Airbnb Deep Clean vs. Turnover Clean: What to Schedule and When

A turnover clean and a deep clean are two different jobs with different scopes, different time requirements, and different price points. Confusing the two is one of the most common mistakes vacation rental hosts make, and it leads to either overpaying for routine turnovers or undercleaning properties that are slowly accumulating grime in places guests eventually notice.

A turnover clean resets the property between guests. It is fast, repeatable, and focused on the surfaces, linens, and areas guests interact with directly. It happens after every checkout.

A deep clean goes where turnovers do not. It targets the hidden buildup that accumulates over time: behind the refrigerator, inside oven interiors, along grout lines, on baseboards, underneath furniture, and inside drains. It happens every few months, not after every guest.

This guide breaks down what each type of clean includes, how to schedule them, what they cost, and how your cleaner should communicate when it is time to shift from turnover mode to deep clean mode.

What Does a Turnover Clean Include?

A turnover clean (also called a changeover clean or guest-ready clean) prepares the property for the next guest within the window between checkout and check-in. It is standardized, time-pressured, and focused on the areas guests see and touch.

Standard turnover clean tasks

Kitchen:

• Wipe all countertops, stovetop, and backsplash
• Clean sink and faucet
• Clean microwave interior and exterior
• Wipe appliance fronts (fridge, dishwasher, oven door)
• Empty and reline trash and recycling
• Run or empty dishwasher
• Restock consumables (dish soap, sponge, paper towels, coffee)

Bathrooms:

• Scrub and disinfect toilet, tub/shower, and sink
• Clean mirrors
• Wipe countertops and fixtures
• Replace towels and bath mat
• Restock toiletries (soap, shampoo, conditioner, toilet paper)
• Empty trash

Bedrooms:

• Strip and remake beds with fresh linens
• Dust nightstands and visible surfaces
• Empty trash
• Check hangers are present and closet is tidy

Living areas:

• Dust visible surfaces (coffee table, TV stand, shelves)
• Straighten pillows and throws
• Wipe remote controls and light switches
• Vacuum or sweep floors

Floors (all rooms):

• Vacuum all carpeted areas
• Sweep and mop all hard floors

General:

• Wipe all door handles and light switches
• Check windows are closed and locked
• Set thermostat to guest-ready temperature
• Take post-clean photos for documentation

For the complete room-by-room turnover checklist, see our ultimate Airbnb cleaning checklist.

What a turnover clean does NOT include

A turnover clean skips anything that adds significant time without affecting the immediate guest experience:

• Behind or underneath appliances (fridge, stove, washer/dryer)
• Inside oven or oven racks
• Inside cabinets and drawers
• Baseboards and crown molding
• Window tracks, blinds, and window exteriors
• Grout scrubbing (shower, floor tile)
• Upholstery deep cleaning (couch cushions, mattress)
• Ceiling fans and light fixtures (beyond surface dust)
• Drain clearing and cleaning
• Carpet deep cleaning or stain treatment
• Wall scuffs and marks

These tasks belong to the deep clean.

What Does a Deep Clean Include?

A deep clean covers everything in a turnover clean plus the hidden areas where buildup accumulates over time. It is a thorough, property-wide reset that addresses what guests cannot see but will eventually smell, feel, or notice in reviews.

Deep clean tasks (beyond the turnover clean)

Kitchen deep clean:

• Pull out refrigerator and clean behind and underneath
• Clean refrigerator interior (shelves, drawers, seals)
• Pull out stove and clean behind and underneath
• Clean oven interior and oven racks
• Clean inside all cabinets and drawers (wipe shelves, check for crumbs and spills)
• Clean range hood filter (degrease or replace)
• Descale coffee maker and kettle
• Clean dishwasher interior and filter
• Clean drain with drain cleaner or baking soda treatment

Bathroom deep clean:

• Scrub tile grout (shower, floor, backsplash)
• Clean shower door tracks and runners
• Descale showerhead and faucets (vinegar soak)
• Clean exhaust fan cover
• Clean drain (remove hair, run drain cleaner)
• Clean behind toilet base
• Wash or replace shower curtain liner

Bedroom deep clean:

• Flip or rotate mattress
• Vacuum mattress surface and crevices
• Wash mattress protector and pillow protectors
• Dust and wipe inside closet shelves
• Clean under beds
• Wash or dry-clean decorative pillows and throws

Living area deep clean:

• Deep clean upholstery (steam clean or fabric shampoo)
• Clean behind and underneath all furniture
• Dust and wipe ceiling fans and light fixtures
• Clean window blinds (individual slats)
• Clean window tracks and sills
• Wipe all baseboards
• Clean wall scuffs and marks (Magic Eraser or touch-up paint)
• Clean air vents and replace HVAC filter

Floors deep clean:

• Professional carpet cleaning or deep shampooing
• Strip and re-seal hardwood floors (if needed)
• Grout cleaning on tile floors
• Move furniture to clean underneath

Outdoor (if applicable):

• Pressure wash patio, deck, or walkways
• Clean outdoor furniture (scrub, remove mildew)
• Clean grill interior and grease trap
• Clear gutters and downspouts

How Often Should You Schedule a Deep Clean?

The right deep clean frequency depends on your booking volume, property type, and climate. The general guideline is every 3 to 6 months, but these factors push the schedule earlier or later.

The "20 turnover rule"

A practical alternative to calendar-based scheduling: schedule a deep clean after every 20 to 30 turnovers. This ties the deep clean frequency to actual property usage rather than arbitrary time intervals. A property with 25 turnovers per month needs a deep clean every month. A property with 5 turnovers per month can wait 4 to 6 months.

