Airing, bins, dishwasher: the departure round

Smell is the first thing a guest notices, even before switching on the light, and it’s the one impression no photo can fix. It all comes down to three actions, each taking less than two minutes and framing the whole clean: open up as you arrive, empty the bins at the right time, and never leave a dishwasher closed on damp. This guide describes the departure round, in order.

The three actions and their place in the clean

These four tasks may seem trivial. Yet they’re the only ones whose absence is immediately noticed by the guest on arrival, before they’ve even opened a cupboard.

Airing: the first step, not the last

On entering, before you put down your kit, open all the windows. Air circulates throughout your visit, costing you zero minutes and clearing the smell of the previous stay, the products you’ll use, and any bathroom damp.

Three tips that make all the difference:

• A through-draught is worth ten windows cracked open on the same side. Open on two opposite sides if possible.
• Close up just before you leave, not halfway through the clean. A bedroom closed up while you clean the bathroom will just pick up circulating damp again.
• In winter, air wide and short rather than a little for a long time: five to ten minutes with everything open refreshes the air without chilling the walls, which is also the general ADEME recommendation for home ventilation.

The tell-tale sign of a poor clean: air freshener sprayed on departure. It masks nothing for more than twenty minutes and advertises exactly what it’s trying to hide. Fresh air is the only fix that lasts.

Bins, and where the smell lingers

Taking out the bag is only half the job. The smell almost never comes from the bag, but from the bottom of the bin, where liquids have run down the sides during the stay.

The full sequence:

1. Take out the bagTied, and remove it from the property straight away. A full bag left on the landing during the clean will keep perfuming the entrance.
2. Check the bottom of the bin.If it’s damp or sticky, rinse and wipe it. This is the step 90% of cleans skip.
3. Wipe the lid and pedalWhich are touch points just like a handle.
4. Put in a fresh bagAnd slip two or three spares underneath, at the bottom of the bin. A guest looking for a bag won’t rummage through your cupboards.

Do a round of all the bins, not just the kitchen one: bathroom, bedrooms, study, and the compost or recycling bin if there is one. A small bathroom bin forgotten with a bit of rubbish inside is a classic cause of negative reviews.

The dishwasher: at the start, never at the end

Empty the dishwasher at the start of the clean, for three reasons: you clear the worktop, you can put away the dishes before cleaning the cupboards, and you let the drum air out while you work.

What to check while you’re at it, all in thirty seconds:

• The filter, at the bottom of the drum. This is the number one source of that eggy smell often blamed on the machine itself.
• The door seal, where residue can build up.
• Salt and rinse aid levels if the machine needs them.
• Leave the door ajar when you leave, just like with the washing machine. A drum closed on damp will smell musty in two days.

Also check that the dishes you put away are actually clean. A glass with a white limescale film looks dirty, when it just needs more rinse aid. Monthly appliance care is covered in Fridge, Dishwasher, Sink: Maintenance to Prevent Odours.

Plants, at the end of your visit

Watering is done last, once the floors are finished: a plant watered before mopping can overflow and leave a ring on a clean floor.

Two rules are enough to keep them alive between stays: finger in the soil to two centimetres, only water if it’s dry; and empty the saucer after watering, as standing water rots roots and attracts gnats. A dead plant tells a guest no one really checks in.

What’s left after you leave

Three final checks, taking a minute and avoiding most call-backs:

• Windows closed and locked, shutters in the welcome position.
• No bin bags left inside, not in a cupboard, not on the balcony.
• A last sniff test in the bathroom and near the washing machine, the two places where damp smells can return in a few hours.