Floor And Tile Maintenance For Your Airbnb
To keep your Airbnb looking fresh and clean is a hard task. You have to be regular with cleaning and repairs. You need to have a keen eye for problems so that you can spot, and fix them early. Floors and tiles are often overlooked in this department. They can really make or break the look and feel of a property. Different types of flooring and tiles in your Airbnb have to be treated differently. If you have carpets or rugs in your Airbnb, they need to be taken care of regularly too. Here are tips on how you can maintain each of them throughout your hosting experience.
Wooden Floors:
The most elegant and beautiful of floorings are also reasonably durable. They still need to be taken care of for scratches, stains, and dirt. Wooden floors scratch easily due to the movement of furniture around the house. It will be your number one problem regarding floors in your Airbnb. You cannot avoid the small dents and scratches but anything larger can be an eyesore. Wherever possible, apply anti-scratch felt protector pads to the furniture legs. Sweep away dust and dirt from wooden floors on a regular basis when the guests are gone or in preparation for a new check-in. Cleaning the wooden floor should be done with a soft mop. Anything hard may scratch the surface. Always clean in the direction of the grain. Steam mops are great for tiles but a bad idea for wood as it will leak moisture into the wood.
X-PROTECTOR FURNITURE PADS: These are the best sellers on amazon. These furniture coasters create a strong shield between floor and furniture. They come in two colors and are very easy to install. They come in a pack of over 130 so they should be good for the whole house.
LINKYO Microfiber Hardwood Floor Mop: It comes with a stainless steel handle, aluminum mop frame, and high-grade ABS plastic. The handle is extensible and the mop frame rotates 360 degrees. It comes with 3 mop pads. The microfiber mop pads are machine washable for multiple reuses.
Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Spray: This spray is safe for all unwaxed, unoiled, polyurethane finished wood floors. It is water-based, leaves no residue and is environment-friendly.
Tiles:
To maintain tiled floors, you should clean up dust and dirt using a mop and a mild detergent regularly. The biggest problem you will face is grout that settles in the gaps between the tiles. It will be especially bad in the bathroom which needs to be checked regularly for discolored tiles and dark deposits of grout between the tiles. They give the tiles the worn out and dirty look. To remove grout, you can either use a special solution or make a paste of baking soda and water. Rub the solution on the stain. Let it sit overnight and then scrub it off in the morning with a hard brush.
Grout-EEZ Super Heavy Duty Tile and Grout Cleaner: This one comes with a brush and two bottles of grout cleaner. With one bottle, it claims to clean 250 sq. ft of tiles. It can easily remove grease, dirt, and stains from ceramic, porcelain and subway tiles. IT JUST WORKS!
All-Purpose Power Scrubber Cleaning Kit: If you have a drill, you can get a drill brush that attaches to the former and use it to clean grout and tiles more effectively. This cleaning kit is cheap and comes with 3 different types of brushes to clean a wide variety of surfaces.
Carpets and Rugs:
You can always add rugs or carpets to hide problems with the underlying flooring. They even add personality and elegance to a room if done right. Just put some thought regarding the purpose of the room before selecting the rugs. If you do get some for the room, always keep a bottle of carpet cleaner. This is especially important if your Airbnb allows pets. Even simple stains like food can look nasty on a nice carpet. You need something that has a nice odor and good stain removal capabilities. Carpets need to be vacuumed regularly to prevent the collection of dust and grime.
Rocco and Roxie Professional Strength Stain and Odor Eliminator: This is a chlorine-free enzyme activated carpet cleaner that contains natural bacteria that feed on the organic material until it is eliminated. It is safe to use around pets and children and it leaves no residue behind.
Precautions to take:
You can have your tiles power washed occasionally to restore the brightness and make them feel like new. It can revive your tiles most effectively. Look for local power washing services because it requires heavy equipment.
If you have recently upgraded an Airbnb, guests might complain of the smell from the chemicals used to treat the wood. It is a good idea to plan for the smell to dissipate before booking guests.
If you allow pets, expect defecation and urination, keep cleaning supplies handy that can remove the smell
Hardwood floors can be noisy and be a nuisance to you if the guest room is in the same unit as your residence. A carpet can alleviate the noise the little.
If you are using detergent to clean the tiles, make sure to wipe thoroughly or you will get slippery tiles that can be a hazard for you as well as your guests.
Whenever there are any spills on your wooden floor, make sure to clean them up promptly. Let your guests know about this policy. The layers of lacquer will protect your floor a few times but once it wears off and the moisture reaches the wood, it can cause irreversible damage.
You may want to sand and refinish your wooden floor periodically to remove any small scratches. This can revive the wooden floor giving it a fresh look. You should try to get this done from a specialist rather than doing it yourself as it requires specialized oiling machinery.
Finally, your floors are going to get damaged despite your best precautions. Keep phone numbers for professional services who can fix these problems handy. Have a general idea of the amount it takes to fix problems, so you can charge the guest for damages if any.
Love,
Scooch and Steve
