What should property management cleaning services include?

CDC bleach-cleaning figures and their conditions

Download this table: CSV or JSON.

What should rental property cleaning services cover on high-touch surfaces?

CDC names the cleaning targets: “Clean high-touch surfaces (for example, light switches, doorknobs, and countertops) regularly and after you have visitors in your home. Clean other surfaces in your home when they are visibly dirty or as needed. Clean them more often if people in your household are more likely to get sick, such as young children and people with weakened immune systems. You may also choose to disinfect. Clean surfaces using a product suitable for each surface, following instructions on the product label.” (CDC — When and How to Clean and Disinfect Your Home) Read 2026-11-06.

For a rental cleaning request, list light switches, doorknobs and countertops by room rather than leaving high-touch cleaning inside an undefined deep-clean package. Ask the cleaning bidder which of those surfaces the proposed visit includes and what surface-compatible products will be used. Photograph dirt or residue that makes a particular cleaning task different from the rest of the unit.

CDC distinguishes regularly cleaning high-touch surfaces from cleaning other surfaces when visibly dirty or as needed. A rental manager can use that distinction to separate recurring touch-point cleaning from an additional pass over visibly dirty surfaces. Keep those cleaning tasks visible in the proposal, so an omitted countertop or door handle is identifiable before comparing the bids.

Describe the rental’s light-switch, doorknob and countertop cleaning on InstaBids to compare bids on that scope.

How should a rental cleaning bid separate hard and soft surfaces?

For hard-surface cleaning, CDC states: “Clean surfaces with soap and water or with cleaning products appropriate for use on the surface.” (CDC — When and How to Clean and Disinfect Your Home) Read 2026-11-06.

Hard floors and counters need a different cleaning description from carpet, rugs and drapes. CDC identifies soap and water or surface-appropriate cleaners for hard surfaces; its soft-surface guidance separately names compatible products, laundering where possible and vacuuming. Ask a rental cleaning bidder to identify each finish being cleaned and the method included for that finish.

A written carpet-cleaning line can distinguish vacuuming from laundering washable items rather than treating both as one operation. For rugs and drapes, ask whether the cleaning proposal includes the manufacturer-directed laundering and complete drying that CDC describes. For counters and hard floors, identify the cleaning product suitable for the finish. This surface-by-surface cleaning list makes exclusions easier to see before the manager accepts a proposal.

CDC’s related cleaning guidance: “Clean the surface with cleaning products appropriate for use on these surfaces. Launder items (if possible) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Use the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely. Vacuum surfaces (such as carpets and rugs) and dispose of the dirt safely.” (CDC — When and How to Clean and Disinfect Your Home) Read 2026-11-06.

List hard-floor cleaning, carpet vacuuming and washable rugs separately in an InstaBids cleaning request.

What laundry and electronics tasks belong in a rental cleaning scope?

For laundry cleaning, CDC specifies: “Launder using detergent and recommended water temperature. Dry items completely. It is safe to wash dirty laundry from a person who is sick with other people's items. Clean clothes hamper or laundry baskets according to guidance for surfaces. Wash hands after handling dirty laundry.” (CDC — When and How to Clean and Disinfect Your Home) Read 2026-11-06.

For a furnished rental cleaning job, name the linens, towels and other washable items included, and ask who handles their laundering and drying. CDC’s cleaning instructions include detergent, the recommended water temperature and complete drying. Include the hamper or laundry basket in the cleaning scope as its own surface, because CDC names it separately from the laundry itself.

Electronics cleaning deserves its own method description rather than a blanket promise to spray every surface. CDC suggests a wipeable cover and following manufacturer cleaning instructions for devices such as touch screens and remote controls. Ask the cleaning bidder which rental electronics are included and how those instructions will be followed. A laundry line and an electronics line describe different cleaning work and can be accepted or excluded separately.

CDC’s related cleaning guidance: “Consider putting a wipeable cover on electronics, which makes cleaning and disinfecting easier. Follow manufacturer's instructions and recommendations for cleaning.” (CDC — When and How to Clean and Disinfect Your Home) Read 2026-11-06.

Add laundry and electronics cleaning tasks to an InstaBids request so the written bids describe what is included.

When should property management cleaning include disinfection?

CDC explains the order of cleaning work: “Cleaning is an important first step to make sure you remove most germs from surfaces in your home. Using household cleaners that contain soap or detergent will remove germs and dirt on surfaces. Cleaning alone removes most harmful viruses or bacteria from surfaces. Surfaces should be cleaned before they are sanitized or disinfected because impurities like dirt may make it harder for chemicals to get to and kill germs. Remember to clean first, and then sanitize or disinfect if needed.” (CDC — When and How to Clean and Disinfect Your Home) Read 2026-11-06.

A rental cleaning proposal can distinguish cleaning soil with soap or detergent from an additional disinfection step. CDC describes cleaning as the first step and says to sanitize or disinfect if needed. Ask the cleaning bidder to state whether the scope includes cleaning alone or also includes disinfection, with the surfaces and products described for the additional work.

