How do you control or treat odors between STR guests for quick turnovers?

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How do you control or treat odors between STR guests for quick turnovers?

Dee Bral
Member since 2021 · 16 posts · 9 votes

I am about to start an Air BnB and am concerned about smells between guests, especially if they smoke or bring pets w/them. I'm considering getting an air purifier or ozone generator that can quickly clean the air, especially w/Covid and cleanliness concerns. One product I was looking at is an Afloia Air Purifier for Home and Large Rooms Up to 1075 sqft w/Smart APP & Voice Control h13 HEPA Air Purifiers. If anyone can share their experiences, I'd really appreciate it as this is new territory for me.


Thanks in advance! 


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Michael BaumPro Member
Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
3y

Yeah...just don't allow smoking anywhere on the premises.

We have never had an issue with smells between guests. We do have some small sachets here and there hidden that absorb smells. I replace them a couple of times a year. They are cheap and provide a light, breezy, fragrance throughout the house.

Otherwise we just clean, clean, clean and the house smells great! And we allow dogs.

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  • Brett Deas
    CO · Member since 2022 · 588 posts · 426 votes
    3y

    Well I saw somebody throw an air freshener in the furnace filter once, seemed to work quickly LOL! Some of the ways we clean the air (we allow pets so we have weird smells all the time) is to have an air freshener on the property full-time. We ask the tenants beforehand if that is a problem and if so we can switch out the scent or style before they arrive. Another thing is use is an air freshening system that we can use remotely, same access sort of deal with out thermostat. 

    1Reply
  • Luke CarlPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Tennessee Florida · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    3y

    I would just do a better job at making it clear you don't allow smoking or pets. No big deal.

    Podcast Guest on Show From Surviving on $30/Day to 30+ Properties Thanks to Blue-Collar Skills
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  • Chris Henry
    Savannah, GA · Member since 2022 · 34 posts · 14 votes
    3y

    I've heard you can run an ozone machine near the AC return and have the fan circulate it. Maybe there's a setup where your cleaner can set the ozone to run for an hour and kick the fan on on their way out.

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  • Michael BaumPro Member
    Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    3y

    Yeah...just don't allow smoking anywhere on the premises.

    We have never had an issue with smells between guests. We do have some small sachets here and there hidden that absorb smells. I replace them a couple of times a year. They are cheap and provide a light, breezy, fragrance throughout the house.

    Otherwise we just clean, clean, clean and the house smells great! And we allow dogs.

    3Reply
  • Lisa Graesser
    Rental Property Investor · The Villages, FL · Member since 2017 · 341 posts · 398 votes
    3y

    I have an ozone machine at each house for the cleaner to use if needed. Our homes are "Non-smoking" but I have had a couple of guests depart with the house smelling of smoke. We do allow dogs and have had one guest that the cleaners said the house smelled of wet dog. The cleaners will run the ozone for about an hour after they have finished the cleaning and it eliminates the smell. You just have to air out the house for a little while after you run the ozone, to remove the chemical smell of the ozone machine.https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...

    2Reply
  • John UnderwoodPro Member
    Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    3y

    Our cleaners just use Fabreze. Never had an issue.

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  • Courtney Nguyen
    Spring, TX · Member since 2017 · 138 posts · 44 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Lisa Graesser:

    I have an ozone machine at each house for the cleaner to use if needed. Our homes are "Non-smoking" but I have had a couple of guests depart with the house smelling of smoke. We do allow dogs and have had one guest that the cleaners said the house smelled of wet dog. The cleaners will run the ozone for about an hour after they have finished the cleaning and it eliminates the smell. You just have to air out the house for a little while after you run the ozone, to remove the chemical smell of the ozone machine.https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...

     @Lisa Graesser I am having the same issue at 1 rental right now.  There is pet smell in master bedroom and front door entrance, not too strong but it's there.  We replaced the carpet in master bedroom already with vinyl but it still has a light smell.  So you are saying we only need to run the ozone generator for only 1 hour and that should do it?

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  • JJ WilliamsPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · St. Louis, MO · Member since 2022 · 23 posts · 7 votes
    3y

    My wife and I took over a group of STRs that were stinky. We had great luck wiping down all surfaces and mopping with a mix of Fabuloso and bleach. We also use the Febreze plug ins.

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  • Lisa Graesser
    Rental Property Investor · The Villages, FL · Member since 2017 · 341 posts · 398 votes
    3y

    @Courtney Nguyen The cleaners cleaned all the linens, floors, carpets and still had that lingering dog smell, after they ran the ozone for an hour and then opened the window s for a little while, the smell was eliminated .

