Vacation rental cleaning is its own world, with faster turnover times, higher guest expectations, and tighter margins than almost any other housekeeping environment. In this industry, the right tools and cleaning products aren’t optional; they’re the backbone of consistency, safety, and operational success.
As the owner at ETI Solutions, I’ve walked thousands of floors with cleaners and operations managers around the country. I’ve seen properties where everything shines… and others where your socks turn black in 20 seconds (“blackfoot”). I’ve watched teams struggle with recurring stains, greasy floors, the wrong dilution ratios, and chemical build-up that silently destroys guest experience.
The good news? The right chemistry + the right workflow = fewer headaches, faster turns, and happier guests.
Here are the top 10 cleaning products every vacation rental cleaner should carry, plus how Breezeway workflows can help your team use them consistently and safely.
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Empower your housekeeping teams |
Cleaners move fast. They need a safe, reliable “grab-and-go” product that won’t damage surfaces or leave residue that causes stickiness and long-term build-up.
Drop-N-Go Glass & Hard Surface Cleaner
A neutral pH hard surface cleaner is safe on most surfaces, like counters, walls, tables, doors, appliances, cabinets, and high-touch areas.
How to use it:
Showers and bathrooms vary between every property, from fiberglass and tile to glass and acrylic. A product made for bathroom soils prevents wasted time and avoids “scrub fatigue.”
Breaks down soap scum, body oils, hard water, and biofilms while providing safer chemistry.
How to use it:
Guests judge cleanliness by kitchens first. It’s important to ensure that high impact visuals like refrigerator doors, appliances, counters, and entryways are always stainless.
Drop-N-Go Multi-Purpose & Degreaser Cleaner
Removes smudges, fingerprints, water spots, and streaks.
How to use it:
Grime buildup on the floor is one of the top 3 pain points in vacation rentals. Cleaning this with the wrong products (especially dish soap or pine oil cleaners) lead to:
Drop-N-Go Tile, Grout & Bathroom Cleaner, Drop-N-Go Mopping System
A low-residue, rinse-free floor solution that cuts grease, product residue, and sticky films. Mopping System is precise chemistry, dilution and delivery method.
Pro tips:
Short-term rentals often sit vacant between guests leaving more time for water to dry, minerals to harden, and surfaces to stain faster than in a primary home.
Drop-N-Go Tile, Grout & Bathroom Cleaner, Polishing Cleanser
Removes hard water stains, rust, mineral deposits, and toilet rings.
Pro tips:
A clean home that smells bad still feels dirty.
Kem-Zyme breaks down odor-causing bacteria instead of masking them. It targets odors from pets, food, spills, soft goods, and organic materials.
Pro tips:
Laundry stains are one of the rental industry’s biggest pain points. Once dried, most stains are set permanently.
Kem-Zyme Pre-Soak Method
Breaks down protein and organic stains like blood, sweat, food, makeup, and urine.
How to use it:
Use an overnight soak tank:
This restores linens and reduces replacement costs.
Paper towels waste money and leave lint. Old rags push soil instead of removing it.
ETI Microfiber Kit / Drop-N-Go Mop Pads
Microfiber removes more soil with fewer chemicals and reduces cross-contamination.
Pro tip:
Using the wrong dilution in cleaning products is one of the industry's costliest cleaning mistakes:
Drop-N-Go Cartridges + Dispenser
A locked, measured, refillable cartridge system that prevents overuse and protects cleaners from chemical exposure.
Pro tip:
Safety isn’t optional. Mixing chemicals without training leads to:
ETI PPE Essentials + Dilution Control Tools
Gloves, labels, goggles, SDS sheets, dilution guides — all the things cleaners rarely talk about but absolutely need.
Pro tip:
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Empower your housekeeping teams |
When vacation rental cleaners carry the right products and use them correctly, the entire operation benefits, resulting in:
The combination of smart chemistry + strong workflow + cleaner education is what elevates a home from “clean enough” to truly exceptional.
ETI Solutions is a cleaning chemical manufacturer and operational consulting company serving vacation rental and hospitality teams across the U.S. We created Drop-N-Go, the industry’s first sustainable refillable cleaning program designed specifically for short-term rental operations. Our focus goes beyond chemistry — we train teams, build processes, eliminate waste, and help companies deliver cleaner, safer, and more consistent guest experiences.
Sean Kemper, founder of ETI Solutions, is a leading educator in the vacation rental industry, serving on the VRHP/VRMA leadership teams and co-chairing the 2025 Foundations Conference in Destin, FL. Through consulting, training, and safer chemistry, ETI Solutions helps teams clean smarter, not harder.