Running a successful Airbnb means paying close attention to the little details that make a big impact on your guests. While fresh linens, stylish décor, and cozy spaces are important, nothing will ruin a guest’s impression faster than a grimy kitchen. Imagine a traveler walking in after a long flight, ready to make tea or cook a quick meal, only to find greasy counters, sticky stovetops, and lingering cooking odors. In London and beyond, guests expect hotel-level cleanliness from their short-term rentals, and nowhere is that more important than the kitchen. A spotless, gleaming kitchen not only improves guest comfort but also helps hosts secure glowing 5-star reviews that drive repeat bookings and higher income.
But here’s the challenge: grease and grime build up faster in kitchens than in any other room. Daily cooking produces microscopic oil particles that settle on surfaces, appliances, and even walls. Combine that with food splatters, crumbs, and moisture, and you have a perfect recipe for stubborn dirt. Unlike a bedroom or living room, where dusting and vacuuming might suffice, the kitchen demands deeper, more consistent attention. The battle against grease isn’t just about appearances—it’s about hygiene, odors, and even safety. Sticky surfaces can attract pests, while grease left on stovetops or extractor fans can become a fire hazard.
For Airbnb hosts, tackling grease and grime requires more than casual cleaning. It demands a smart, systematic approach that saves time yet guarantees results. That’s where proven strategies come in. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore five powerful, tried-and-true strategies that will help you keep your Airbnb kitchen not just clean, but sparkling—day in, day out. These methods are practical, cost-effective, and easy to implement even if you manage multiple properties or juggle frequent turnovers. By the end, you’ll have a complete blueprint to maintain a pristine kitchen that consistently delights your guests and protects your reputation.
Why Kitchen Cleanliness Is Non-Negotiable for Airbnb Hosts
Before diving into the strategies, it’s important to understand why the kitchen is such a critical zone in short-term rentals. For many guests, especially those staying longer than a night or two, the ability to cook is one of the main reasons they book an Airbnb instead of a hotel. A well-stocked, spotless kitchen gives them a sense of home, autonomy, and comfort. But if the kitchen isn’t up to standard, it instantly erodes trust.
Here are a few key reasons why grease-free, grime-free kitchens are essential:
- Guest Satisfaction: Clean kitchens reassure guests that hygiene is a priority. A single sticky cupboard door or greasy handle can make guests question the cleanliness of the entire property.
- Health and Safety: Grease harbors bacteria, and food particles can attract pests. A poorly cleaned kitchen could even create risks like foodborne illness or fire hazards.
- Reviews and Reputation: Guests often mention cleanliness in their reviews. Kitchens are one of the most common areas they notice and comment on. A sparkling kitchen means a higher likelihood of 5-star feedback.
- Efficiency for Hosts: Grease that is ignored becomes harder to clean later. Staying ahead of it makes turnovers faster and easier.
- Longevity of Appliances and Fixtures: Regular, proper cleaning prevents buildup that can damage appliances or discolor surfaces, saving money on repairs and replacements.
With these stakes in mind, let’s explore the five proven strategies that Airbnb hosts can use to keep their kitchens in impeccable condition.
Strategy 1: Master the Art of Daily Degreasing
Grease doesn’t appear overnight—it builds up slowly, layer by layer. The key to eliminating it effectively is consistency. Hosts who stay ahead of the problem find their kitchens not only look better but also require less scrubbing during turnovers. That’s why the first strategy is establishing a system for daily degreasing.
Even if you don’t live in the Airbnb property, you can set rules and habits for yourself, your cleaning team, or your co-hosts. The goal is to tackle grease before it hardens and becomes sticky residue.
How to apply this strategy:
- Use the right products: A high-quality degreaser or even natural solutions like vinegar and lemon juice work wonders. For tougher spots, baking soda paste is invaluable.
- Focus on hotspots: Stovetops, oven doors, extractor fans, cabinet doors near the cooker, and splashbacks accumulate grease fastest. Prioritize these zones.
- Wipe surfaces after every cooking use: If you live in the property part-time, build a habit of wiping down counters and stovetops immediately after cooking. For full-time rentals, cleaners should treat degreasing as a must-do step after each guest checks out.
- Choose microfiber cloths over sponges: Microfiber lifts grease effectively without smearing it around.
Daily degreasing doesn’t mean deep-cleaning every day—it means tackling grease at the surface level consistently, so it never becomes a problem.
Strategy 2: Harness the Power of Heat for Stubborn Grime
Even with daily attention, some grease inevitably hardens into stubborn grime. Oven interiors, extractor fans, and behind appliances are common culprits. The secret weapon? Heat. Applying heat loosens grease and makes it much easier to wipe away.
How to apply this strategy:
- Steam cleaning: Use a handheld steam cleaner to blast greasy surfaces. Steam melts grease without harsh chemicals and sanitizes at the same time.
