My home is not perfect - should I stop hosting?

[Anna282]

Hi all,

After having Airbnb guests during my summer holiday, I feel discouraged and would like some advice (especially from people with imperfect homes). Some of you read my post about my problems with the system here and important information having disappeared. Last guests stayed for free thanks to that. It then also turned out that the guests before them (despite messaging me when arriving to say that the place was lovely) thought the house was dirty, and in that case I really cannot imagine how I could ever make it good enough. (Before you tell me that I have to clean, I would like to point out that I spent two days doing so, focused on the bathroom and kitchen and will have to spend another two days restoring my son's room where I put away a lot of my own belongings to make the rest of the place neat).

What I believe is the main reason - but not the only reason - is that I have a cat and used to have two. It smells and since the floor was damaged from cat urine when my second cat got sick and started peeing in a corner - I regularly spray and clean the place with odor neutralizers but apparently visitors who don't have cats themselves still feel the smell - it can't be removed completely. I am ashamed of this and honestly didn't know it was still that strong, but I'm just wondering if anyone in here manages to have guests in a home that smells of cat or if this is a general no-no. 

Also, the cat smell didn't seem to be the only cleanliness complaint the guests had so I feel very insecure now since I did as good as I could and worked very hard on the cleaning. How much time do others spend on cleaning? As I said I understand that it must be clean, but is it really necessary to scrub everything with chlorine or something? My house is old and filled with books and odd things, and it cannot be made as clean as a hotel within reasonable time. And I just want to list my space for when I'm away for a week or two, I have maybe two bookings for each trip and working full time for a week to clean before just doesn't seem worth it. What is your experience - is hygienic but with traces of everyday life acceptable or have I misunderstood the whole idea of Airbnb? Is it enough to lower the price/turn off automatic pricing to give the message that 'this is my home, I live in it with my things and my family the rest of the time' and if so, how low would you recommend?

Happy for any advice (but not for judging comments) - hosting doesn't feel fun at all right now but if it can be done in a relaxed way I would like to continue.

[Sandra126]

Hej Anna, I remember you from the last post! Sorry to hear you are not going well with the hosting. I think the problem here is the cat smell. No amount of cleaning will be clean enough if it still smells. As a cat owner you can't smell it, we all get used to how our houses smell. You need to fix the floor in a permanent way, sand and varnish? Don't know. When you are done (and I imagine you want the smell gone anyway, not nice for your visitors or you and your son) invite people in and they can tell you if it is gone. I wouldn't bother hosting until you can be sure about that, unless you say clearly on the listing that it smells of cat wee. That is the only way I can see!

[Annette33]

looks like your listing has disappeared, maybe you are reorganizing. Yes, I believe overall cleanliness and readiness is expected everywhere, and maybe some guests can be extra picky. from what I get you said in your own review of that one guest is that you were not there/at home in between the bookings and that the previous guests took care of the cleaning for the next guest. That invites trouble, hopefully you can find a way of having that better taken care of, maybe a friend or cleaning service to come in between two bookings? Good luck!

[Zandra0]

As someone who lived in a property where someone smoked heavily for 20 years, I know a bit about dealing with strong smells! It used to be that you couldn't come out of the lift without being able to smell my flat and yet not once have guests complained about smells. I'm pleased to say you won't have to replace your floor 🙂

The following absorb smells really well, just leave in a bowl and leave out :

Bowls of vinegar
Bowls of fresh coffee grounds

I personally find coffee grounds more effective. I even keep a bowl under the bed in the guest room and refresh it every so often. Weirdly it doesn't make the place smell of coffee, it just absorbs any smells in the air.

Leave windows open at every opportunity and focus on consistently airing out the house.

Buy a commercial strength odour absorber: I recommend the brand Ona which is designed for public loos and smoking rooms. It's designed to absorb (not mask) any strong scent and will definitely deal with your cat odour smell. One block will last 2-3 months and will allow you to keep hosting while you air out your home.

Bicarbonate of soda can also be sprinkled in the area of the pee; leave it overnight when you don't have guests and hoover it up in the morning. Do this a few times a week until the odour is gone.

Hope these tips help. Guests do expect cleanliness and smells usually make guests think it's dirty even when it isn't.

[Lyndsey2]

As someone who does not have a cat, I can always, always smell cat in someone else's home even if it is a perfectly healthy cat who always uses the litterbox. The previous tips from @Zandra0 are great ones, and I would use them. But also make sure you say on your listing exactly what you said earlier... that you live in the home regularly, it is not just for rentals, and therefore shows evidence of life including the cat. The idea is to exceed expectations. So let everyone know you have a cat, you live there, you are imperfect, but it is homey and comfortable for those who will enjoy staying in someone else's home. Then when your apartment is super clean and doesn't smell much like cat, guests will be pleasantly surprised. Also definitely have someone clean between every guest. I can't tell you how often (pretty much every guest) I am stunned by how much of a mess someone can make just by living there. Even when guests only stay one night and try to clean up after themselves. I always have to reclean absolutely everything in the room. I even have to lint-roller the lamp shades every time because somehow they will inevitably collect a couple hairs every time!

[Marsali0]

I agree with the previous responders, Anna.  I'd be pretty certain that the lingering smell of cat urine is the put off.  Unfortunately, if the urine has gotten into the sub-flooring you WILL have to do more than use room deodorizers regardless of how effective they are in most situations.  Once the cat urine has been absorbed into the sub-flooring you're hooped!  I have concrete floors, 3 cats and one dog and have never had any animal odors (with the rare exception of a day when I'm away from home and not doing the regular, twice -daily cleaning of the litter box and I replace the litter twice a week in the winter and once a week in the summer).

Hope this helps ... and don't give up hosting just yet.   The rewards of meeting all the new folks outweighs (in my opinion) the negatives.

Cheers!  Marsali

[City-Limits-Ranch0]

We have a paint called Killz that seals the odor in behind it.  Really effective.  You would have to remove the baseboard, paint the affected area of floor and paint well beyond the bad spot.   Paint the wall behind the baseboard.  Paint both sides of the baseboard and then reinstall it.  Then put new carpet or some other flooring material over the painted floor.

[Lyndsey2]

Oh yes, Killz is amazing stuff

[Karin38]

I highly recommend renting an ozone machine and air scrubber. It'll run about $200 and kills any odor from pets, smoke etc...and also kills mold spores and musty odors. Much better than just masking the smell, it gets rid of it. Also only takes a few hours depending on how large the place is. Make sure you read an understand the instructions.

[Karin38]

I highly recommend renting an ozone machine and air scrubber. It'll run about $200 and kills any odor from pets, smoke etc...and also kills mold spores and musty odors. Much better than just masking the smell, it gets rid of it. Also only takes a few hours depending on how large the place is. Make sure you read an understand the instructions.

[James1]

Someone has probably already suggested this, but put your cat in one of the very first photos.