How to Clean Carpets and Upholstery Between Airbnb Guests
Between Airbnb guests, carpets and upholstery need a thorough vacuum, a quick spot check for stains, and immediate treatment of anything new, while full shampooing or steam cleaning belongs on a periodic deep clean schedule. The trick is catching stains on the turnover they happened, because fresh stains come out far more easily than ones found three guests later.
Soft surfaces are where I see the most "it looked clean in the listing photos" complaints. Here is the routine I use and teach cleaners.
The every turnover routine
1. Walk the room and look first
Before vacuuming, do a slow visual pass in good light. Open curtains, turn on lamps, and look at:
- High traffic paths from the door to the couch and bed.
- Under and around the coffee table and dining chairs.
- Sofa seat cushions, armrests, and the front edge of the seat.
- Areas around pet beds, if you allow pets.
Lift cushions. Crumbs, coins, hair, and the occasional sock live under there.
2. Vacuum everything soft
- Carpets and rugs: vacuum slowly in overlapping passes, then once more in the other direction. Get the edges with a crevice tool.
- Sofas and chairs: use an upholstery attachment on cushions, backs, arms, and the crevices. Flip or rotate removable cushions to even out wear.
- Headboards and ottomans: fabric headboards collect hair and dust quickly.
If hair is a constant fight, a rubber broom or pet hair tool before vacuuming makes a big difference. I cover more tricks in removing hair from an Airbnb.
3. Spot treat new stains right away
Blot, do not rub. Rubbing spreads the stain and can damage fibers.
- Blot liquid with a clean white cloth or paper towel.
- Use a cleaner that is rated for the fabric or carpet, and follow the label.
- Test on a hidden spot first.
- Work from the outside of the stain toward the center.
- Blot with clean water afterward to remove residue, which otherwise attracts dirt.
One safety rule I hold my team to: never mix cleaning products. The CDC says to never mix bleach with ammonia or any other cleaner. Keep one stain product per job and rinse between products if you need to switch.
4. Deal with odors
Smells cling to fabric more than hard surfaces. Airing out the room, washing removable covers, and treating the source usually works better than spraying fragrance over it. If you are fighting smoke, pet, or food smells, my guide to Airbnb odor removal goes step by step.
Read the care label before you clean upholstery
Most upholstered furniture has a cleaning code on a tag under the cushion or on the frame. The common codes are:
| Code | What it generally means |
|---|---|
| W | Water based cleaners are OK |
| S | Use a solvent based cleaner, no water |
| W/S or SW | Either water based or solvent based |
| X | Vacuum only, no liquid cleaners |
Always check your specific manufacturer's instructions, since they take priority over general guidance. Using water on an S coded fabric is one of the fastest ways to leave a permanent ring.
Deep cleaning carpets and upholstery
Vacuuming and spot cleaning handle most turnovers, but soft surfaces still need periodic deep cleaning. How often depends on occupancy, pets, kids, and what your guests do (a ski house with snow boots is not a city studio).
My rough approach:
- High occupancy or pet friendly: schedule a deep clean of carpets and upholstery a few times a year, and add one whenever a stain will not come out with spot treatment.
- Moderate occupancy: plan it into your regular deep clean rhythm. See my Airbnb deep cleaning schedule for how I space things out.
- Light colored fabrics: they show everything, so they may need attention more often.
You can hire a carpet cleaning company or rent a machine. A professional is often worth it for wall to wall carpet and delicate fabrics, while a portable spot cleaner covers most small jobs between visits.
Leave time for drying. Damp carpet and cushions can smell musty and can encourage mold if they stay wet. Schedule deep cleans on a blocked day or a longer gap between bookings, run fans, and open windows when the weather allows.
Make soft surfaces easier to keep clean
Prevention saves your cleaner time on every turnover:
- Washable slipcovers on sofas and chairs. Keep a spare set.
- Performance fabrics that resist stains when you replace furniture.
- Area rugs over carpet in high traffic paths, since a rug is easier to clean or replace.
- Darker or patterned rugs that hide minor wear.
- Throw blankets on sofas that go in the laundry each turnover.
- Door mats inside and out so less dirt reaches the carpet in the first place.
If you allow pets, consider whether your fee covers the extra soft surface work. I talk through that in pet cleaning fees.
Document stains before and after
When a guest leaves a real stain, you may want to raise it with the platform. That only works if you can show the carpet or couch was clean before they arrived. Photos of soft surfaces on every turnover give you that record.
With Clyn, your cleaner photographs each room in the app, and Clyn's AI checks every photo against your standard before the next guest arrives. A stain on the sofa or a rug that was not vacuumed gets flagged, and you also end up with a dated photo record if you need to file a damage claim later.
FAQ
Should carpets be shampooed after every Airbnb guest?
No. For most properties, a thorough vacuum and spot treatment of new stains is enough on each turnover, with full shampooing or steam cleaning done periodically as part of a deep clean.
What is the best way to remove a fresh stain from a couch?
Blot the liquid, check the cleaning code on the care tag, test a product that fits that code on a hidden spot, then blot from the outside in and finish by blotting with clean water if the code allows water.
Can I use bleach on carpet stains?
Bleach can discolor many carpets and fabrics, so check the manufacturer's instructions first. If you use it at all, the CDC says never to mix bleach with ammonia or any other cleaner.
If you want every turnover checked before check in, you can try Clyn free on one property at clyn.com.