Lake House and Weekend Rental Cleaning: What’s Different

That Cleaning Girl · Airbnb & Rental Turnovers

Lake houses and weekend getaways are some of the busiest short-term rentals in North Texas. They also come with their own kind of mess. Big groups, wet swimsuits, sandy feet and coolers full of melted ice all land on the turnover. Since so much of a lake stay happens outside, read Cleaning Hot Tub Areas and Patios at a Short-Term Rental alongside this guide.

Here is what we plan for when we turn over lake and weekend rentals around Ellis County and the south DFW area.

Bigger groups, bigger turnovers

Lake houses often sleep a lot of people. Bunk rooms, sofa beds, air mattresses and trundles all get used. That means more beds to strip, more towels to wash and more bathrooms to scrub than a typical rental of the same size.

Check every sleeping spot, even the ones you think nobody used. Kids pull out trundles and sleep on couches. If a bed was slept in, it needs fresh sheets, no matter what the booking said.

Towels everywhere

Lake guests go through towels fast. Bath towels end up at the dock, beach towels end up in the bedrooms, and wet towels end up in piles that start to smell by the next morning. A lake rental turnover needs:

• A separate set of beach or lake towels, ideally a different color from your bath towels
• A clearly labeled spot for used towels, like a basket or bin
• Extra laundry time, or a larger washer and dryer if you can swing it
• A check of every room, the porch and the boat for stray towels

Wet towels left in a pile can mildew quickly in Texas heat. Get them in the wash first.

Sand, mud and lake water

Whether it is sand from the shore or mud from the bank, lake dirt gets everywhere. Expect it in:

• The entry and the back door
• Shower floors and tub drains
• Bedroom floors and under the beds
• Couch cushions and the car-side of the driveway
• Washing machine drums, after guests wash swimsuits

Vacuum before you mop, or you will just push sand around. Clean out the shower drains, which catch a lot of grit. A hose or an outdoor shower near the back door saves a lot of indoor cleaning if your property has room for one.

The kitchen after a big weekend

Weekend groups cook a lot: big breakfasts, grilled dinners and plenty of snacks. Expect more dishes, a fuller fridge and coolers that need emptying and drying out. Check the freezer for forgotten ice bags and the pantry for opened chips. Empty the outdoor trash and the recycling, which fill up fast with cans and bottles.

Ask your host what to do with leftover drinks and unopened food. Some hosts leave sealed items for the next guest. Others want everything gone.

Docks, boats and outdoor gear

Some lake rentals include a dock, kayaks, life jackets or a boat. Cleaning those is usually a separate arrangement, but a turnover can include a quick look:

• Sweep the dock and pick up trash
• Hang life jackets to dry and count them
• Check that kayaks, paddles and floats are back where they belong
• Note anything damaged or missing for the host

Anything involving the boat itself or water equipment is best handled by the owner or a marine service.

Bugs and critters

Lake houses sit near water, which means more spiders, wasps, mosquitoes and the occasional mouse. A turnover can keep this under control on the cleaning side: sweep cobwebs from porches, eaves and window corners, wipe up crumbs and keep food sealed. If you see signs of pests, like droppings, nests or a lot of dead bugs, we tell the host so they can call pest control.

Planning around busy weekends

Lake rentals tend to book Friday to Sunday, which can mean a Sunday turnover with another group arriving the same afternoon. Plan for it:

• Keep three full linen sets per bed for back-to-back weekends
• Book your cleaner for the season ahead of time
• Leave a longer gap on holiday weekends, when groups are bigger
• Schedule a deep clean between the busy summer season and the slower fall

Plan more time, not less

Lake and weekend rentals reward hosts who plan generously: more towels, more time and clear spots for guests to put things. A few extra minutes in the schedule keeps a busy summer running smoothly. For how we handle turnovers at all kinds of rentals, see our Airbnb and vacation rental cleaning page.