Details guests see as "not clean enough" - -add your thoughts!

[Laura2592]

I had posted that I learned a lot about cleaning having an Airbnb. I hate cleaning and have a cleaning service in my primary residence. It was clear after a few rounds with them at our Airbnb we needed to be working on some of the cleaning ourselves in addition to having a cleaner come in. We collect a lot of feedback from our guests via a suggestion box. One of the biggest challenges is meeting what I call the "personal cleanliness expectation" or PCE.  PCE consists of general big ticket items like clean floors and counters, non-sticky tables,  no dust bunnies, scrubbed toilets, etc. But each guest has there own individual "PCE" items-- if they see one, doesn't matter for some how nice the big ticket things are. You lose a point or more as they signal "not clean enough" to the guest. 

Now some of these PCEs are over the top, so bear with me. But this is what I have discovered. I am sure a lot of other hosts will chime in (at least I hope so.)

First, bugs. Our cottage is on a big rural wooded lot. So bugs get inside. Spiders when its cold, flies and mosquitoes (and fireflies!) sometimes when its warm. Crickets any time. We have a big porch and a little vestibule between the screen and main front door. Crickets especially will wait and hop in when the lights are on. Some guests will say that the place isn't clean if they see a bug, alive or dead. This is something we work very hard to manage, but nature is gonna be nature out in the country under the trees. 

Anything that is supposed to look distressed. We have a very rustic reclaimed floor in one of our bathroom made of old barn wood. Personally I love it. Its got old paint and goes well with the vibe of the house. It gets mopped and cleaned with all other floor surfaces. But one guest said it looked "old and dirty." Likewise the bedside tables in one bedroom are chalk painted and shabby chic. One guest left a comment that they weren't "crisp and new" looking (they aren't, nor are they supposed to be). If you look at all the fancy "luxe" places on Airbnb they have a very specific type of look-- white, open, clean edges, new-appearing. So be careful if your place invites a different aesthetic.

Baseboards and picture frames. Yes its common sense to dust them. But one guest told us that she does the "white glove test" on those areas before giving out 5 stars.  (Good to know.)

Dark furniture. Some guests see dark, heavy furniture as "dirty" even when its not. Grays, beiges and bright colors seem not to evoke this reaction. Same with dark counters. Why? No clue. 

Areas behind shelves/washer dryer/pieces of furniture. I know-- who goes behind that stuff? Guests do, especially if they have small kids or pets with toys. We were appalled to discover that the area behind the washer and dryer in our laundry room was super gross. It took some effort to move the machines and clean but now we have a long swiffer type duster thing that helps.

Your personal stuff. We had a drawer in a piece of furniture in the bathroom where we left a tube of our almost brand new toothpaste by accident. Guests found it and were unhappy... it seemed like we should have cleaned better. 

Stoves and fridges. Yes, they should be clean. They should be very very clean all the time. If your place is spotless otherwise, but certain guests open a stove or fridge and sees any evidence of muck,  your place is not clean enough to meet their PCE.  Same goes with a microwave.

Smells. We have a solid stone built cottage with 18" thick walls (about 45 cm). We can't vent to outside for a fan without paying an exorbitant amount. We can't fit a recirculating fan under the hand built hickory cabinets because they aren't a standard size. So we don't have a toaster or allow deep frying. Why? The smells. We found out the hard way that some cooking smells (really burnt toast is the worst!) really linger in a place with 18 inch thick stone walls and only ceiling fans to help move odors along. If your place does not smell fresh right upon opening the door, its not meeting someone's PCE. This is particularly true in a place that allows pets as not all of your guests have them and no one wants to smell someone else's wet dog. 

Please feel free to add what you have found!

[Sarah977]

@Peg24  They've seen pictures of pastures with cows. It looks so romantic and calm. It never occured to them that real cows actually poop 🙂

These kinds of people, who freak out if they see an ant or a spider or complain about the smell of manure when you like in a rural area would probably be perfectly happy to have all the creatures on the planet, aside from humans, go extinct. Just seeing pictures of them is so much better 😞

[John47]

@Ann72 
I can certainly relate! In 2017, had this review:
"It's the perfect little cottage in the perfect part of Chatham. You're pretty close to nature (with some nature making its way into the cabin), but if you're looking for less nature, just go to the Hamptons! A great experience."

So I replied (figured it wouldn't hurt too much to do so):
"Thanks for the positive comments but as to 'nature making its way into the cabin': Cottages are in the pine and oak woods so it's not a sterile city environment. Also, in same unit, long time tenants who stayed week prior to you and first time tenants the week after reported no similar issues so maybe some Cape Cod bugs just found you folks attractive? "

[Ann72]

@John47 Ha!  That really made me laugh!  Yes, they come to be far away from the city and then can't quite believe it when they see a cricket or a turkey or something!

[Ute42]

.

@Kevin1322 

You wrote further up:

• We tell them to go find a place where you will be happy. ♥️

I fully agree with Your policy. We should all put into our houserules:

• Complaints about any disturbing issues must be made within 3 hrs after the occur. No refund or any other kind of compensation will be considered after this deadline.