When to schedule the deep clean

Never squeeze a deep clean into a standard turnover window. A proper deep clean for a 2-bedroom property takes 5 to 8 hours (compared to 2 to 3 hours for a turnover). You have two scheduling options:

1. Block your calendar for a full day. Choose a historically low-booking day (typically a Tuesday or Wednesday outside peak season) and block it on Airbnb and VRBO. Your cleaner does the deep clean during that blocked day.

2. Schedule during your off-season. If your property has a seasonal pattern (ski properties in summer, beach properties in winter), use the slow period for deep cleaning plus any maintenance work.

What Does Each Type of Clean Cost?

Deep cleans cost more because they take longer and cover more ground. Expect to pay 2x to 3x your standard turnover rate.

Some deep clean tasks require specialist services that your regular cleaner may not handle:

• Carpet deep cleaning: $100 to $300 (professional steam cleaning)
• Upholstery cleaning: $75 to $200 per piece
• Pressure washing (exterior): $100 to $300
• HVAC duct cleaning: $200 to $500
• Grill deep clean and degrease: $50 to $100

Budget these as separate line items if your regular cleaner does not offer them. For general guidance on cleaner compensation, see our guide to vacation rental cleaner pay rates.

How Should Your Cleaner Flag When a Deep Clean Is Needed?

Your cleaner sees your property more than anyone. They are the first to notice the signals that a deep clean is overdue. Build a simple reporting habit into your turnover workflow so your cleaner tells you when things are trending downward.

The five signals your cleaner should watch for

1. Grout discoloration in showers and bathroom floors (grime building up faster than turnover scrubbing can remove it)
2. Persistent odors that survive a standard turnover clean (musty, cooking grease, pet smell, drain odor)
3. Sticky or greasy cabinet interiors (kitchen cabinets near the stove accumulate grease film over time)
4. Dust buildup on ceiling fans and vent covers (visible when looking up, which guests do when lying in bed)
5. Drain slow-downs in sinks, showers, and tubs (hair and soap scum accumulate gradually)

The cleaner communication workflow

When your cleaner notices any of these signals during a turnover, they should flag it in their post-clean report:

"Hi [your name], heads up: the shower grout in the master bathroom is getting discolored. Standard scrubbing is not cutting it anymore. Recommend a deep clean on the bathroom within the next couple of weeks."

You then schedule a deep clean during the next available gap in your booking calendar. GleamSync helps here by showing you the turnover patterns across your properties, so you can identify upcoming gaps where a deep clean fits without blocking revenue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I ask my turnover cleaner to do a deep clean?

Usually yes, if they have the time and equipment. Most experienced vacation rental cleaners offer both turnover and deep clean services. The key is to schedule it as a separate job with a separate fee, not to ask them to "do a little extra" during a standard turnover. They need the full time window and the understanding that the scope is different.

Should I charge guests for the deep clean?

No. Deep cleaning is a property maintenance cost, not a guest-caused expense. Your cleaning fee covers the turnover clean. Deep cleans are a periodic investment in property preservation that you absorb as an operating cost. The exception: if a guest leaves the property in a condition that requires deep cleaning beyond normal wear (for example, heavy cooking grease throughout the kitchen, cigarette smoke, or pet damage in a no-pet property), you can file through the Airbnb Resolution Center for the additional cleaning cost.

How do I know if a review complaint is a turnover issue or a deep clean issue?

Turnover issues are things your cleaner missed on a specific clean: a hair in the shower, dust on a nightstand, dishes in the sink. These are execution problems solved by better checklists and quality control. Deep clean issues are cumulative: "the grout looked moldy," "the oven had baked-on residue," "the carpet had stains." These accumulate over many guest stays and signal that a deep clean is overdue. If multiple guests mention the same thing, it is almost always a deep clean issue.

Should I hire a specialist or have my regular cleaner do the deep clean?

For most tasks (cabinet interiors, baseboards, grout scrubbing, behind appliances), your regular cleaner can handle the deep clean with extra time. For specialist tasks (carpet steam cleaning, upholstery cleaning, pressure washing, HVAC ducts), hire a specialist. The best approach: your regular cleaner does the general deep clean, and you schedule specialists for the specific items that require professional equipment.

How do I track when each property last had a deep clean?

Keep a simple log per property. A spreadsheet or note in your phone with two columns: property name and last deep clean date. After each deep clean, update the date. When the interval exceeds your target (3 to 6 months, or 20 to 30 turnovers), schedule the next one. Some hosts add a "deep clean due" calendar event that recurs every 3 months as a reminder.

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Your Cleaner Handles Both Turnover and Deep Cleans. Make Sure They Know About Every Turnover.

Turnover cleans happen after every guest. Deep cleans happen every few months. Both depend on your cleaner showing up at the right time. GleamSync ensures your cleaner always knows about every turnover by syncing with your Airbnb and VRBO calendars and sending automated notifications.

Try GleamSync for $8/month per property, and keep the cleaner who already knows your place.

Start your free trial at gleamsync.com

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Related reading:

• The Ultimate Airbnb Cleaning Checklist
• What to Pay Your Vacation Rental Cleaner
• Airbnb Linen and Laundry Service Guide for Hosts
• The Vacation Rental Maintenance Checklist
• How to Prepare Your Vacation Rental for Peak Season
• Understanding Your Airbnb Turnover Clean Windows
• Why I Built GleamSync