A well-stocked vacation rental needs five things: a short list of cleaning products (multi-surface cleaner, disinfectant, glass cleaner, bathroom cleaner, floor cleaner), a set of tools (vacuum, mop, microfiber cloths, brushes), laundry supplies, guest consumables such as toilet paper and soap, and one place to keep it all organized. Below is the full list, sorted by job, with starting quantities and the safety rules that matter when you use and store these products between guests.
TL;DR
- Airbnb’s own host guidance covers the core kit: multi-surface cleaner, disinfectant, glass cleaner, bleach, laundry detergent, stain remover, dish detergent and floor cleaner, plus basic tools.
- Color-code your microfiber cloths by room (bathroom, kitchen, general) so nothing travels between the toilet and the counter.
- Keep a portable caddy for the cleaner and a separate, lighter set of supplies out for guests.
- Never mix cleaning products, and clean dirty surfaces with soap or detergent before you disinfect.
- Spare linens and a restock buffer matter more than any gadget, because same-day turns leave no time to wait for a dryer.
Table of Contents
- The core Airbnb cleaning supplies list
- Room-by-room supplies
- Laundry, stains, dust and pet hair
- What to leave out for guests, and what to lock away
- How much to stock: starting quantities
- Safe use and storage
- Optional upgrades that save time
- Our perspective
- Let our team handle your turnovers
- FAQ
- Sources
The core Airbnb cleaning supplies list
Start with what the platform itself recommends. Airbnb’s host Resource Center lists these tools: a broom and dustpan, a duster, garbage bags, microfiber cloths, a mop, paper towels, a scrub brush, kitchen-only scrub pads, a toilet brush, a vacuum, and a washer and dryer. A bucket and a step ladder are on the list “if necessary,” and the ladder is worth having for ceiling fans, high shelves and light fixtures.
The same page names the products: multi-surface cleaner, disinfectant, glass cleaner, bleach, laundry detergent and stain remover, dishwashing detergent, floor cleaner, wood polish, and oven cleaner or degreaser. Add a mold cleaner if your property has a damp bathroom or basement.
Here is that list organized the way a turnover actually runs.
Products
| Job | What to stock | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday surfaces | Multi-surface cleaner | Counters, tables, door handles, appliance exteriors |
| Germ control | Registered disinfectant (spray or wipes) | Toilets, faucets, light switches, remotes |
| Glass | Streak-free glass cleaner | Mirrors, sliding doors, windows |
| Bathroom | Bathroom or tub and tile cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner | Keep a grout brush with it |
| Kitchen | Dish soap, dishwasher detergent, degreaser, oven cleaner | Stovetops and microwaves show grease fastest |
| Floors | Floor cleaner suited to your floor type | Match it to the material (see below) |
| Wood | Wood polish | For furniture and cabinet fronts |
| Laundry | Detergent, stain remover | Fragrance-free is the safer default for guests |
| Problem spots | Bleach, mold cleaner | Use only where the surface allows |
Tools
- Vacuum with a crevice tool and an upholstery attachment
- Mop and bucket, or a spray or steam mop for sealed tile
- Broom and dustpan
- Microfiber cloths in three or four colors
- Scrub brush, grout brush and a toilet brush
- Duster with an extendable handle
- Squeegee for glass shower doors
- Garbage bags in the sizes your cans take
- Disposable gloves
- A caddy to carry it all
Other host guides publish near-identical lists. AvantStay and Hostfully both put disinfectant, all-purpose cleaner, a vacuum, a floor cleaner and paper goods at the top. That agreement is useful: you do not need a long shopping list to run a clean property. You need the right basics, in enough quantity, in the same place every time.
Room-by-room supplies
A list sorted by product is good for shopping. A list sorted by room is good for the cleaner standing in the doorway. Here is how the supplies line up.
Kitchen
Guests judge hygiene hardest in the kitchen. Hostfully’s guide points out that the job goes beyond visible counters: the microwave interior, sink and faucet, stovetop, inside of the fridge and every used dish all get attention.
Stock multi-surface cleaner, a degreaser, dish soap, dishwasher pods, scrub pads reserved for the kitchen only, a sponge you replace after each stay, and yellow microfiber cloths (if you use the common color code). If you want a deeper walkthrough of appliances, see our guide on how to clean rental appliances professionally.
Bathrooms
You need a disinfectant for toilets, handles, light switches and other high-touch surfaces, a tub and shower cleaner, glass cleaner for mirrors, a dedicated toilet brush, and cloths used for bathrooms only. Hostfully’s guide also notes the spots hosts skip: the toilet base and behind it, the shower drain, and any hair left in it. A squeegee for shower glass keeps water spots from building up between deep cleans.
