The essentials
- Prep work makes cleaning easier — Having cleaning products on hand and easy-to-clean materials in your home will make the process go smoothly.
- Have a detailed pet policy in place — Outlining your expectations for having pets stay will reduce the extra cleaning you have to do.
- Say bye to the carpet — Where pets are involved, it’s best to avoid carpet.
Welcoming pets to your rental means welcoming pet hair, slobber, and all manner of other things. We have everything you need to know about cleaning your pet-friendly rental so it’s in tip-top shape for your next guests.
1. Set expectations
The first step to keeping a clean rental is to start at the beginning. Set expectations on your rental posting and elaborate further in the policy (or have a separate pet policy). Stipulate the kinds of animals allowed, how many, and if you have any size or breed restrictions. Your policy is also where you should share house rules. Some examples include:
- Strip the bed sheets before they check out
- Load the dishwasher
- Not allow pets on furniture
- Keep pets in a certain area in the rental
- Do not allow pets to be alone for long periods or at all.
Outline any pet or cleaning fees in your documentation. Include details and make yourself available to any renters should they have questions about the policies you’ve put in place.
2. Choose the right cleaning products and tools
There are many cleaning products out there, but when you invite pets to stay in your rental, you need to ensure that anything you use is pet-safe. Some key chemicals that are incredibly popular in cleaning products today are inherently dangerous and toxic for animals. Avoid products with alcohol, bleach, chlorine, and other toxic household cleaning ingredients.
Cats are especially at high risk for the consequences of consuming any of these toxins since they regularly clean themselves by licking their fur and feet and due to their smaller size. While dogs don’t lick themselves clean, they do lick their paws, increasing the risk of exposure.
That’s not to say you can’t use these products between guests. It simply means that you must be abundantly cautious and follow instructions to a tee. If you’d rather err on the side of caution, you can make plenty of at-home cleaning solutions with items you probably already have on hand.
- All-purpose cleaner. Mix equal parts vinegar and water and shake to blend.
- Glass cleaner. Mix equal parts vinegar/lemon juice and water.
- Stain remover. Mix baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and lemon juice/vinegar into a paste.
Cleaning doesn’t have to take forever, especially with the right products and tools. We recommend:
- Vacuum. Investing in a great vacuum is a surefire way to ensure that pet hair and dirt are lifted from every surface every time.
- Pet hair lifter. Try as you might, pet hair is stubborn. Get a pet hair lifter to remove strands from flooring, furniture, and bedding.
- Odor eliminator. Sometimes, pets leave behind an odor. Use a product like OdoBan to neutralize those smells.
- Pet hair dissolver. An additive for the washing machine, Vamoosh uses active oxygen to dissolve hair on bedding, blankets, and towels.
🚨 Avoid anything with essential oils, as these are highly toxic to pets.
3. Vacuum (even without carpet)
Carpet is a bad idea when choosing flooring for your rental. Stains, odors, and hair get easily caught in it, and no matter how hard you try to clean it, there seems to be more dirt and grime. Plus, pets sometimes have a habit of finding loose threads and chewing on them, creating more damage than it’s worth. But even with tile or vinyl flooring, having a heavy-duty vacuum is always a good idea.
Typically safe for all flooring types, vacuums can clean pet hair and debris on the ground, furniture, pillows, and bedding. They have all sorts of attachments to help you get in those hard-to-reach places and nooks and crannies.
👉 Renovating? Read the “Ultimate guide to the best flooring for dogs” for guidance on choosing pet-friendly flooring.
4. Utilize air purifiers
Pets are great, but they do shed, and dander can cause sensitivities, allergies, or just general discomfort if not dealt with. Choosing the right air purifier for your rental doesn’t need to be difficult, especially since so many are adept at dealing with pet concerns. We recommend looking for an air purifier with a solid filtration system that utilizes a pre-filter for removing pet hair. You can choose whichever air purifier matches your budget and aesthetic.
Invest in high-quality air filters in your HVAC system to ensure as many allergens as possible are trapped and don’t make it through your home to boost the effects of your air purifier.
