If you are an Airbnb host, you don't want to be just any host. You want to become a superhost, and to do that you must provide the best lodging and accommodations possible. Better accommodations mean better reviews, and better reviews mean better income for you. Then you can invest in your accommodations, and so the cycle continues for the benefit of all. (At least your guests and yourself)

Keeping your lodgings clean is key to this, and a big part of being a good Airbnb host. As you can see in this video, presented by actual Airbnb hosts, this can get a bit involved. Even more so if you really want to provide top-quality accommodations.

If you can keep on top of everything in your professional life, taking care of your lodgings, clean for yourself and your varied guests, you deserve to be commended. However, most people find it difficult to keep track of everything they need to clean when it's just them alone they're cleaning for.

Hiring a cleaning service for Airbnb can and will help you juggle everything. There are just a few things to keep in mind before you do so, and before you go about trying to improve your reviews and ranking as a host.

Get a fresh set of eyes to spot things you can't.

If we are honest with ourselves, we become used to and excuse a lot of flaws in our home. Familiarity numbs us to the little messes. You don't really notice your carpet darkening day by day. So what if there's a little scum in the shower? It simply isn't a problem for you—and so you don't notice it.

Your guests will.

Get a pair of fresh eyes. It doesn't have to be a professional from a cleaning company, though there are benefits to that. Simply having a friend, who can be frank with you, over to point out a few things here and there will work wonderfully.

Schedule: Make it automatic, make it easy.

You may have a lot on your plate—it's understandable! You have your hands full with managing bookings and being a courteous host, as well as whatever else you do in your personal and professional life—having to make time to arrange cleaning after every guest will get annoying quick.

Simply figuring out a schedule for an Airbnb cleaning service to come through will be, if not necessary, then certainly wise. When you pick out a company, be sure to pick one that allows you to have a regular schedule. Regular cleanings are best, allowing you to provide a consistently positive experience, and keep on top of things.

A large part of this is keeping abreast of what needs to be stocked.

Stay stocked: Having an item for every need.

If you were in a hotel, wouldn't you be annoyed if you had to go out of your way to request one of those little bars of soap? Would you be happy with their service if you found out too late there was no toilet paper stocked?

This isn't something typically done during most standard Airbnb cleaning services; if it is, it comes with an extra charge, one that you as a host have no reason to deal with. Keeping a small checklist of what needs to be stocked to keep your guests happy, and then stocking it, is a rule that you will quickly pick up as a host. It's also a very simple chore that can be done in a few minutes prior to any errand you were already going to run.

Does your guest have access to fresh towels? How about soaps and other toiletries? These things are obvious to think of, but what about umbrellas for rainy days, or perhaps a tourist map? A surefire way of getting a glowing review is providing the little things that your guest may have forgotten.

Keeping track of your living spaces will keep your guests happy!

Living space is more welcoming than a plain rented space.

To clarify: Airbnb offers a more homey, welcoming and casual atmosphere than a hotel can provide. Many guests particularly enjoy having access to a kitchen and various living areas, which is where you may need to focus attention. Are your kitchen appliances spot free? Are your couches crumb and pet-hair free? Are your bathrooms in good order? We are accustomed to dusting shelves and vacuuming entryways for guests, hosts sometimes forget to focus on the areas used most by people actually living in the space.

And remember—in a home, if it gets used, it will generally require maintenance.

Maintain proper maintenance!

As a host, you should keep an eye out for wear-and-tear, and anything that might need maintenance, whether as a result of more constant use or from a simple accident. A vase may get knocked over, maybe a faucet becomes leaky from use, maybe a door bangs against a wall and leaves a mark, or perhaps finish or lacquer on a banister gets worn down. You have more people in your property, so more things are going to go wrong sooner or later. Simply keep an eye out for things that fail or get broken. Your profits ought to more than cover this.

It's sad to say, but some Airbnb guests may not have the same investment in keeping your home pristine as yourself. Be prepared to perform extra maintenance, than you otherwise might not have had to do. You have more foot-traffic now.

Deep clean: Take some time to be thorough in your cleaning.

And with greater foot-traffic, comes more messes and more frequent cleanings. You already are taking care of keeping your lodgings safe and clean, as evidenced by reading this article, but you will want to perform a deep clean, beyond regular cleanings. This shouldn't be done too often, regular cleaning will keep your lodge in proper order, but at least once a year you should have a professional come through and really go to work on your lodgings.

A simple search for companies in your area that specialize in deep cleanings can point you in the right direction. You only have to do this once or twice a year, so take your time and shop around!

Communication is key for happy hosts and happy guests!

This is placed last for its importance. A guest that doesn't feel like they can trust you may even feel tempted to hide the damage they've done. The problem may get worse as time goes by, and may prompt negative reviews from guests who come later—all while you were unaware there was a problem in the first place!

Communication—as in any business or exchange—is key. Just keep 'the door open' and let them know that they can contact you concerning anything they need, or any issues that may come up. From welcoming them, checking on them regularly, keeping them stocked on toiletries, to taking care of any issues or damages that may occur, this is what will elevate you to a top-rated host.

Keeping an Airbnb lodge in good order is simple to grasp. Get an outsider's opinion, schedule regular and deep cleanings, keep stocked on amenities, keep focused on problem areas for maintenance, and communicate with your guests.

This doesn't have to be a major refurbishing or overhaul of your home, and it doesn't have to be a big event that will take over an entire week of effort. Simply take things one step at a time. It can even be as simple as inviting an honest friend to come over one afternoon and point out a few things that could be cleaned or improved in some way. Simply pick out one or two things from the list that jump out at you. . . and simply do it! Then take the next step. . . and before long, your Airbnb lodgings will be top quality and you will reach the coveted superhost status.