Going forward, What, if any extra measures will you be putting in place within your properties?
I have ordered mores soaps and extra soap dispensers for hand sanitizers to place around the front doors kitchens and bathrooms.
1 Like
I made a “no one who isn’t on the reservation” (no visitors) house rule. And I don’t greet my guests in person any longer. And I raised my cleaning fee.
Already have a no-contact check-in.
Thinking I will provide a free bottle of Lysol for each guest (if available)) and ensure there are 72 days between reservations.
And I will probably have to spend extra money for a special cleaning service that complies with CDC (etc) guidelines …
Oops 72 hours!!
Although lately, it is starting to feel like it will be 72 more DAYS (at least) before any guests book again!
3 Likes
Unfortunately, due to the extra cost of extra sanitantion products, I too will be forced to raise the cleaning cost and possibly now be forced to changed the turn around time to account for the extra cleaning and sanitation. My “Pre” - Normal was departure was 11am and check-in 3pm, I will have to now go a hour each way. I also have installed a dishwasher in my second property to ensure adequate sanitantion.
I currently operate a self -check in and a no guest policy.
The actual difficulty right now is the immediate costs, in hope that we can get a return.
As far as I understand the new cleaning protocols, you will not be able to take back-to back bookings at all, once your current back-to-backs are completed. If you don’t sign up for the new 24 hour window between guests, I think that Airbnb will automatically block your calendar for 72 hours between reservations. That’s how I read it, anyway. As with most things Airbnb, clear as mud.
1 Like
I won’t be changing much in terms of cleaning. I already used most of the CDC type protocol.
Unfortunately I’ll be going back to more individual disposable items, at least for awhile. I may make a two night minimum or some other change to the calendar since I won’t be doing back to back bookings.
Lysol spray has become my best friend. LOL I spray all the fan pulls, door knobs, lock box, door bell, window locks, etc. I even spray the filter in the a/c unit. My other best friend is a container of Clorox wipes.
1 Like
Oh yeah, I forgot. I also changed my check-in time to 10 am from 11 am. But that was before this whole 24-hour thing was imposed so I’ll probably change it back to 11 am since the extra time for airing out is already built in.
And I’m with @KKC, I already clean to CDC standards. I can’t help it after so many years in healthcare, I don’t know any other way (or maybe I know too much 
I raised (more than doubled) my cleaning fee to cover the extra 24 hours between guests. If someone wants to stay for just 1 night, they’re welcome to do it but it won’t be economical.
1 Like
Yeah, it’s ironic how many hosts (including me) condemned single-use and disposable items just a few months ago due to the environmental impact, but I imagine they will be the norm in foreseeable future.
Like what? I can’t think of anything that I would change in that direction, but maybe I’m missing something?
1 Like
I bought individual creamers. I was putting a small glass bottle of 1/2 and 1/2. Also the hated plastic water bottles. Individual toothpaste packets instead of the larger tube. I’ll be taking out some of the extras (things like the sunscreen and aloe vera bottles) for the time being so I don’t have to wipe them down. Cutting a couple of minutes here and there matters. I also want to get smaller boxes of Kleenex and rotate them. That is, take out the box let it sit in the garage a week or so and then put it back. Not exactly disposable but you see what I mean. Fresh roll of TP individually wrapped, but I was already doing that then I use the partial roll in my part of the house.
I have to say that I’ve really enjoyed having this break. I never knew what it would be like to be retired and not have the in home businesses. I’ve been really busy the last month with the projects here but when they are done I may be happy to have a lot less business. I’ll have to see how the budget does without the extra income but also without the extra spending.
2 Likes
I’m not changing a thing. I was always an over-cleaner and over-sanitiser anyway. 
I’ve never had rugs (tiled floor) or curtains (blinds) or fabric sofas (leather) or throw pillows (no substitutions) so the only things to launder are the usual bedlinen/towels/bathmat/shower curtain. I’ve always used individual toiletries (not environmentally friendly, I know) and fresh everything for new guests.