- Allergen air filter. This one by Filtrete catches microscopic particles like smoke and bacteria as well as larger particles like pollen, hair, and dust.
- Rabbit Air A3 Air Purifier. With five filters–a pre-filter, medium filter, activated carbon filter, HEPA filter, and a customizable filter–this air purifier catches almost everything you can think of.
- Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max. If you’re worried about pet odor, this air purifier has odor-neutralizing technology to stop stenches in their tracks.
Ozone machines
An ozone machine is an air purifier that creates ozone and puts it back into the air. Essentially, ozone air purifiers combine oxygen from the air into ozone. Once ozone hits pet odor, smoke, or any other airborne allergen or environmental stressor, the ozone breaks down harmful molecules. This sounds great—and honestly, it is—but ozone can be dangerous because of how reactive it is. When inhaled, ozone creates a reaction in the lungs of any living being, human or otherwise, that causes damage.
Unlike regular air purifiers, these can’t be used constantly. Instead, remove all pets, plants, and people from the space and let the machine run. After the ozone machine has finished, air out the room for a few hours. Once that time is up, feel free to return safely.
5. Opt for pet-friendly furniture
Cleaning furniture is much easier when the pieces are made of durable, stain-resistant fabrics. Tightly woven fabrics are best because they can withstand claws like twill or tweed. But you can also choose fabrics like microfiber, velvet, or outdoor fabrics that have the added benefit of durability.
Consider slipcovers for easy cleanup to avoid costly replacements or having your furniture professionally reupholstered (anywhere from $2-$4,000). These are by far the easiest to clean (slip them off and toss them in the washing machine) and you can change the color and style of them at will depending on the ever changing decor you may have within your rental.
6. Establish what pet parents should do
In your pet policy and listing, make sure pet parents know what they should do at your rental to help speed up the cleaning process. This could include taking out the trash or tidying up.
Maintaining the rental indoors
It’s reasonable to ask pet owners and other guests to respect your rental. That can mean lots of things, such as:
- Clean up spills. Ask them not to leave spills from the water bowl or urine sitting. For urine or defecation indoors, ask them to clean it up promptly using your cleaning products.
- Keep pet items in one area. Share where litter boxes or pee pads should be kept, whether in the laundry room or otherwise.
- Notify rental owners of damages immediately. If there is damage, ask that they notify you immediately with video and picture evidence.
- Remove as much pet fur as possible. Some pets shed a lot, and it’s only right to ask their owners to sweep up the clumps.
Proper etiquette outdoors
Let’s be honest, no one wants to step in dog poop. Here’s some ways you can encourage guests to keep the outdoor parts of your property in top shape.
- Pick up after pets. Provide a pooper scooper and poop bags so that there’s no excuse not to pick up after pets.
- Put toys away. Any outdoor toys you provide should be returned to one central place, whether a bin or basket.
DIY cleaning vs. opting for a professional
Owning a rental is a business; as such, you want to ensure you’re making a solid profit and being smart with how you spend your money maintaining your property. One way to cut down on costs is to clean your rental yourself. This only works if you are willing to do the work yourself and live local to your rental. Unfortunately, sometimes guests leave messes that are a little more intricate than we can tackle ourselves. Where pets are involved can include a pet marking or anything else involving bodily fluids.
That’s where a professional cleaner can come in handy. They have the industrial-grade cleaning supplies that some pet messes necessitate. Plus, they have more experience cleaning furniture and flooring, which can save you from making a further mess. Even if you choose the DIY route, we always recommend having the contact information of a trusted cleaner in the event that you need them for a quick turnaround so that you can get back to renting.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make my Airbnb pet-friendly?
Have the proper policies, furniture, and amenities that turn your pet-friendly rental into a place where all the needs of owners and their pets are met.
How do I clean a VRBO?
Rental websites have cleaning standards that you should consult to ensure you’re meeting both basic cleanliness and the above and beyond standards required of you as a rental owner.
Do you have to clean your vacation rental before leaving?
Each owner can decide on any light cleaning requests from renters, but all renters should adopt a considerate approach to tidying up a space they’re leaving.