- Boiling water method: For small items like filters, remove them and soak in boiling water mixed with dish soap. After 20 minutes, grime lifts right off.
- Oven heat method: Warm the oven slightly (not hot enough to burn) before applying a cleaning paste. The mild heat helps break down stuck-on grease.
- Hot microfiber wipe: Dip a microfiber cloth in hot, soapy water and press it against greasy areas for a few seconds before wiping—this helps dissolve the layer.
Heat is a host’s best friend because it does much of the work, saving time and effort. This method is especially helpful during fast turnovers when every minute counts.
Strategy 3: Create a Grime-Free Zone with Protective Barriers
One of the smartest ways to eliminate grease is to stop it from sticking in the first place. Protective barriers can drastically reduce how much grime accumulates in the kitchen. Think of it as prevention rather than cure.
How to apply this strategy:
- Use splatter screens: Place them over frying pans to stop oil from coating walls, stovetops, and counters.
- Install washable backsplashes: Glass, stainless steel, or removable tile stickers are easier to wipe down than porous surfaces like painted walls.
- Line cabinets and drawers: Shelf liners protect from crumbs, oil stains, and sauce spills. Replace them regularly.
- Oil-resistant sprays: Certain sprays create a thin protective layer that repels grease, making cleanup much faster.
- Appliance covers: For microwaves and toasters, removable covers keep grime off surfaces when not in use.
Guests won’t notice these preventative measures, but they will notice the results: a fresher, cleaner kitchen that feels brand new.
Strategy 4: Don’t Ignore the Hidden Grease Traps
One mistake many hosts make is focusing only on visible surfaces. The reality is that grease loves to hide in overlooked spots. Over time, these areas create odors and make the entire kitchen feel grimy, even if the counters shine.
Common hidden grease traps include:
- Extractor fans and filters: These collect huge amounts of oil particles and need monthly cleaning.
- Cabinet tops and undersides: Oil mist rises and settles on high cabinets.
- Behind and under appliances: Pull out the fridge, oven, and microwave occasionally—guests sometimes drop food that adds to the grime.
- Light fixtures: Grease floats upward and clings to bulbs and shades.
- Sink drains: Oils poured down the sink stick inside pipes, causing clogs and smells.
How to apply this strategy:
- Build a checklist for cleaners that specifically includes these spots.
- Use degreasers and hot water flushes for drains.
- Schedule deep cleans (monthly or quarterly) where you or your team move appliances and clean thoroughly.
This strategy ensures your kitchen doesn’t just look clean—it smells and feels hygienic too.
Strategy 5: Build Guest-Friendly Cleaning Systems
As much as you or your cleaners do, guests play a big role in whether grease and grime accumulate. The smartest hosts design kitchens that encourage guests to keep things tidy. It’s not about policing them—it’s about making it easy and natural for them to clean as they go.
How to apply this strategy:
- Provide quality cleaning supplies: Stock microfiber cloths, dish soap, paper towels, and all-purpose cleaner where guests can easily see them.
- Label supplies: A small note like “Use me for counters” helps guests know what to use.
- Clear instructions in the welcome guide: Politely remind guests to wipe down cooking surfaces after use.
- Non-stick cookware and easy-clean utensils: The less food sticks, the less grease is left behind.
- Dishwasher or drying racks: Guests are more likely to wash dishes promptly if you make it convenient.
When guests feel empowered to maintain the space, your cleaners face less work, and your kitchen consistently shines.
Bringing It All Together
Eliminating grease and grime in an Airbnb kitchen isn’t about one magical product or one-time effort. It’s about a system—combining daily habits, powerful cleaning methods, preventative measures, attention to hidden spots, and smart guest engagement. Each of the five strategies we’ve covered works on its own, but together they form a powerhouse approach that guarantees results.
Imagine this: Guests walk into your Airbnb, open the cupboards, peek inside the oven, glance at the stovetop, and find everything spotless. The counters shine, there are no sticky handles, no strange smells, and no oily film on surfaces. What impression does that leave? That you’re a host who cares. That your property is well-maintained. That staying there is safe, comfortable, and worth recommending. And in today’s competitive short-term rental market, that impression translates directly into 5-star reviews, repeat bookings, and higher earnings.
Grease and grime might seem like small details, but in hospitality, details are everything. By implementing these proven strategies, you can turn your kitchen from a potential problem area into a shining example of cleanliness and care. And the best part? Once these systems are in place, maintenance becomes easier, faster, and less stressful.
So, the next time you prepare your Airbnb for a guest, remember: a spotless kitchen isn’t just about cleaning—it’s about creating trust, delight, and loyalty. And when your kitchen gleams, your hosting reputation shines just as brightly.