Cleaning tips for holiday home swaps during COVID-19

Home swapping has always helped Home Base Holidays members step away from the busy tourist trail and enjoy the space, comforts and safety of a home from home. As the world starts to slowly reopen for travel, many of us will be wondering what steps we need to take prior to a swap. To help make sure your home exchange guests are safe while staying in your home, we’ve compiled these cleaning guidelines.

Tips for cleaning

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces after each home swap stay. If you hire a cleaner between stays, make sure that they follow the cleaning guidelines. We recommend using both regular household cleaners plus an antibacterial spray / wipes.

Examples of frequently touched surfaces:

Keys
Key lockbox
Light switches
Door handles
Staircase handrails
Wardrobe and cabinet handles
Kitchen surfaces, appliances, and cupboard handles
Bathroom surfaces
Toilet flush
Thermostats
Alarm system controls
Washer / dryer handles and controls
Window latches and handles
Home swap welcome pack

Download our full cleaning checklist (PDF)

Other household surfaces:

Use regular household cleaners on floors and other less frequently touched surfaces. We recommend wearing disposable gloves when handling dirty laundry and discard after each use. Wash bedding and towels using the warmest setting. Make sure to empty the vacuum cleaner after each use and then disinfect the surface of the vacuum cleaner.

Tips for disinfecting

Most common household cleaners / disinfectants should be effective. Make sure to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before and after cleaning or use a hand sanitizer (that is at least 60% alcohol based).

Tips to help your guests

Think about stocking up on certain items to make sure that your home swap guests feel that you have gone the extra mile to make them safe during their stay.

Items for your guest’s safety:

Hand sanitizer
Handwash / soap
Antibacterial wipes
Disposable gloves
Facemasks (check if your location requires that a facemask be worn on public transport and in shops, cafes and restaurants)

Transport tips for guests

If public transport use in your area is for essential journeys only, make sure that your guests are aware of this prior to their stay. Where possible, provide alternative transport options (bike hire, walking routes and taxi phone numbers).

Disclaimer

These guidelines are based on publicly available information from the World Health Organization (WHO), the UK Government’s Covid-19 guidelines (GOV.UK) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Home Base Holidays / Travel the Home Exchange Way make no guarantees of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability of these guidelines. Any reliance a member places on these guidelines is at their own risk.