Yes, you absolutely can clean your Airbnb property yourself. Many hosts, especially when first starting out, choose to handle cleaning personally. This approach offers several advantages:
- Complete control over cleaning quality
- Direct knowledge of your property’s condition
- Immediate awareness of maintenance issues
- Significant cost savings
- Personal connection to your space and business
However, before committing to the DIY cleaning approach, there are several important factors to consider:
When Self-Cleaning Becomes Challenging
Unpredictable Schedule Demands
Life has a way of becoming complicated exactly when you need time for turnover cleaning. What happens when:
- A work emergency requires your immediate attention during a scheduled turnover
- Family obligations arise unexpectedly (sick child, family emergency)
- You’re stuck in traffic when guests are due to arrive
- Back-to-back bookings leave minimal turnover time
Professional Cleaning Skills and Supplies
Vacation rental cleaning requires more than just typical home cleaning:
- Do you have commercial-grade cleaning equipment?
- Are you familiar with proper sanitization protocols for different surfaces?
- Do you know how to efficiently turn over a property in 3-4 hours?
- Can you consistently spot small details guests will notice?
Multiple Property Management
Self-cleaning quickly becomes unsustainable when scaling your business:
- Cleaning two properties on the same day is physically challenging
- Three or more properties makes self-cleaning nearly impossible
- Travel time between properties eats into your schedule
- You’ll eventually reach a breaking point where you simply can’t do it all
Opportunity Cost Considerations
Even if you can clean your property yourself, is it the best use of your time?
- Could you earn more by focusing on your primary career?
- Would your time be better spent on strategic aspects of your Airbnb business?
- What personal or family time are you sacrificing?
- How sustainable is this approach for your work-life balance?
Finding the Right Balance
Many successful hosts start by cleaning themselves and then transition to professional cleaning services as their business grows. Some maintain a hybrid approach—handling some cleanings themselves and using professionals for:
- Times when they’re unavailable
- Back-to-back bookings requiring quick turnarounds
- Deep cleaning sessions
- Periods of high occupancy
Professional cleaning services like Cleanbnb provide the reliability and flexibility hosts need as their businesses evolve, ensuring consistent quality regardless of personal circumstances.
Whether you clean yourself or hire professionals, what matters most is maintaining the high standards your guests expect, while creating a sustainable business model that works for your lifestyle and goals.