How to Disinfect Vacation Rentals Effectively: Everything You Must Know

Rohan Mathew

Do you own and operate a vacation rental property? Are you wondering how to disinfect your property in between stays?

Disinfecting your vacation rental is very important for the safety of your guests. Plus, disinfecting can make your property look better and last longer. 

But, how do you properly disinfect vacation rentals?

Check out this guide to learn how to effectively disinfect your vacation rental. 

1. Launder Everything 

While it may be tempting to only launder items that your guests have clearly used, to keep everyone as safe as possible, you should launder everything between stays. 

This includes sheets, towels, blankets, shower curtains, pillowcases, and tablecloths. Launder everything according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and choose the highest possible temperature setting. Dry items completely before laying them back down. 

If there are certain items that can’t be laundered, disinfect them using an EPA-registered household cleaner. Make sure you wear disposable gloves when handling dirty laundry, and remember to discard the gloves after each use. This way, you’ll reduce the risk of spreading viruses through the air. 

Also, don’t forget to clean and disinfect laundry baskets. If possible, place a disposable bag liner inside each laundry basket so you don’t have to worry about dirty clothes contaminating the baskets. 

2. Disinfect the Kitchen 

Once you’ve removed all of the items that need to be laundered, we suggest you start by disinfecting the kitchen. Oftentimes, the kitchen is where guests spend the most time. And, because this is where eating and cooking takes place, kitchens are more likely to harbor harmful bacteria. 

Before you begin disinfecting, wash your hands and put on a pair of rubber disposable gloves. Keep in mind that every cabinet, light fixture, and kitchen appliance comes with some sort of handle that’s touched every time it’s opened. 

If someone touches a handle after handling raw food, bacteria like e.Coli, mold, yeast, and salmonella may linger. This is why it’s so important to clean these surfaces with disinfecting wipes. 

But, you can’t just do one quick swipe and be done. To properly disinfect these surfaces, the surface should be visibly wet for at least four minutes. Typically, this means you’ll need to use multiple wipes on each surface. 

When disinfecting your kitchen, pay extra close attention to food preparation areas such as cutting boards and countertops. 

3. Disinfect the Living Room 

When disinfecting the living room, remember that soft surfaces like couches and pillows need to be disinfected as well as floors and other hard areas. 

To disinfect tables, chairs, floors, and other hard surfaces, we suggest using a multi-purpose disinfectant spray. Make sure the surface stays wet for four to five minutes before allowing it to air dry. 

To disinfect electronics in your living room, you can use alcohol wipes made from 70% isopropyl alcohol. You can also use alcohol wipes to disinfect remote and video game controllers. 

To disinfect your living room floors (and floors in other areas of your home), you’ll need to consider their material. For hardwood, laminate, and vinyl flooring, you can use a solution made from one cup of white vinegar mixed with one gallon of warm water. 

For carpets and area rugs, start by slowly vacuuming the area. Then, use warm water and soap to remove spots and stains. If it’s been a while since you’ve cleaned your carpets, you may want to rent a home carpet steam cleaner. Steam cleaning doesn’t need to be done between each rental, but it should be done every few months if your place is booked frequently. 

4. Disinfect the Bathrooms

It’s no secret that bathrooms can get dirty and gross pretty quickly. Luckily, bathrooms are easy to disinfect. Once you’ve removed the towels and bath mats to be laundered, you can focus on disinfecting the hard surfaces like the toilets, showers, and counters. 

Make sure you use a bathroom cleaner to disinfect hard surfaces in your bathroom. If there’s hard mucus on the counter or mirror from a sneeze or spittle after brushing, you can use a microfiber cloth to loosen up the matter before cleaning the surface with a disinfecting spray. 

Also, if you provide your guests with toothbrushes or face towels, remember to swap these out before your next guests arrive. To disinfect your toilet, make sure to use a toilet bowl cleaner made with bleach. 

Squirt the cleaner into the toilet bowl before you begin cleaning your bathroom. Then, close the lid of the toilet as you clean the rest of your bathroom. This will give the toilet cleaner time to work its magic, and it’ll make it easier for you to remove residue when you begin cleaning. 

If you’re not comfortably disinfecting the bathroom on your own, you can use a disinfecting service

5. Disinfect the Bedrooms 

Last but not least, don’t forget to disinfect the bedrooms. You could do this by yourself, but having them serviced by professionals like the ones provided by mattress cleaning singapore, you’ll be guaranteed that your bed, pillows, linens, and other accessories are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

To clean these soft surfaces, you’ll want to use a phenolic disinfecting spray. This type of spray contains the necessary ingredients to kill bacteria while still being gentle on fabrics. Cover soft surfaces with a mist of this spray and allow it to stay wet for 30 minutes. 

Are You Ready to Disinfect Your Vacation Rentals? 

Now that you’ve read this guide, it’s time to get to work disinfecting your vacation rentals. Pretty soon, your rentals will be cleaned and ready for the next guests. 

Be sure to check back in with our blog for more vacation rental tips and tricks.