Bedrooms and living areas
Fresh linens do most of the work here. Add a duster, a lint roller, a vacuum with an upholstery tool, and a fabric refresher if you like. Wipe remotes, lamp switches and door handles with disinfectant wipes, since these are the things every guest touches.
Floors
Buy floor products for the floor you have, not a generic jug. Wet mopping can damage some floors. A wet mop on engineered hardwood can warp planks over time, and a stone-floor cleaner on vinyl plank can leave a dulling residue. Check the manufacturer’s care guidance for each floor type, and keep a dry mop or vacuum for everyday passes and a damp mop for sealed surfaces.
Outdoor spaces
Patios and balconies need a broom, a hose or bucket, a cloth for outdoor furniture, and heavy-duty trash bags. Cigarette butts, spilled drinks and cobwebs show up in guest photos quickly.
Laundry, stains, dust and pet hair
Laundry is where turnovers stall. Plan for it before the first booking.
Laundry. Keep detergent and a stain remover in the laundry area. Fragrance-free detergent is a sensible default for guests with sensitivities. For the products themselves, Wirecutter’s roundup of cleaning products names Tide Ultra Oxi Powder as a top pick for stains and smells, and Amodex Ink & Stain Remover for stubborn marks like makeup and permanent ink. For presoaking, Good Housekeeping’s 2026 Cleaning Awards name OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover as a top performer.
Dust. A duster plus microfiber cloths handle it. Work top to bottom, so dust falls onto surfaces you have not cleaned yet.
Pet hair. If you allow pets, add a lint roller and a vacuum that handles hair without tangling. Good Housekeeping’s awards single out the Bissell PowerClean FurGuard Stick Vacuum for that, noting it picked up very long hair strands without tangling.
Stains on fabric. Blot instead of scrubbing, start with the gentlest method, and avoid over-wetting carpet or upholstery. Photograph a stain before and after treating it if it might become a damage claim. For delicate fabrics, expensive rugs or antique wood, a professional is the safer call.
What to leave out for guests, and what to lock away
Guests need some supplies. The cleaner needs others. Keeping the two separate protects your inventory and your guests.
For guests. Airbnb’s cleaning guidance suggests leaving disposable paper towels, a multi-surface cleaner, disinfectant wipes or spray, hand sanitizer and extra hand soap. Its Prepare your space page adds the amenities guests expect: toilet paper, soap for hands and body, one towel and one pillow per guest, linens for each bed, and kitchen basics like dish soap, a drying rack and cloth or paper towels.
For the cleaner. Concentrated products, bleach, oven cleaner, mold cleaner and specialty tools belong in a locked owner’s closet or a portable caddy. Airbnb advises storing all cleaning supplies in one place and restocking regularly. If you host families, keep every chemical out of children’s reach.
How much to stock: starting quantities
There is no official standard, so treat these as starting points drawn from host guides, then adjust to your own usage.
| Item | Starting quantity per turnover | Source of the guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Toilet paper | 2 rolls per bathroom plus 1 spare, or up to 4 rolls for busy properties | Host guides vary |
| Paper towels | 1 full roll in the kitchen plus 1 spare | Host guides |
| Hand soap | 1 full dispenser per bathroom | Host guides |
| Sponges | 1 new sponge per stay | Host guides |
| Linens | 2 to 3 full sets per bed | Hostfully, others |
| Microfiber cloths | 20 or more, in several colors | Bulk-buying guidance |
A useful rule from one host guide is to set your reserve at roughly 1.5 to 2 times average use per stay. A two-bedroom unit with eight turns a month, for example, would keep 12 or more rolls of toilet paper and 4 or more rolls of paper towels on hand, plus one unopened backup of each cleaning product. Our Airbnb restocking checklist walks through how to track these levels so you avoid emergency store runs.
Spare linens are the item hosts overlook most. In a same-day turn there is no time to wash, dry and remake a bed, so bag the dirty set without shaking it out and put on a fresh one. That is why two to three sets per bed is a common starting plan.
Safe use and storage
This part protects your cleaner, your guests and your surfaces.
- Clean, then disinfect. The CDC’s household cleaning guidance says dirty surfaces should be cleaned with soap or detergent and water before disinfecting, and that most common EPA-registered household disinfectants work when used as the label directs.
- Respect contact time. Airbnb advises letting disinfectant stay wet on the surface for the full time on the label and then air-dry.
- Choose registered disinfectants. Airbnb notes that vinegar and essential oils, while effective cleaners, are not approved by regulators as disinfectants.
- Never mix products. Combining bleach and ammonia can release toxic gases. Other host guidance extends the warning to vinegar with bleach.
- Ventilate. Open windows while you clean, and wear gloves.
- Test first. Try any cleaner on a hidden spot before using it on carpet, upholstery, painted walls or wood furniture.
- Lock it up. Store chemicals out of children’s reach, in their original labeled containers.
