Cleaning after check-out: how to build a schedule and quality control

Why cleaning gets out of control

• Changeovers coincide. On Fridays and Sundays, check-outs and check-ins happen at several addresses at once.
• The plan lives in chat messages. The housekeeper learns about a check-out from a message that is easy to miss.
• Access details are passed on by word of mouth. Lock and intercom codes have to be forwarded every time.
• Quality is not checked. The owner learns about a problem from a guest review.
• The condition after a guest is not recorded. Without photos, it is hard to prove that the damage was caused by that guest.

Build the cleaning schedule from check-outs

The schedule rests on one rule: every cleaning is tied to a guest’s check-out. As soon as the check-out date and time are known, so is the cleaning window before the next check-in.

• Regular cleaning. There is time to spare between check-out and the next check-in, for example the next guest arrives tomorrow.
• Urgent cleaning. A new guest checks in the same day. These cleans come first, and their time is limited to the gap between check-out and check-in.
• Deep and mid-stay cleaning. Deep cleaning follows a schedule, and mid-stay cleaning happens at a guest’s request during a long stay. They are planned separately.

A single check-out and check-in time for all properties, for example check-out by 12:00 and check-in from 14:00, guarantees the housekeeper two hours for every changeover.

Assign housekeepers to properties

When one housekeeper is assigned to an apartment or a group of rooms, she knows the property’s quirks: where the spare linen is, how the boiler switches on, what guests most often leave out of place. You can swap the assignee for a particular day, but a permanent assignment reduces mistakes.

Everything in one task

A housekeeper should not have to piece information together from different messages. A cleaning task should include:

• the property address, entrance, intercom and lock code;
• the current guest’s check-out time and the next guest’s check-in time;
• the number of guests the property is being prepared for;
• the property rules and any special requests from the next guest.

Access codes and guest contacts are best shown to the housekeeper only during the cleaning, not kept in a shared chat.

Cleaning checklist

A single checklist makes the result predictable, whoever did the cleaning.

1. Check the property for damage and forgotten items right after the guest checks out.
2. Change the bed linen and towels.
3. Clean the kitchen: dishes, hob, fridge and microwave.
4. Clean the bathroom: fixtures, mirrors, floor, toilet paper and soap supplies.
5. Wipe surfaces, wash the floors and take out the rubbish.
6. Restock supplies: tea, coffee, sponges and bin bags.
7. Check appliances, lights and Wi-Fi.
8. Take photos of the finished property.

Photo reports and quality checks

A photo report does two jobs. It confirms the property is ready for check-in and records its condition after the guest. If a guest damaged something, dated photos help settle the deposit.

Reviewing the photos takes the owner or manager a couple of minutes. If something was missed, the task goes back with a comment before the next guest arrives.

Tracking cleaning costs

Cleaning is one of a property’s regular costs. To see the real profitability of each apartment, housekeeper pay and supplies should be tracked by property. A cleaning fee paid by the guest is best stated in the property’s terms.

How it works in Glavbook

• The cleaning schedule is created automatically for every check-out if the property has the “After every check-out” rule enabled. Cleans before a same-day check-in are marked urgent. Deep and mid-stay cleans are added manually.
• Each property has a default housekeeper, and you can change the assignee for an individual booking.
• Housekeepers get tasks in the Android app or the web app on a phone. A task includes the address, access, property rules and changeover time. Codes and guest contacts are visible only during the cleaning, and other bookings, guests and settings are hidden from the housekeeper.
• The “On site” check-in and required photos after cleaning are configured per property.
• The check-out report includes up to six photos, a cleanliness score, the property’s condition and any damage found. This data feeds into the guest rating.
• The owner approves the work or sends the task back with a comment. If a housekeeper declines a task, the manager is notified with the reason.
• Cleaning costs and supplies are tracked for each property in the finances section.

More on the page “Housekeeping”. How to connect cleaning with bookings and channels is explained in the article “How to rent out several apartments”.

FAQ