a soapy cloth to wipe off a kitchen surface or hob. It’s important to complete this step before we sanitise your space.
- Wash all linens at the highest heat setting recommended by the manufacturer. We change our disposable gloves before we handle any clean linens.
- Wash all dishes, and empty the dishwasher. It’s important to wash all the dishes to help ensure hygienic standards. To make sure that we have enough time to clean them between each stay, we also consider limiting the number of dishes that guests can access. We recommend providing double the number of your maximum guest count (so if your place fits four people, we leave out eight sets of dishware). If you don’t have a dishwasher, we wash dishes using hot water and antibacterial dish soap. To help avoid cross-contamination, we start by walking through the space and collecting dishes from every room.
- Dust the space, and sweep or vacuum the floor. When dusting, we start from the top down to ensure there are no visible signs left over. We also sweep all hard surface floors, and vacuum carpeting.
- Clean all hard surfaces with soap and water. We wipe each surface down to remove dirt, grease, dust, and germs. Hard surfaces include things like countertops, tables, sinks, cabinets, and floors. When mopping, we work from the back corner of the room to the front, and dispose of the water in a sink that hasn’t been cleaned yet.
- Clean all soft surfaces based on the manufacturer’s instructions. Soft surfaces include things like carpet, bedding, and upholstery. We carefully remove any visible dirt or grime, then clean with the appropriate cleaners. If possible, we machine-wash items according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Step 3: Sanitise with disinfectant
Sanitising is when you use chemicals to reduce the number of germs and bacteria. During this step, we require hosts to sanitise all high-touch areas. For example, spraying chemical disinfectant on doorknobs, light switches, and cabinets.
- Once a hard surface is clean, spray it with disinfectant. We focus on sanitising all frequently touched surfaces in the space (such as doorknobs and light switches), as well as surfaces that may have touched soiled linens (such as flooring). We are also sure to sanitise electronics based on the manufacturer’s cleaning directions.
- Let the disinfectant stay wet for the specified length of time. The product label will specify the wet contact time needed for the chemicals to effectively sanitise a surface. This allows the chemicals time to kill as many germs as possible.
- Allow to air-dry. If the surface dries before the wet contact time, there’s no guarantee that the product has killed the pathogens claimed on the label.
Step 4: Check your room-by-room checklists
We make sure to refer to the best practices in each room-by-room checklist.
- Double-check that all high-touch surfaces were sanitised. We will address anything that might have been missed.
- Note any maintenance issues or missing items. As we are passing through we check for completion, and note any items that need to be replaced, refilled, or restocked.
Step 5: Reset the room
To help avoid cross-contamination, it’s important to finish cleaning and sanitising a room before resetting it for the next guest.
- Dispose of and wash your cleaning supplies. We will throw away disposable products such as disinfectant wipes. Wash any cleaning cloths at the highest heat setting appropriate for the material.
- Empty and clean the vacuum after every cleaning. We also ensure to clean any other tools that were used.
- Safely remove any cleaning gear once you’re done cleaning. We will dispose of or wash any protective gear according to their usage guidelines. To help prevent cross-contamination, and make sure to put on a new pair of gloves after cleaning each room.
- Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. If that’s not possible, use a hand sanitiser containing 60% alcohol at a minimum, and refer to local governmental agency websites for the latest guidelines.
- Visually assess each room to ensure the stage is set for the next guest. We imagine ourselves as the guest entering the space for the first time.
- Set out cleaning supplies for your guests. We’ve heard from guests that they want the ability to clean on their own while staying in the space. So we empower guests by setting out cleaning supplies they can use, such as hand sanitiser, disposable paper towels, disposable gloves, disinfectant spray or wipes, and extra hand soap.
- Restock your cleaning supplies. We always then are sure to check expiration dates and refill any supplies that we have used so we are ready for the next turnover.