Guest says there is a smell

[Melissa1718]

Hello! 

Had a guest book for 6 nights. The house was cleaned as usual, with every service wiped down, all lamps and shades wiped down, careful attention to dust ( we are in New Mexico so it is everywhere). Usually there is a linen spray used on all fabric surfaces, this time it wasn't used. 

Guest gets to house and calls asking if there are animals in the house. I advise no, we have a no pet policy. She states that the house has a "smell" and it is making her eyes water. States she will call back. Calls back and says it's a litter box smell and that there was dust on a lamp shade and they are not staying. As soon as they were gone I immediately went to the house and had another person come with me to see if there was a smell I was missing, and any dust that I may have missed. The other person says no smell, except of course the clean smell, and no dust that she saw at all. 

This guest was in the house all of about 20 minutes tops. Nothing touched. I spent the night at yhe house cleaning everything again. Making sure every surface was dust free and that there was NO way a smell could be in the house. I took off vent covers and vacuumed inside them even. 

My partner for the listing allowed the guest to change reservation to one night and gave the cleaning fee back. What if she writes a bad review? Is there any way to respond to it and state that maybe she was sensitive? Did we do the right thing? 

Also I am thinking of adding this to my listing, would you add this? 

Guests with allergies and related medical issues and/or sensitivities. Cleanliness is one of our top priorities, however we are unable to 100% guarantee that the house and yard is free of pet dander, cigarette smoke, air fresheners, cleaning product smells and any other elements that may trigger a medical problem or sensitivity. If you have severe allergies, asthma, or a sensitivity to certain smells, please let us know prior to making a reservation. Also note that we will not issue refunds due to the reasons above. 

[Elaine701]

@Melissa1718 

Some guests are just overly sensitive. In some cases, they actively look for something imperfect the minute they walk in the door. Once they find one small imperfection, then everything becomes intolerable, even if it's completely imagined. 

These types will never be happy with anything. You're better off. 

I'd be careful about making sweeping statements about cleanliness. It sets an expectation that may be unrealistic. Yes, keeping it clean is essential. But it's always wiser to set expectations lower than what you deliver. 

Underpromise. Overdeliver. 

[Sarah977]

@Melissa1718  While you say you didn't use the linen spray prior to this guest's arrival, and she was likely a scammer or just a fusspot who imagines things, I would strongly advise you not to use it at all. If I arrived to a listing and found the bedding smelled of lavendar, or whatever other scents a host might think are nice, I would leave. An Airbnb should be as neutral smelling as possible. What smells good to one person can be quite objectionable to another.