Ah, I lied. I am changing something. In the past, if the outgoing guests left any food, I’d leave it for the next guests if the use-by dates were still good. (I always tell the incoming guests that they were left and I always take any booze or nice cheese for myself ). I’m now presenting guests with a spotlessly clean and empty fridge instead.
2 Likes
I’m thinking of toiletries (shampoo, soap, lotion, tissues), food/drinks (coffee, creamer, butter, bottled water), and maybe disinfectant wipes.
Ok, this is good. It’s a good list to think through. Here’s what I’ve arrived at:
My cleaning was already healthcare standards, higher actually (you don’t want to know ,).
Everything is always wiped down between guests. It must be. There were lots of germs to spread before covid. Tissues are always rotated out. Everything is a pump or a squeeze bottle and there’s no reason at all to think that covid is going be spread in shampoo or lotion or the like.
Are there really hosts who provided toiletries and didn’t wipe them all down between guests? It’s hard to imagine really. Lots of nasty stuff to spread in the bathroom before covid. Things that are more easily spread from a shampoo bottle than covid.
Food and drinks have always been presented in a sanitary manner. It’s ingestible. It’s got to be sanitary. There is no indication that covid is spread through food anyway - it’s not a foodborne illness. And there’s no difference in risk between a host providing a stick of butter or the guests buying one at the store.
There’s really no reason for individual bottles of water.
There’s a filter pitcher that is cleaned between guests that they can choose to use or not. And we have a 5-gallon spring water in each the hall with a dolphin pump where they can fill their own carafes, water bottles or pitchers (all are provided).
Even hosts who typically provide a filled water bottle like @KKC should be fine to keep doing that . People are picking up and getting delivery of food and beverages prepared and packaged by other humans. There is no risk for covid associated with it. The only risk of getting covid from a bottle of water is from the outside of the bottle touched by hands with covid on them (and then touching your face). That risk is the same whether or not it has a sealed cap on it.
Every apartment has always had a cleaning kit including disinfectant.
In case anyone is interested in doing the 5-gallon water (also easy to get weekly or monthly deliveries so you don’t have to go out) instead of individual environment-killing individual bottles, here’s a good dolphin pump:
https://www.amazon.com/Water-Bottle-Pump-Original-Excluding/dp/B00APU2Y8Q
Yes.
There are psychological reasons. About half my guests don’t use the filtered water I provide and about a third of them leave empty plastic bottles. I could and may simply stop providing anything aside from the soap, shampoo and conditioner. As folks love to say…“hotels don’t do it.”
I won’t switch to single use toiletries myself. I’ve only ever provided soap, and I can’t see where the refillable pump containers I use would present any danger. I always sterilize the outside of the containers anyway, and the virus isn’t going to survive in a bottle of soap or shampoo. I’ve always provided little individual bars of soap for those who prefer that to liquid soap.
I also have a small basket of extra toiletries if a guest forgot something- it’s mostly stuff other guests leave behind. Sunscreen, bug spray, shaving foam, that sort of thing. I’ve always thoroughly wiped down all those containers between guests with Clorox wipes, whether it appears that the outgoing guest used any of it or not, so I wouldn’t change that, either. I also put a small ziplock bag in there with cotton balls, Q-tips and ear plugs, so I would change those out in the future for each guest, even if it didn’t look like it had been used. As KKC said she’d do with the tissue boxes, I’d just put them somewhere for a week and refill and rotate them.
Funny thing is, I’d been thinking to get some small countertop containers for the cotton balls and Q tips, but now that seems like a poor idea- people sticking their fingers in a container of something that can’t be sterilized.
I don’t provide tissues, and each guest always gets a fresh roll of TP and a full extra, so nothing to change there.
Do you guys still have guests? I have none for the rest of the year. They all cancelled, be it because the events they were coming to were cancelled or they are now unemployed and they cant afford or because of the covid. I will be giving up hosting because in my case there is no money to be made in the next 2 years or until we find a vaccine and I dont want to rent long term.