I’m not sure if this is a rant or a question. As a shared home host I am not eligible to participate in the enhanced cleaning protocol Airbnb offers in order to get “the clean badge.” That said, I have over 170 reviews and have never received less than 5 stars on cleanliness. When you view my listing, it states “16 recent guests have rated this location 5 out of 5 for cleanliness.” Actually over 170 have done that. It has remained at 16 for a year now, never changes. Has anyone else noticed this and for the love of Pete, why would they not do a more accurate assessment of a location’s cleanliness, especially at this time? I know that would be one of the first areas I would check if I were traveling right now. Thanks for listening.
They keep changing the web site / app to something that is slow, a couple of days behind - not real time and basically making it less useful. A guest looking for accommodation will notice the 16 5 stars and not that it hasn’t changed.
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It’s an Airbnb thing- those “10 recent guests said” are derived from the “compliments”, not from your ratings. I hate those “compliments” BS. Just one more useless and misleading feature. I’m not sure what the magic number is, but even if 20 guests have given you cleanliness “compliments”, the number shown only ever goes so high.
Don’t sweat it- you probably have lots of reviews stating how clean it was, and just put some wording in your listing as to how you are cleaning for COVID. Those Airbnb cleaning protocols are absurd. How many hosts do you really think are going to wash all the walls and ceilings? They’ll either agree to the protocol and not do all of it, or they won’t sign up for it at all.
And don’t forget those stunning silk curtains!
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I totally get the points you’re making. My concern is my ineligibility to obtain the enhanced cleaning badge as I am a shared location. Many guests don’t know that and probably wonder why I don’t have it. A more accurate reflection of the cleanliness of my location seems it would be important at this time. I don’t expect it to show all of them but a bump of some kind, on occasion ,wouldn’t hurt.
I received the “enhanced cleaning badge”, it just replaces “20 recent guests said it was clean and tidy.” To be honest, I prefer the clean and tidy over enhanced cleaned. Somehow to me “clean and tidy” sounds more appealing than “enhanced cleaning” which I feels implies that it wasn’t clean before. I just don’t like the wording.
I now have to block days in between bookings just so we can do the mandatory cleaning of the walls, etc. I’m considering opting out.
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IMHO “Many” guests won’t have a clue! Also “many” guests won’t be giving a rat’s rear end about cleanliness, either. It’s all AirBnb Marketing Hype.
A simple statement in you description about “Due to Covid-19 we are taking extra efforts to ensure that you have a healthy clean space in which to stay.” will go miles farther in attracting guests, than some badge.
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They want you to wash the CURTAINS between guests! I have the full Victorian catastrophe with 15 foot drop silk curtains, bullion fringes and tassels… it would take days to deal with them and you don’t wash them!
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@Debthecat Oh good grief. Maybe I should just be thankful I’m not eligible for the enhanced cleaning.
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Ken, that would be awesome if guests actually read. I have it in my saved response, all my reviews and it is listed in my description. They still ask…
I have a home-share as well. I’m not hosting now though, as I don’t consider it safe.
BTW, that cleaning badge is only avaiabe to US hosts, as far as I am aware, so I wouldn’t really worry about it if I were you- like Ken suggests, some simple wording at the beginning of your listing description will be good enough for the vast majority of guests. If they are that concerned about the cleaning, they are probably concerned enough to stay home.
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It’s available to Canadians, too. I did the test, got the badge, then got cold feet. Like @Ritz3, I was put off by the wording of the badge and opted out.
I’m seeing what @KenH predicts. Zero guests have asked me about cleaning. These are guests travelling for fun in a pandemic. They do not care. I do, so I clean with harsher stuff than vinegar now and have increased my prep time, but they do not even think about it. Two separate guests this week tried to shake my hand upon arrival.
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I just took all curtains and drapes off. I didn’t want to wash them so often, that would be a lot of wear and tear so off the walls they went!
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I found a solution to the hand shakers. As they approach the front door (me with my mask on) I do a clasped hands Chinese martial arts bow and say “Welcome”.
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I saw a video yesterday of anti-maskers in CA. I’m certain there are plenty of guests who don’t care about cleaning. If it is fake and exaggerated then there’s no need to do extra cleaning.
Wish I had thought as fast as you, Ken. When the first one stuck out his hand, I went all Canadian and said, “Sorry”.
What, I was sorry that I didn’t want to spread a killer virus? Better than shrieking and running, I suppose. I was better prepared for the second one and just made it funny.
I suppose there’s that. I’m saving local, last-minute, entitled guests from the germs of the previous local, last-minute, etc.
Sorry, fellow hosts.
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I understand that it might not be doable for everyone but I’m not greeting guests right now. Self check-in all the way! We’ve always had the keypads and self check-in because a lot of people seem to like it but I used to make a point of just happening to be in the hallway when they arrive. Not now. I’m socially distancing from my own apartment 
Curious, I put that masks must be worn in the halls, stairs and laundry (common areas) in my house rules. Did any other hosts add anything about masks to their house rules?
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Of course I am doing more cleaning but I don’t know that it will impact my booking rate. Of 3 reservations since I opened up, 2 are traveling with dogs. That’s a better advantage than cleaning badge, no doubt.
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Don’t forget, Airbnb also wants you to clean the WALLS, because some intern thought walls went on a list of “hard surfaces.”
Just made me smile at a memory. Dear old Mom used to wash the walls every spring. Also in my childhood recollection she was constantly ironing. This was post-war 50s-60s prosperity, when the whole family could live on Dad’s wages. I’ve often wondered what those “homemaker” moms did all day when they sent us out to play and said “be home in time for supper.” Drink and watch soap operas? I do remember the occasional neighborhood mom get together, which usually involved toting a jello salad somewhere in your Tupperware. That you got at the Tupperware party. After the Avon lady visited and sold you some lipstick.
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