6 Cleaning Tips From Professional Hotel Cleaners

If you’re looking to kick your cleaning routine up a notch, you can get hacks from friends, YouTube videos, TikTok clips, or other online resources. There's an abundance of great cleaning advice on the internet—and trust us, we've followed plenty of it. But, to really learn how to get the most efficient and effective clean, we wanted to source some tips and tricks straight from cleaning professionals recommend.

So, we asked professional hotel cleaners for their best cleaning tips that they’ve learned through their work—and which ones they stand by enough to use in their own homes. Their on-the-job experience lends itself to clever and unique advice that can help with completing chores more quickly and achieving that spotless clean finish. Read on to learn what insider tips the cleaning pros shared.

Make a crisp bed

A well-made bed can make your room more visually calm and help you prepare for a better wind-down routine in the evening. And, if you've ever wondered what the secret is to a perfectly made hotel bed, it's often all about the tucked-in corners.

“Placing a bed sheet with neat corners all around is a cleaning tip that I've also taken into my own home,” says Emilia Chevez, executive housekeeper at Cormorant Boutique Hotel in La Jolla, California. “A simple tuck-over has been utilized both in my home and while I'm at work.”

The specific trick is often referred to as hospital corners, which involve neatly folding and tucking the corners of a bed sheet or quilt, rather than just shoving them haphazardly under the mattress— as many of us tend to do. (This TikTok video provides a quick and simple tutorial of this method.) Chevez says this trick helps make your bed appear more inviting and crisp. Not to mention, the neatly tucked-in corners stay in place better, meaning you don't have to start from scratch every time you make your bed in the morning.

Reduce your use of harsh cleaning solutions

Re-think the amount of chemicals you’re utilizing to clean at home. “An over usage of chemicals is not necessary,” explains Chevez. “Everyone also believes that the more cleaning products you use, the cleaner your home or space will be, when the truth is that you only need a minimal amount.” (Mixing the wrong chemicals and cleaning products can also be dangerous.)

Chevez recommends using only two to three ounces of chemicals for cleaning and diluting the amount of cleanser by adding in water. In addition, consider less harsh cleaning solutions. “For me personally, seltzer water and baking soda have always been my best friends while cleaning,” says Chevez. “They help remove those tough stains out of sheets. I recommend to pre-soak items using these products before they are washed to help remove common stains, such as blood, grease, or from food.”

Prioritize your high-grime areas 

Your home has specific spots that are prone to grime and mildew, so create a plan to tackle those places first—and most often. “Focus on areas that are prone to visible grime and mildew, such as the bathroom, toilet, and shower,” says Diana Rodriguez-Zaba, a professional cleaner who specializes in hotel rooms in the Chicago region with ServiceMaster of Lake Shore in Chicago, Illinois. She also recommends giving close attention to corners and hard-to-reach spots where these substances tend to accumulate, like underneath toilet seats. 

Remember the small details

While tackling the grimiest areas is important for overall home hygeine, don't overlook the small tasks when cleaning your home. “Check for fingerprints or residue on frequently touched items, like light switches and doorknobs,” Rodriguez-Zaba. These minimal details can really add up in making your home appear more clean.

Also, Rodriguez-Zaba says, be sure to lift up objects like lamps and decor to check for dust accumulation underneath—and don’t forget about baseboards. “Baseboards often collect dust and dirt that can be easily overlooked during regular cleaning,” she continues. “Take a few minutes to wipe them down with a damp cloth or vacuum up any dust bunnies that have gathered around them."

Try alternatives to single-use cleaning products

To reduce your environmental footprint, consider repurposing household items for cleaning. “One unique tip is that we reuse our older pillowcases to clean our mirrors,” says Carol Pelaez, housekeeping manager at Conrad New York Midtown. “Since we've done that, we have noticed that the mirrors have never been cleaner and have no streaks or smudges as compared to using a microfiber cloth.”

Get creative to remove stubborn hair and wrinkles

If you’ve mopped your bathroom floor and there's hair left behind, Pelaez suggests using a lint roller to pick up all the remnants from the bathroom floors. In addition, if you can't get your bed sheets to look smooth, here’s a hack to help: “Keep a spray bottle with warm water on hand to lightly spray sheets to get rid of any wrinkles,” she says. “In home, I always use the spray bottle technique to make sure my duvet cover and sheets look as crispy as they do in the hotel rooms I service.”