How to Fairly Rate Cleanliness on Airbnb: A Friendly Guide for Thoughtful Guests

When you walk into your Airbnb, there’s nothing quite like that fresh, clean feeling—beds made, floors shining, and everything in its place. Cleanliness matters. A lot. And trust us—your host cares just as much as you do. But sometimes, nature, weather, or regional quirks play a little role in how things look or feel. So let’s talk about how to keep your review fair, thoughtful, and helpful for everyone.

✨ First Things First: What Does Airbnb Expect?

According to Airbnb’s own standards, hosts are expected to:

• Keep the home clean and free of health hazards (no mold, pests, etc.)

• Provide a high standard of cleanliness—no visible dust, pet hair, food messes

• Thoroughly clean between each stay (wash linens, take out trash, sanitize surfaces, etc.)

StellarStay’s cleaning teams across all the states we serve are thoroughly trained to follow Airbnb’s 5-step enhanced cleaning process with precision and consistency—sanitizing remotes, scrubbing tile grout, and yes, even fluffing the pillows to perfection.

🍃 Now Let’s Talk Nature (Because She’s Busy Too)

We all love a good breeze and the charm of staying in natural surroundings. But nature doesn’t always keep to our cleaning schedule. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Leaves on the patio? A gust of wind can undo an hour of sweeping in seconds.

• A spider on the bush out front? That’s just wildlife being… well, wild.

• A dead bug near the door—or even one that managed to sneak inside? Oddly enough, that usually means pest control is working as it should.

• Debris floating in the pool? That could be from a sudden windstorm, nearby trees, or even just last night’s weather. Pools in outdoor settings, especially in nature-rich areas, are magnets for leaves, pollen, or the occasional bug—despite regular maintenance and cleaning cycles.

Insects and organic debris exist—especially in warm places like Texas, Florida, or Arizona. Even in sparkling clean homes, the occasional critter might sneak in or some debris might land where it doesn’t belong. It doesn’t mean the home is dirty—it just means it’s in the real world, not a vacuum-sealed spaceship.

🌸 Scents, Sensitivities & the Scented Candle Dilemma

Let’s talk smells. Yep, really. Because this comes up more often than you’d think.

Every Airbnb home is different. Some are sleek, brand-new properties that just joined the short-term rental market. Others are beloved family homes that have stood for decades, filled with character, stories, and yes—a natural scent that comes with time, age, and life. Just like people, homes have their own personalities.

Now, some guests walk in and immediately wonder, “Why doesn’t it smell like a hotel lobby in here?” Others might say, “Please tell me you didn’t use any plug-ins or fragrance sprays—I’m super sensitive to smells.” And that’s where it gets tricky for us as hosts.

We’ve heard both sides. Some guests want the home to be filled with the scent of fresh linen or lavender. Others prefer absolutely no artificial smells at all and would find those same scents overwhelming or even irritating. So as hosts, we walk a fine line between fresh and fragrance-free—and we always try to default to neutral, clean air with good ventilation.

If you’re someone who expects that every space should smell exactly the same—like a perfectly bottled “new home scent”—it’s worth gently reminding that Airbnb homes aren’t hotel rooms. They’re lived-in, lovingly maintained homes with real-world charm, natural materials, and sometimes, a bit of history in the air.

So here’s our friendly advice: if you’re extra sensitive to natural home scents, or expect a uniform, scent-neutralized experience, you might find hotels more in line with your expectations. Airbnb stays are unique adventures—every one a little different. And that’s part of what makes them special.

🧐 Tips for Rating Cleanliness the Right Way

Want to be a responsible reviewer? You’re amazing. Here’s how:

1. Focus on what really matters:

   Were the bathrooms spotless? Kitchen wiped down? Floors vacuumed? Bedding fresh? These are the true markers of cleanliness.

2. Give nature a pass:

   A leaf on the patio chair or a bit of pollen on the deck rail doesn’t mean your host didn’t clean. It just means the outdoors is still doing its thing.

3. Say something if something’s off:

   If you arrive and something doesn’t feel right—tell your host. Most will bend over backwards to fix it on the spot. Feedback during your stay is gold.

4. Be constructive in your review:

   If there was a small issue, explain it kindly and with context. Reviews are for the whole community, and thoughtful ones go a long way.

💛 The Bottom Line

Your host's cleaning team probably spent hours making sure your place was sparkling, from scrubbing baseboards to triple-checking towels. But even the best efforts can’t hold off every leaf, bug, or breeze.

So next time you’re ready to rate, take a breath, think about the effort behind the scenes, and give credit where credit is due.

Let’s keep the Airbnb community strong, supportive, and fair—for guests, hosts, and all the little spiders just trying to live their lives outside your window.