Take a peek at any Tripadvisor review and it seems that that guests are unanimous in their passion for cleanliness.
Who can blame them? I’d wager every one of us has checked into a motel, hotel, or inn and thought we had stumbled onto the set of Hoarders.
Cleanliness at any B&B should be a given, but sometimes innkeepers are juggling so many tasks that their attention to detail slips and a simple chore such as dusting fan blades and blinds can be skipped, overlooked, and then forgotten.
If you’re behind in your cleaning and the task ahead seems too daunting, consider
• Springing for a maid/cleaning service to drop in for “one-off” overhaul. Chances are they’ll pay more attention to the details and find those easily overlooked spots that you miss (but guests find).
• Over time you can lose sight of little flaws that collect in common areas and guest rooms. Even if you’re looking, you may miss them. Ask a good friend to walk through every inch of your B&B and note everything they think would diminish a guest’s opinion of your inn. Not only could they surprise you with suggestions for cleaning, they may have valuable ideas for decorating, design, lighting, landscaping and guest safety.
• You may be skilled at making a bed (it’s easier with two), but are in the habit of checking under the bed? If a guest finds something that was left under, they’ll naturally assume that you neglected to pay attention to other areas of the room, ie: tops of armoires, mirrors, picture frames, doors…
• You may be a fanatic about cleaning your bathtub, but are you taking a close look at the shower curtain liner? It doesn’t take long for mildew to attach itself and if a guest sees it before you do…
It may take some time; it could require a mental adjustment; you could be fine exactly as you are. But if there's a cleaning chore that you've put off, maybe it's time to put on the gloves and tackle it. It's far more pleasing to deal with a satisfied guest than stew over a poor review.
