We typically have about 2-4 hours to turn over our space from guest to guest. Making sure to have a routine is the only way to make sure things don't get missed.
Cleaning, for me, starts with preparation. You must have the cleaners, detergents, rags and tools on hand before you even think about cleaning. Buy and replace mop heads and brooms frequently. Don't forget the little things like tissues and garbage can liners. Without the proper cleaning items, the space will never properly get completed in time.
After a guest checks out, the first thing we do after a quick inventory, is strip the bed and gather the towels and bathmats. They take the longest to process. We get those going in the washer with detergent, bleach and softner. We open the drapes and pull up the shades. Guests almost always leave these drawn.
Then we pull back the shower curtain and spray down the tub with soap scum remover. Then toilet bowl cleaner around the toilet bowl. Did you know if toilet bowl cleaner sits for 5 minutes it santizes as well as cleans? We wipe down the shower and run the water to make sure the drain isn't in need of hair removal. Then we dry the shower and check for hair stuck on the liner. We fill the soap, shampoo and conditioner and place them back in the shower caddy.
The sink area is next. After removing the soap dispenser, hand sanitizer, and dixie cups, spray the mirror first so any falling window cleaner lands on the counter. Then we spray the entire area with tub and tile cleaner, scrub the sink, and wipe all the flat areas. With fresh paper towel, I wipe the mirror and use the collected windex to wipe all the stainless steel in the shower and sink. This eliminates water spots that, while harmless, make guests think things aren't clean. Everything goes back to it's place and filled if necessary. Full somehow makes the guest think things are cleaner, like they weren't forgotten and the room was attended to.
The toilet is next with a spray of all the flat areas. Don't forget those footers if you have them or the front of the bowl. Men, unfortunately miss, and women's hair likes to collect on the porcelain next to the floor. Mostly, you are wiping up dust. Scrub the bowl and flush. We top it off with a quick spray of "poo-pourri" into the bowl so when the first guest goes, they get a quick whiff of citrus, not towel bowl cleaner and we don't get a whiff of whatever they do on the toliet after a long day of travel. Last but not least, we double check the basket of extra toiletries we've provided for things that have been used or taken. People use the razors and toothpaste most often.
The bedroom is next, spraying and wiping the dresser, desk, bedside table and the fireplace mantle. This is where people set random things that leave little rings, women blow off their makeup brushes flinging bits of eyeshadow and blush, and fingerprints mark up the glass very easily. We only clean the mirror as needed and dust once a week. We deep clean the ledges and edges about once a month to keep the marks, dust and debris to a minimum. Don't forget to wipe that desk chair seat - it can get pretty dirty. We organize the basket of local information to make sure things are tidy and replace items that went missing.
We have several sets of sheets and blankets, so if we have time, we'll dry the ones in the washer, if not, new sheets are put on the bed and the bed remade. We remove and wash the mattress pad, pillow covers, and shower curtains once a month and run everything through the washer in the Sanitize cycle. Much to the chagrin of some, we do not wash the bedspread or extra coverlets for every guest. Blast me if you must, but hotels don't either. We provide both a top and bottom sheet, 4 fresh pillow cases, and fresh blanket for every guest. The bedspread and extra coverlet get washed weekly.
Twice or three times a year we take all items out from under the bed and do a deep clean of that space. Mostly to rid the space of dust bunnies. At that time we will wash or dry clean whichever little blanket we have thrown on the uphostered chair as well as surface wash the chair itself. We will also surface wash the hope chest top. Spot cleaning is done as needed of course.
Once the bed is remade, we dry mop the bath and bedroom. We find that a dry mop does a better job of picking up women's long hair than a regular broom. Twice a week we wash the hardwood floors with Murphy's Oil Soap depending on guest usage, if it's been raining or we noticed the guests have been running around the house without shoes. We provide slippers in the winter months only, and if they were used, we would have added them to the laundry with the towels to be washed and dried.
The final touches come now.
We put out chocolates for the guests. Typically one per person per night for their stay. We buy Ghirardelli Squares, Godiva Truffles, or Lindor Truffles mostly since these have a bit of "luxury" to them and are individually wrapped. We put the key with the chocolates so it and they won't be missed.
We set out the clean slippers if needed.
We hang fresh towels on the bathroom bar and fold and extra set if needed and place them in the room. We give 2 bath towels, 1 hand towel, and 1 wash cloth per guest. Then I create a toilet paper origami. This allows me to be a little creative. Our guests just love the Bow, the Magnolia, or the Flower pot with fresh flowers/herbs.
We put a fresh garbage bag in the bathroom can. I love the scented "ruffies" you can get at Target. The 4 gallon is a perfect size and keeps that can from ever needing to be washed out. Plus, then I don't have to look at whatever was thrown in there. Close it up and toss it. I know, it's not very environmental.
The clean and dry robe is hung on it's bathroom hook.
A clean and fresh bath mat is laid last.
Then I go to the alarm pad and set their alarm code. On the entry table, I light a fresh smelling candle. We leave the lights on in the room to make it feel warm and inviting for when the guests arrive. Light and bright screams clean! By this time, at a minimum, we're ready for our next guests. If the kitchen needs attention, then that would be the next stop but we'll greet a guest even if there are dishes in the sink. Their dedicated space is clean and ready for their use.
Whew. It's time to do something more fun.
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