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  • Courtney Nguyen
    Spring, TX · Member since 2017 · 138 posts · 44 votes
    3y

    @Lisa Graesser thanks for the quick response.  I really appreciate it!  Will buy that ozone generator and give it a try.  

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  • January Johnson
    Real Estate Agent · Emerald Coast, FL · Member since 2016 · 820 posts · 486 votes
    3y

    Burning a stick of incense also works well.

    1Reply
  • Lauren Kormylo
    Rental Property Investor · Phoenix, AZ and Rehoboth Beach DE · Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    3y

     Try wiping down the walls, door trim, and baseboards in those specific areas.  The dogs may have rubbed up against them, or flung slobber.  

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  • Eliott Elias
    Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2021 · 9k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    3y

    It is mandatory you have a no smoking policy, and if the guests smoke take it up with airbnb and they will compensate you for damage. 

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  • Courtney Nguyen
    Spring, TX · Member since 2017 · 138 posts · 44 votes
    3y

    @Lauren Kormylo I told the cleaning lady to wipe the walls in master bed with bleach, and next day I came the smell was gone.  But I then smelled it at front entrance so I asked her to come back and wipe the walls at entrance and she did.  I came a few days later and the smell comes back in master and front  still smells.  Not sure if she wipes door trim and baseboard.  But I agree with you it must be on walls, baseboards or something.  Because we have titles at entrance, and already replaced carpet in master (but it still smells).

    1Reply
  • Courtney Nguyen
    Spring, TX · Member since 2017 · 138 posts · 44 votes
    3y

    @January Johnson you mean those traditional incense sticks that us Asians use?

    0Reply
  • Andreas W.
    Durham, NC · Member since 2013 · 502 posts · 215 votes
    3y

    @Courtney Nguyen

    Be careful with ozone. It can be a danger to your guest's health. There is a reason why the public gets alerted when ozone levels in the air are high in summer. The ozone concentration in an apartment can be much higher when running an ozone generator.

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  • Courtney Nguyen
    Spring, TX · Member since 2017 · 138 posts · 44 votes
    3y

    @Andreas W. yes, that's why I am still debating.  I am still dealing with side effects from Covid vaccine, I certainly don't want anyone getting sick from anything.  Thanks for chiming in.  At this point I think I will go with painting the areas.

    0Reply
  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    3y

    Ozone generators work magic for certain odors, but not for all.

    The ozone machine doesn't make people sick like the flu or COVID. It irritates the lungs, throat, and eyes. I ran an ozone machine for 12 hours in a two-bedroom apartment. Contractor forgot about it and went in to measure carpet. He was there for 15 minutes and had a bad cough for the rest of the day. You just have to ensure there's room to air the home out for 15-20 minutes after each treatment. 

    Here's the one I use:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...

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  • John Carbone
    Realtor · Gatlinburg · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 957 votes
    3y

    The biggest problems I’ve had is the kitchen smelling horrible after a family makes a large breakfast shortly before checkout. Open up the windows blow an industrial fan with some febreeze has worked so far, but it takes a few hours. 

    1Reply
  • Jay ThomasPro Member
    Real Estate Agent · Houston, TX · Member since 2021 · 1k+ posts · 715 votes
    3y

    As a Real Estate agent, I can tell you that Fabreze is a great choice for keeping your place smelling fresh. We've never had any issues with it and it's been a reliable product for us. Highly recommend!

    [email protected]832-889-5607
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  • Lyndsay Zwirlein
    Lender · Member since 2020 · 331 posts · 209 votes
    3y

    We are dealing with this right now! In walk through of buying our newest STR, it didn't smell like smoke. But now that we're here it is obvious the previous owners smoked, so we are working hard to remove it before guests start coming. ozone machine and an HVAC diffuser that is installed in your HVAC have worked great and can be used in between guests as well.

    0Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    3y

    #1 rule is  - don't allow immediate bookings. Put a day or two buffer period between guests.

    We only had an issue once, when someone cooked Indian (I think) food before they left...really strong curry and etc smell. Couldn't get rid of it for a day or two. Lots of Febreze, windows opened and fans worked finally. Put up a notice asking no spicy food cooking...!

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  • Brooklyn McCarty
    Investor · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 754 votes
    3y

    Ozone typically gets the job done 

    0Reply
  • January Johnson
    Real Estate Agent · Emerald Coast, FL · Member since 2016 · 820 posts · 486 votes
    3y

    If using Febreeze, spray the curtains and upholstered furniture as well.  You also might want to steam-clean the furniture.

    0Reply
  • Michael BaumPro Member
    Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    3y

    Ya know, L.A.'s Awesome fabric deodorizer is their version of Febreeze. I get it at the Dollar Tree and it works just as well for much less.

    Also, their carpet spot cleaner is better than just about anything else.

    1Reply
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