cleaning fees

[Barbara-Jean5]

I am curious - if you charge a cleaning fee does that fee cover the cost of doing the laundry.  In other words, let's say you have someone come in and clean your airbnb - thus you charge a cleaning fee - but does the cleaning person also do the laundry? 

[Dave-and-Deb0]

Hi @Barbara-Jean5 

The answer to this really depends.  It really is a negotiation and also what your needs are.  For example, I have 4 listings where the cleaners do everything for one price which includes the laundry.  I also use the same cleaners for a basement suite in my own home and I pay less for a cleaning fee because we do the laundry which saves us.  

Either way you go about it, I always recommend having at least 2-3 sets of sheets per bed so the cleaner can start the laundry while making the beds and not waiting for the laundry to finish.  

I hope this helps.

[Barbara-Jean5]

@Dave-and-Deb0 Thanks so much for your reply. 

I have one listing of my own and then I am Co-host with my son for his airbnb listing which is a 4 bedroom house.  My son and I have disagreed about the cleaning fee.  I think the cleaning fee should be more for the person doing the cleaning if the laundry is included.  Doing laundry does take time even though other things can be done while the laundry is washing, it still takes a person's time.  We have many sets of sheets per bed so that is not really an issue but sometimes on a day when guests check out and new guests are checking in there is a bit of pressure to get the cleaning done and not to worry so much about the laundry at that time.  Our lady takes the laundry home with her in those events. 

I appreciate your feedback and wish you the best.  

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Barbara-Jean5 @Dave-and-Deb0 

Good question!

We have half a dozen extra sets of sheets and towels so that we can clean and prep without relying on laundry. Also, stains and wear take a toll on our supplies, so those extras are definitely needed. Even with the best stain removal skills, linens have a short life. 

I do the laundry, ahead of the cleaners arrival and put out clean towels. I also do the bed making, which takes a full hour no matter who does it. The $75 cleaning fee we charge is for the 2 housekeepers to spend 3 hours deep cleaning between guests. That means at $25 each per hour for 2 people, we absorb half the $150 cleaning cost. 

[Alicia753]

Hi Barbara,

it’s common practice for the cleaning fee to cover both the cleaning of the space and the laundry. When you hire a cleaning service, they typically include laundering the linens, towels, and other necessary items as part of the overall cleaning process.

However, it's essential to confirm this with your cleaner, as some cleaning services may charge extra for laundry, depending on the size of the property and the amount of laundry involved.

In general, the cleaning fee should be sufficient to cover the cost of maintaining the cleanliness of the entire property, including laundry. If you find that the laundry load is particularly large or that it takes a significant amount of time, you might want to factor that into your cleaning fee or negotiate with your cleaning service accordingly.

I hope this helps.

All the best,

Upfish Management