Airbnb turnover cleans are not the same as regular domestic cleans. The time pressure is real, the consistency requirements are higher, and the host’s reviews depend on what you missed. After six years of doing these across Mooloolaba, Maroochydore, and the broader Sunshine Coast, our supply kit has settled into a form that earns its keep.

The cloths

Microfibre, colour-coded by area. Blue for kitchen surfaces. Yellow for bathrooms. Red for toilets specifically. Green for windows and glass. White for general dusting and finishing.

The colour coding is not cosmetic. It prevents the cross-contamination that causes reviews about bathroom smells in living areas. We carry at least six of each colour per house.

The cleaners

A pH-neutral all-purpose cleaner for benchtops and most surfaces. A bathroom cleaner with a real soap-scum solvent. A toilet bowl cleaner. A glass cleaner. A floor cleaner appropriate to the floor type — tile, timber, or vinyl.

We use eco-credentialled products where the performance is comparable. We do not use eco-credentialled products where the performance is not comparable, which is a smaller list than it used to be but still includes specific soap-scum and limescale tasks.

The tools

A cordless stick vacuum that handles both hard floors and the rugs. A microfibre flat mop with replaceable pads. A pair of toilet brushes. A grout brush. An extending duster for ceiling fans and high corners. A squeegee for shower screens.

The vacuum is the single biggest item that affects cleaner productivity. The expensive ones save time on every clean and pay back fast.

The consumables

Replacement coffee pods and tea bags. Soap, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the host’s chosen format. Paper towels for the kitchen. Toilet paper. Bin liners in the right sizes. Dishwasher tablets. Washing machine pods.

The consumables list is per-property because each host stocks differently. We keep a running tally and reorder so we are not catching short notice at the property.

The detail items

Lint roller for the lounge and the bed runners. Magic eraser sponge for stubborn marks. A small tube of grout sealer for emergency touch-ups. A roll of gaffer tape because something is always broken or loose.

These are the items that distinguish a basic turnover from one that gets a five-star review.

The kit logistics

Everything fits in a wheeled cleaning trolley that we keep stocked. New properties get added to the route by adding their specific consumables to the trolley before the day starts. The trolley is on the property before the cleaning starts and back in the vehicle before we leave.

Time per turnover for a two-bedroom apartment on this kit averages 90 minutes. That includes laundry, full bathroom and kitchen treatment, vacuum and mop, and a final walkthrough check. Slower than that and the host’s check-in window starts to tighten. Faster than that and something is being skipped.