Then, if someone complains about something we tell them: I am very sorry, I fully understand, herewith I offer a full refund for the remaining days if You cancel Your booking and move to another place.

Now the ball is in their court. What should they do? Rehousing in the middle of a stay is a real hazzle, also they first have to find a better place to move to. Maybe there isn't any.

Let the guests decide.

[Kim506]

i list that we have a kitty in the descriptions and many, in fact most comment on the sweet welcome they get or what a great hostess she is or... still some rare people don't read descriptions and are surprised.  I even have a large photo of the pretty kitty.  Not too often but every once in a while.

[Renee323]

I appreciate this discussion, as we're a week away from our first guests. We have bookings, and I'm hoping to have easy going folks, but there are sure to be those who aren't! I have implemented the, "Not suitable for picky guests" line, because I'd rather offend a few who get turned off by that statement and never meet them rather than not scare away the fussy ones. I'm managing a clean house, but the windows need cleaning and I'm not doing the outside. They're due to be replaced sometime soon, so it goes. Also, it's 100 years old, so there are scratches in the wood floors, crevices, etc., etc. 

I rather think by saying that, @Ute0 is a genius- it is going to make some cranky people not be as fussy because they won't want to self-identify as picky! Cheers.

[Laura2592]

@Renee323  Good luck to you! Our average is about 1 in 10 guests has an expectation beyond the other 90% that is difficult to satisfy. Sometimes you get two of those groups in a row and it can be really disheartening. But most people are great. 

[Kevin1322]

@Renee323  Don't worry. So far our guests have been no bother at all. We've only had 7 or 8 stays so far this month, and on balance we are benefitting from meeting some really nice people as well as some welcome funds to make ends meet. 

so far...….. 🙂

[Laura-And-Mike0]

I have disclaimers in my listing for gecko's, bugs, mosquitos, moldy smells outside, noisy night time frogs, etc. as our unit (and my house) are in a rainforest in Hawaii.  Hello, it's a rainforest and some parts of the bungalow only have screens - no windows -- YES there are bugs, it's a living rainforest with lots of critters.  I just let them know the geckos are our eco-friendly pest control and the frogs are Hawaiian white noise to lull them to sleep.  I have a whole list of disclaimers, including that the unit is 55 years old and there is lots of old funky stuff that needs upgrading and we're working on it....so cut me some slack!

I've had one or two clean freaks that no matter what, I could have never satisfied their personal cleaning levels.  I think it's just best to list all possible disclaimers in your listing and hope people take the time to read it before pressing the 'book it' button.

Mine also states if they need daily cleaning, concierge, room service, 24 hour desk service, etc. one of the hotels downtown can service them better!

So my point is:  Set clear expectations - spell it all out for them.  i have a 75-80% occupancy rate, so I guess the other guests booked overpriced sterile hotel downtown - good on them!

[Bruce-And-Patty0]

@Laura2592 - We were new to hosting in June 2019, and most of our guests have been good.  However, we had guests coming in from Kentucky (we are in Massachusetts) who asked us if we could provide 4 beach chairs and a beach umbrella for them, which we did.  Then they asked for a 3-hour early check-in  which was not doable, but our cleaner said she could allow a 2-hour early check-in.  We had people checking out that morning, and our cleaner did her best to clean quickly.  They were grateful for the accommodation and for the other things we did for them.  They said nice things in their review, but they deducted a star for cleanliness because they found a cobweb behind the toilet and one under one of the beds. 

It turned out the guest thought she was doing us a favor by knocking us down a star for cleanliness and mentioning the two cobwebs so that we could discuss it with our cleaner!  Of course, it never occurred to her that our cleaner rushed for her so she could check in at 1:00 instead of 3:00. 

[Helen427]

Hello  @Bruce-And-Patty0 

Welcome to ABB CC.

You have the option to msg the guest and ask why they felt the cleaning wasn't up to standard, and/ or mention in your Private feedback, or mention it in Review options - note there is Right of Reply provisions after the reviews are made public.

Be midful of the impact of what's written online for potential future Guests & Hosts.

There's much valubale info tucked here in CC if you use keywords in the search box.

All the best & Happy Hosting

[Bruce-And-Patty0]

@Helen427  Thank you for your response.  She said very nice things in her review, and afterward she explained that she thought the star rating was just between her (the guest) and me and my husband (hosts).  She had no idea the impact that rating had--we actually received a message (auto generated?) from Airbnb about it.  For us to leave a bad review for a guest, they would have to be 100% horrible.  We have been lucky so far! 

[Helen350]

@Bruce-And-Patty0 Yes, Isn't it frustrating when guests ding you on minor aspects of cleanliness,? -  and you KNOW that if you hadn't bent over backwards to accommodate their unreasonable request to be let in early, then you would have had time to finish the cleaning!

[Teresa-And-Dan0]

Another couple of places to keep an eye on - Behind and under the refrigerator as well as the top of the refrigerator; if you have a free standing stove it’s a good idea to pull it out and clean under and behind it.  Oh, and the entryway coat closet can be forgotten too.  😁

[Laura2592]

Yes those are great spots to remember. Also ceiling fans. During hot months we run them almost constantly. Sometimes out cleaners miss them because they are in motion.