If you have a question about a specific product, such as a cleaner used around someone with asthma or allergies, read the product’s safety data sheet and ask the manufacturer or a doctor.
Optional upgrades that save time
After the basics, a few additions earn their place.
- A color-coded caddy. Red for bathrooms, yellow for kitchens and blue for general surfaces is a common system. It prevents cross-contamination and keeps everything within reach, which reduces the back-and-forth trips that eat into turnover time.
- A multi-use mop with interchangeable heads and a double-sided bucket. Airbnb’s “Clean like a pro” page features a professional cleaner who recommends this, along with a vacuum with attachments for sliding-door tracks.
- A slip-on shower hose and a glass scraper, for rinsing and polishing glass.
- Non-scratch sponges for surfaces that scratch easily.
- Dryer balls and a reusable lint roller, for towels and pet fur.
- A two-tier storage setup: a mobile kit for active cleaning and a stationary shelf for refills.
Schedule a deeper clean every two or three months, as Airbnb’s page suggests. Our guide to high-traffic rental areas to deep clean shows where it pays off most.
Our perspective
After years of cleaning homes and short-term rentals across Clark County and the Portland metro area, we have noticed the same pattern: a clean turnover comes from a consistent system more than from any particular product. When the same people clean the same property each time, they learn where the grease builds up behind the stove, which shower drain collects hair, and which floor needs the gentler mop.
That is why we send the same dedicated team to each visit rather than a rotating crew. Familiarity with the property shortens turns, and it makes restocking more predictable. Our staff are background-checked, trained and insured, and our service is satisfaction guaranteed.
If you want to run your own turnovers, the list above gives you a solid foundation. If you would rather hand them off, a team that already carries its own kit lets you spend your time on bookings and guest messages.
Steven
Let our team handle your turnovers
If your calendar is full and supplies are the least of your worries, we can take turnovers off your plate. We provide Airbnb and vacation rental cleaning for hosts in Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR, delivered by the same dedicated, background-checked team each visit.
See how our Airbnb and vacation rental cleaning works, or browse all Octomaids services. Not sure what a cleaner brings with them? Our guide on whether cleaners bring supplies lists the questions to ask before you book. For the reviews angle, see how cleaning shapes your rental reviews and ratings, and for a task-by-task view, our short term rental cleaning checklist.
FAQ
What are the must-have cleaning supplies for an Airbnb?
At minimum: multi-surface cleaner, a registered disinfectant, glass cleaner, bathroom and toilet cleaner, floor cleaner, dish soap, laundry detergent and stain remover. Pair them with a vacuum, mop, broom and dustpan, microfiber cloths, brushes and garbage bags. Airbnb’s host guidance covers this core set.
Should I leave cleaning supplies out for guests?
A small guest set is reasonable: paper towels, a multi-surface cleaner or disinfectant wipes, hand soap and sanitizer. Keep concentrated chemicals, bleach and oven cleaner locked away, and store everything out of children’s reach if you host families.
How many sets of linens does a rental need?
A common starting plan is two to three full sets per bed. That lets you strip and remake the bed immediately, then wash the used set later instead of waiting on the dryer during a same-day turn.
Is vinegar enough to disinfect a vacation rental?
Vinegar can clean, but Airbnb notes it has not been approved by regulators as a disinfectant. Use an EPA-registered disinfectant on high-touch surfaces, follow the label’s contact time, and never combine vinegar with bleach.
Do I need to buy supplies if I hire a cleaning company?
It depends on the provider, so ask before booking. Our guide on whether cleaners bring supplies lists three questions to settle it, and you will still want to keep guest consumables like toilet paper and soap stocked.
Sources
- Stock up on these cleaning supplies, Airbnb Resource Center
- Prepare your space, Airbnb Resource Center
- Cleaning and Disinfection for Households, CDC
- The 20 Best Wirecutter-Approved Cleaning Products
- Good Housekeeping’s 2026 Cleaning Awards
- Vacation Rental Cleaning Checklist, AvantStay
- Vacation Rental Cleaning: Process, Costs, Checklists, Hostfully
Recommended
- Stop Emergency Restocks: Airbnb Restocking Checklist for Hosts
- Short Term Rental Cleaning Checklist: Host’s Guide
- High-Traffic Rental Areas to Deep Clean: A Room-by-Room Guide
- Deep Clean House Checklist for Every Room
About Octomaids
Octomaids is a locally operated professional cleaning company serving Vancouver, Clark County, and the surrounding Portland metro area. Since 2006, our cleaning teams have helped homeowners, renters, property managers, and businesses with recurring cleaning, deep cleaning, move-in/move-out cleaning, and commercial cleaning.
Our cleaning articles are reviewed to ensure the information reflects our real-world experience and professional cleaning practices.