How to Clean a Pet-Friendly Airbnb Between Guests

That Cleaning Girl · Airbnb & Rental Turnovers

Pet-friendly rentals are popular with guests who travel with their dogs, especially for lake weekends and family trips. They also bring more hair, more muddy paws and the occasional accident. If you are already handling sand and wet towels from Lake House and Weekend Rental Cleaning: What’s Different, pet hair is the next challenge.

Here is how we turn over pet-friendly rentals around Waxahachie, Red Oak and across south DFW, so the next guest, with or without a pet, finds a clean house.

Why pet-friendly turnovers take longer

Pet hair gets into places a normal turnover does not reach: under the couch cushions, along baseboards, in the corners of stairs and woven into rugs. The next guest might be allergic, so it all has to go. Expect pet-friendly turnovers to take more time than the same house without pets.

That does not mean you should not allow pets. It just means planning for the extra time and setting the house up to make it easier.

Getting rid of pet hair

Hair is the main job. A good approach:

• Vacuum upholstery first, using a brush attachment on couches and chairs
• Pull cushions off and vacuum underneath, where hair and crumbs collect together
• Use a rubber glove or a rubber squeegee on fabric to pull up stuck hair
• Vacuum floors slowly, including edges and under furniture
• Wipe baseboards, where hair collects along the bottom
• Lint roll throws, pillows and the bedding before staging

Wash throws and blankets that a pet may have been on. Check the beds carefully, since many guests let dogs sleep with them. Look at the duvet, the throw at the foot of the bed and the floor on both sides. Hair on white bedding is easy to spot once you are looking for it and very easy to miss when you are rushing.

Odors and accidents

A pet smell is one of the first things a guest notices when they open the door. Open windows if the weather allows and run the ceiling fans while you work. Check rugs, carpet corners and the area by the back door for accidents.

Check the walls and corners of the bedrooms too, where a nervous dog in a new place might mark. For urine spots, an enzyme cleaner made for pet stains works better than regular cleaners, which can leave the odor behind. Blot, do not scrub. If a stain or smell will not come out, take a photo and tell the host. Some messes need a carpet cleaning service.

Muddy paws and the back door

After a North Texas rain, dogs bring red clay inside on every paw. The back door, the hallway and the kitchen floor show it first. Mop those areas carefully, and check the walls and door near the floor for splashes.

A few setup ideas help a lot:

• A washable rug inside the back door
• An old towel basket labeled for dog paws
• Hard floors instead of carpet in the main living areas
• A gate or note asking guests to keep pets off certain rooms

Yards and outdoor areas

Many pet-friendly rentals have a fenced yard. Guests are supposed to pick up after their dogs, but not all of them do. A turnover includes a walk through the yard to pick up anything left behind and empty the outdoor trash. Check that the gates latch and note any holes dug along the fence for the host.

Furniture covers and pet supplies

Washable covers on the couch and a dedicated pet blanket make turnovers much easier. Ask guests to use the pet blanket on furniture, and wash it every stay. Some hosts provide food bowls, a dog bed or waste bags. If you do, wash the bowls and the bed cover each turnover and restock bags to your par list.

Being clear with guests

Your listing and house rules do a lot of the work. Spell out which rooms pets can use, whether they are allowed on furniture and beds, and what you expect guests to clean up. Clear rules mean fewer surprises on turnover day and make it easier to address problems when they happen.

If a guest brings a pet to a rental that does not allow them, the cleaner is usually the first to notice. We document it with photos so the host can decide what to do.

Plan the time, and it works

Pet-friendly rentals can be great for hosts and guests. The key is building in time for hair and odors, and setting the house up so cleanup is easier. Tell us your rental allows pets when you ask for a quote so we can plan for it. See our vacation rental cleaning page for more on how we handle turnovers.