We Asked Hotel Housekeepers for Their Best Cleaning Secrets—Here’s What They Said

Air Out the Room First

One of the fastest ways to reset a room is to open the windows or doors and let in fresh air. Multiple hotel housekeeping professionals say this is always the first step because it instantly clears out lingering odors and helps the scent of cleaning products dissipate. Gresa Ramocaj, executive housekeeper at Andaz 5th Avenue, says it naturally refreshes the space without relying on heavy sprays.

“That fresh-air-first approach doesn’t just improve how a room smells—it also changes how it feels. You want to create an arrival experience so welcoming that guests feel as though they’re stepping into a brand-new room,” she says. Melvin Aragon, head of housekeeping at Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa, adds, “This natural ventilation clears any residual energy from the previous stay and restores a sense of lightness and balance that guests feel immediately.”

Refresh the Entryway

Sometimes the fastest way to make a home feel clean is to focus on the area guests see right away. Luis Rodriguez, executive housekeeper at Wave Resort, says his team never skips cleaning the entryway floor and walls, using a nicely scented cleaner so guests immediately walk into a fresh, clean smell. “The entryway floor and walls are the first things a guest sees when they walk in, making an instant impression and setting the tone right away,” he says. “The goal is to make the room feel pristine from the moment the door opens.”

Perfect the Bed

A tightly made bed with smooth, wrinkle-free linens, crisp corners, and neatly aligned pillows instantly makes the entire room feel cleaner, calmer, and guest-ready. “I always start with the bed. It’s the largest element in the room and the first thing your eye goes to, so if it’s not perfect, nothing else will feel right,” says Anais Aouchiche, housekeeping manager at Royal Champagne.

Jose Flores, director of housekeeping at The Ritz-Carlton, Denver, says he lightly mists the top layer of the linens with water after the bed is fully made to add just enough moisture for a smoother final stretch and tuck. “This technique helps the sheets dry into a crisp, tailored finish and creates an immediate first impression that makes the whole room feel more elevated,” he says.

Wipe Down Every Surface

Cleared-off, well-wiped surfaces can make an entire room look more put-together in minutes. Angelique Schutz, executive housekeeper at Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa, says wiping down every visible surface—including nightstands, counters, and tables—is a step she never skips as it instantly makes a room feel more refreshed and cared for.

And if you want a room to feel instantly more polished, don’t just clean around the clutter; remove it first. “The best way is to remove everything and use a slightly damp microfiber towel to wipe, followed by a dry pass to remove any streaks,” says Nicola Gambardella, executive housekeeper at Pazziella, A Luxury Collection in Capri. “When these surfaces are clean, the light reflects better, making the entire room look brighter, not just ‘tidied.’ This also makes the room feel more intentionally arranged.”

Dust From Top to Bottom

A room will never look fully clean if dust is still settling onto surfaces you’ve already wiped. Polina Bulatetskaya, fleet housekeeping manager at Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, says a methodical top-to-bottom, clockwise routine helps ensure nothing gets missed. Start with higher surfaces, such as ceiling fans, shelves, headboards, and lamps, then work your way down to nightstands, baseboards, and floors. That way, anything that falls gets picked up at the end instead of forcing you to double back. Sarai Soto of The Ranch at Laguna Beach adds that following the same cleaning sequence every time helps ensure each room feels equally organized, sanitary, and intentionally prepared.

Let Bathroom Cleaners Sit Before Scrubbing

One of the easiest ways to make bathroom cleaning more effective is to give your products time to sit before you scrub. Kelly Lenderink, executive housekeeper at The Inverness Denver, says she sprays all bathroom surfaces first, then lets the cleaner sit for about three minutes to disinfect and loosen grime before scrubbing and rinsing with hot water. While the product is working, she moves on to the bedroom so no time is wasted, then returns to wipe down and dry the bathroom. The short pause helps the cleaner break down soap scum, residue, and odors more effectively, while requiring less scrubbing and saving time.