For cleaning products, keep CDC’s no-mixing precaution in the written method. A cleaning proposal that lists separate products can also explain how they will be used without combining bleach or disinfectants with other cleaners. Do not treat the word deep-clean as a description of the disinfection method. The cleaning sequence, selected surfaces and product instructions give the manager specific work to compare.

CDC’s related cleaning guidance: “Never mix household bleach (or any disinfectants) with any other cleaners or disinfectants. This can release vapors that may be very dangerous to breathe in.” (CDC — Cleaning and Disinfecting with Bleach) Read 2026-11-06.

Specify cleaning and any separate disinfection work in an InstaBids request before comparing the written bids.

What contact time and solution freshness should a cleaning bid specify?

For diluted bleach cleaning, CDC gives the conditional instruction: “Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for applying the bleach solution to surfaces. If instructions are not available, leave the diluted bleach solution on the surface for at least 1 minute before removing or wiping. This is known as the "contact time" for disinfection. The surface should remain visibly wet during the contact time. Wash hands after cleaning or disinfecting.” (CDC — Cleaning and Disinfecting with Bleach) Read 2026-11-06.

For a cleaning bid that includes bleach disinfection, request the product’s own directions and the planned wet contact time. CDC places the manufacturer’s instructions first; its fallback contact-time figure applies only when instructions are unavailable. The written cleaning method can state how the surface remains visibly wet during that contact period, rather than describing an immediate wipe-off as the entire disinfection task.

CDC’s cleaning guidance calls for a new diluted bleach solution daily. It explains that the diluted bleach becomes less effective after over 24 hours mixed with water. Ask the cleaning bidder how preparing fresh diluted bleach fits the visit schedule. Keep diluted-solution freshness separate from the product bottle’s instructions, so the proposal identifies both the cleaning application method and preparation of the solution used.

CDC’s related cleaning guidance: “Wash hands after cleaning or disinfecting. Make a new diluted bleach solution daily. Bleach solutions will not be as effective after being mixed with water for over 24 hours.” (CDC — Cleaning and Disinfecting with Bleach) Read 2026-11-06.

Put disinfectant application and solution preparation in the cleaning scope you post on InstaBids.

Organize the rental cleaning visit by surface and method

CDC separates hard-surface cleaning, soft-surface cleaning and laundry; use those categories to identify the work included in a rental cleaning visit.

1. List high-touch cleaning surfaces (Rental manager supplies room and surface list): CDC cleaning guidance names light switches, doorknobs and countertops as high-touch surfaces.
2. Describe hard and soft cleaning methods (Cleaning bidder describes products and vacuuming): CDC cleaning guidance separates soft-surface products, laundering and vacuuming.
3. Assign laundry and device cleaning (Cleaning bidder states inclusions): CDC cleaning guidance includes recommended laundry temperatures, complete drying and cleaning hampers.
4. Separate cleaning from disinfection (Cleaning bidder states sequence and instructions): CDC cleaning guidance: soap or detergent removes germs and dirt before any needed disinfection.

CDC cleaning guidance to retain in the scope

Copy this rental cleaning scope checklist

• High-touch cleaning: list rental rooms, light switches, doorknobs and countertops; attach photos of visible dirt and ask which surfaces the cleaning visit includes.
• Hard-surface cleaning: identify counter and floor finishes and request soap-and-water or other appropriate product descriptions for each finish.
• Soft-surface cleaning: list carpets, rugs and drapes; distinguish vacuuming from cleaning washable items, laundering where possible and complete drying.
• Laundry cleaning: state the linens and towels included, laundering and drying assignments, detergent and recommended temperature; include cleaning the hamper or basket.
• Electronics cleaning: list remote controls and touch screens; ask how manufacturer instructions and wipeable covers affect the proposed cleaning method.
• Cleaning sequence: identify soap or detergent cleaning before any additional sanitizing or disinfecting task, with the surfaces for that additional task listed.
• Bleach cleaning precautions: retain the no-mixing instruction for bleach or disinfectants and other cleaners in the written method.
• Bleach application during cleaning: use manufacturer instructions; when instructions are unavailable, retain CDC’s conditional contact time and visibly-wet requirement.
• Cleaning solution preparation: ask how fresh diluted bleach is made for the visit and how the daily preparation instruction is reflected in the cleaning schedule.

Download this checklist as text

Compare the cleaning tasks behind each written bid

Compare high-touch cleaning coverage by the switches, doorknobs and countertops CDC names; a general room-cleaning label does not identify which touch points the proposal includes.

Compare carpet, rug and drape cleaning by the compatible products, vacuuming and laundering described in CDC’s soft-surface guidance; keep those methods visible as separate cleaning tasks.

Compare electronics cleaning by the manufacturer instructions and wipeable-cover method CDC describes, rather than assuming that the same cleaning product applies to every device.

Property managers can post a rental job on InstaBids today.

How InstaBids works

Sources

• CDC — Cleaning and Disinfecting with Bleach, read 2026-11-06: www.cdc.gov
• CDC — When and How to Clean and Disinfect Your Home, read 2026-11-06: www.cdc.gov