How to Handle Stains and Odors in Your Short Term Rental

It is very crucial to keep your rental clean for client satisfaction and to get good remarks. However, if there is staining and smelling, you will not be in a position to prevent your guests from alienating themselves from your service. Keeping this in mind, this guide has been prepared to help point out various strategies for dealing with stain and smell problems in rental properties for better short term rental cleaning. In this way, you shall be in a position to ensure that every guest who steps into your door leaves feeling welcomed and at home. So keep reading –

Understanding Common Stains and Odors

Before seeing solutions, it’s very important to identify common types of stains and smells that you can face within a rental.

Common Stains

• Food and Drink Stains
• Coffee, wine, and juice stains on carpets, upholstery, and linens are very tough.
• Grease and Oil
• Kitchen splatters can stain countertops, fabrics, and floors.
• Pet Stains
• Pet accidents leave both bad stains and awful lingering odors.
• Ink and Dye
• Ink blot or dye from clothing may leave really tough stains in some cases.

Mold and Mildew

Any area in the house, especially bathrooms, can become home to mold or mildew discoloration when the weather is usually damp.

Odors 

• Food Odors

Cooking residues can linger longer than the meal itself was cooked.

• Pet Odors

Pets have their fragrance, whether you like it or not.

• Smoke Odors

Although it is outdoors, smoking inside the house can also leave smells lingering.

• Musty Odors

Lack of ventilation and dampness cause a musty smell.

• Chemical Odors

At times, some cleaning agents leave the foulest stench behind.

Prevention Measures

1. House Rules

House rules constitute the first step in stopping the formation of stains or odors. Come up with house rules that would most likely prevent causes of messes, such as eating in bedrooms or smoking indoors. Before renting the place, print these house rules and place them on the rentals so that one is bound to their expectations from the very start.

2. Proper Amenities

Stock your rental with stain-resistant fabrics for upholstery and curtains. Consider using washable slipcovers for furniture and area rugs, which can be easily cleaned. Lastly, provide coasters and placemats to avert mess and spill from food and liquids on surfaces.

3. Regular Maintenance

Regular cleaning and maintenance can significantly reduce the appearance of stains, odor, and stench. Plan more thorough cleanings between tenants, especially in high-traffic parts and parts that are prone to troubles.

How to Clean Stains

1. Act Quick

The moment a stain occurs, acting as quickly as possible is essential. The longer the stain lingers, the more challenging it will be to remove it. Here are actions to take within seconds of the spill:

•  Avoid the common mistake of rubbing, which can cause a distribution of the stain and even damage the fabric.
• Knowing if it’s a grease stain, ink stain, or whatever else will help you choose the right cleaning solution.

2. Homemade Stain Removers

In most cases, for everyday stains, you have all you need to make effective homemade solutions on hand:

• Baking Soda Paste (oil-based stain) Mix baking soda and a little water to create a paste. Put the paste over the stain and let it stay for 15 to 20 minutes before blotting away.
•  White Vinegar Solution (food-based stain) Use the same ratio of white vinegar to water. Spray the solution onto the stain and blot it away after some minutes.
• Dish soap and hydrogen peroxide for blood or red wine stains: Apply equal parts of dish soap and hydrogen peroxide to the stain, let it stand for 30 minutes, and then rinse.
• Club soda for red wine stains: Use club soda to the stain, blotting with a clean cloth to lift out the stain.

3. Professional Cleaning Agents

For tough stains, use professional cleaning agents. Check for targeted stain removers for the type of stain. Always read the label and test on a small, unnoticeable area first to see if it will not damage the fabric 4. Call in the Pros

For tough stains that you can’t remove, it is okay to call a professional cleaning company. They have special equipment and cleaning chemicals that may meet this kind of task.

Removal of Odors

1. Source Identification

You have to identify what causes the odor before you can do proper short-term rental cleaning. This might require careful investigation of your rental, such as:

• Kitchen: Check on spoiled food in the fridge and garbage disposals, or under sinks.
• Bathrooms: Inspect for mildew or mold in shower stalls, as well as on bathroom mats.
• Carpet and Upholstery: Use your nose to determine which carpets and upholstery may hide odours in the fabric.
• Air Vents: Ensure that the HVAC systems have been cleaned and the musty air is not traveling.

2. Natural Odor Eliminators

Natural odor eliminators can be a lifesaver to freshen up your rental

• Baking Soda: Place open containers of baking soda in places where you feel the most odour. It is quite effective for absorbing smells and is easy to replace.
• Essential Oils: Use a diffuser using pleasant smelling essential oils like lavender, lemon, or eucalyptus. Those will introduce pleasant smells to your place.
• Coffee Grounds: Coffee grounds leftover from brewing can absorb bad smells in rental houses. Place them in bowls around the house and let them sit to help neutralize smells.

3. Deep Cleaning Techniques

To completely get rid of bad smells, you might want to include deep cleaning methods such as:

• Steam Cleaning: Use a steam cleaner on carpets and upholstery to remove embedded odors and stains. Steam cleaning can also kill bacteria and mold, helping to eliminate musty smells.
• Wash fabrics: Every week, wash your linens, curtains, and throw pillows, making sure to get rid of trapped odors left behind due to the usual use.
• HVAC Maintenance: Replace your air filters frequently and consider having your ducts cleaned in order to prevent stinky, musty smells circulating through the air.

4. Ventilation

There is greatly less chance of odors if you increase ventilation:

• Open up Windows: If you can, open up your windows so that fresh air circulates throughout your rental. This could dissipate lingering smells.
• Use Fans: Position fans to make airflow through rooms. Exhaust fans in the bathrooms will aid in preventing moisture and smells as well.

Ongoing Management

1. Train Your Guests

Put together a list of which methods can help avoid stains and odors during their stay. You can put this in a welcome booklet or a note stuck in the kitchen. Ask them to report spills and problems immediately so you can quickly take care of them.

2. Inspections

Conduct periodic inspections on the rental property so that issues can be addressed before they become major problems. Mold, bad odor, and every stain should not go unnoticed.

3. Guest Review

Provide your guests with a channel to give their reviews about the place and stains they found/encountered. This is helpful for improvement as well as instant rectification of problems.

Conclusion

It doesn’t have to be intimidating dealing with stains and odors in your short-term rental if you apply proactive strategies, act quickly, and use effective short-term rental cleaning techniques. 

Your short-term rental will be kept cleaning-friendly and welcoming to guests.