Polish Surfaces

A room feels more elevated when the finishing touches go beyond basic cleaning. Audrey Goh, executive housekeeper at Halekulani, says one step she never skips is a meticulous final polish. “Every surface is not simply cleaned, but polished,” she says, adding that she uses microfiber cloths for sanitizing and rags for polishing to prevent cross-contamination. That extra step helps remove streaks, smudges, and dullness, especially on surfaces that catch the light.

Eyuel Tafesse, room operations manager at The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City, finishes by lightly buffing cabinets, desks, and drawers to create a soft sheen, often using a polish with a subtle lemon scent that makes the room feel warmer. “The gentle lemon essence creates an inviting first impression, while the soft gloss enhances the room’s visual warmth.”

Sanitize High-Touch Surfaces

Never skip sanitizing high-touch surfaces, such as remotes, door handles, light switches, lamps, and phones, because they’re the places guests notice first, says Luis Ascencio, housekeeping manager at Clayton Hotel & Members Club. Wiping these areas down not only helps reduce the transmission of bacteria and viruses but also ensures every surface feels as clean as it looks. Use a disinfecting wipe or lightly dampen a microfiber cloth instead of spraying electronics directly.

Stage the Room

A room feels cleaner when everything is intentionally positioned. Dawn Mubita, director of housekeeping at Kimpton EPIC Hotel, says she always aligns décor with the room’s natural lines—including pillows, towels, trays, notepads, and furniture—as symmetry gives the illusion of organization and crispness. “A polished, balanced look signals care and attention to detail, which instantly makes the whole room read as cleaner,” she shares.

Wendy Engelbrecht, an executive housekeeper for Seabourn Cruises, agrees that those small finishing details matter, pointing to fluffed pillows, aligned lampshades, neatly stacked towels, folded toilet paper, orderly closet hangers, and fingerprint-free surfaces as the kinds of touches that make a room feel especially polished.

Wipe Glass and Mirrors Until They Sparkle

If you want a room to look brighter in minutes, focus on reflective surfaces and don’t be afraid to give them a second pass. Tammy Caballes, housekeeping manager at Hotel Nia, says crystal-clear mirrors, shower doors, and tabletops instantly make a room feel cleaner and newer. “I mix a grease-cutting cleanser, usually Dawn dish soap, with a glass cleaner and warm water, and use it on mirrors, shower doors, and other glossy surfaces,” she says.

Spritz the Room with a Signature Scent

If you want a room to smell clean and welcoming, finish with a light, subtle fragrance, not a heavy air freshener. “If something smells off, you will assume it’s dirty. If it smells fresh, it helps you relax,” says Lenderink.

Subtle fragrance can be the finishing touch that makes a room feel memorable, not just clean. Genny Marconcini, housekeeping manager at the Grand Hotel Victoria, says a delicate spray of the hotel’s signature scent—with notes of lemon, lotus flower, and sweet fig—during final inspection creates an immediate sense of comfort. “It’s the first sensation that welcomes guests as they enter the room. It’s never overpowering, and it immediately conveys a sense of well-being,” she says.

Check Behind and Under Furniture

If you want a room to feel truly clean, not just surface-level tidy, don’t skip the hidden areas. Laticia Hudson-Burns, assistant housekeeping manager at Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa, notes that one of the most common cleaning habits is neglecting underneath and behind furniture, where dust, hair, and debris accumulate. A quick vacuum under chairs or a wipe behind the TV can make the whole room feel more thoroughly clean. A vacuum with a crevice tool is ideal for corners, edges, and baseboards, while a flat microfiber duster or slim dust wand can reach behind TVs, headboards, and dressers without you having to move furniture.

Observe the Room With Fresh Eyes

One of the smartest housekeeping habits to use at home is doing a final visual sweep after you finish cleaning. Ashley Simpson, rooms director for Royal Palms Resort and Spa, says she always closes the door and re-enters the room to see it as a guest would. That fresh perspective helps her assess whether the room feels inviting, smells fresh, and looks clean but effortless. Caballes takes a similar approach with what she calls a final “reset” of the details that catch the eye first—straightening towels and curtains, closing drawers, and giving mirrors and shower doors one last wipe so the room feels calm, polished, and guest-ready.