If you own a vacation rental in Myrtle Beach, you've probably heard both terms — but there's real confusion about what distinguishes a deep clean from a turnover clean, and when you need each one. Getting this right has a direct impact on your property's condition, your guests' reviews, and how long your furniture, appliances, and finishes hold up.
Turnover Cleaning: What It Is
A turnover clean — also called a checkout clean or between-guest clean — is the standard cleaning performed between every guest stay. The goal is to reset the property to guest-ready condition efficiently so your next guest walks into a fresh, clean space.
Standard turnover clean includes:
- All dishes washed and put away
- Kitchen surfaces, stovetop, and appliance exteriors wiped clean
- Microwave interior cleaned (the most-mentioned item in cleanliness reviews)
- Refrigerator cleared of guest food, shelves wiped
- All bathrooms sanitized — toilet, sink, shower/tub, mirror, floor
- All beds stripped and remade with fresh linens
- Floors vacuumed and mopped throughout
- Surfaces dusted
- Trash removed from every room
- Basic restock of paper goods and toiletries
A thorough turnover clean does NOT include items like inside kitchen cabinets, behind appliances, baseboards, ceiling fans, window tracks, or deep grout cleaning — those are deep clean items.
Deep Cleaning: What It Is
A deep clean goes well beyond the turnover. It's a top-to-bottom, thorough cleaning that addresses every surface and space in the property — including areas that don't get touched in a standard turnover.
Deep clean includes everything in a turnover, PLUS:
- Inside kitchen cabinets and drawers
- Inside oven (full cleaning, not just wipe)
- Behind and under major appliances
- Baseboards throughout the property
- Window sills and tracks
- Ceiling fans — blades wiped clean
- Light switches and outlet covers
- Grout scrubbing in tile areas
- Wall spot-cleaning for marks and scuffs
- Deep mattress inspection and rotation
- Thorough closet organization and cleaning
- Exterior entry areas and patio furniture if applicable
For Myrtle Beach STRs specifically: Add sand removal as a focused deep clean task — sand gets into bedding, drawers, couch cushions, and every corner of a beach property over time. Standard turnovers address sand on the floor; deep cleans address it everywhere.
When Do You Need Each?
Turnover Clean: Every Guest Checkout
Every single guest stay should end with a professional turnover clean. This is non-negotiable for maintaining 5-star reviews and meeting guest expectations.
Deep Clean: 3–4 Times Per Year (Minimum)
For an active Myrtle Beach vacation rental, schedule deep cleans at these intervals:
- Before peak season (April/May): Get the property in pristine condition before your highest-revenue period
- Mid-season (July): Reset after the heaviest guest traffic of the year
- End of season (September/October): Thorough close-out before lower-traffic fall period
- Winter (December/January): Full reset during any vacancy period
Properties with year-round high occupancy (especially those with golf seasons in spring and fall) should schedule deep cleans more frequently — every 6–8 weeks of continuous operation is a reasonable benchmark for a heavily booked property.
What Does Each Cost in Myrtle Beach?
- Turnover clean: Starting at $100 for smaller units; $150–$350 for typical vacation homes
- Deep clean: Typically 1.5–2.5× the cost of a standard turnover depending on property size and condition. A $175 turnover property might run $275–$400 for a deep clean
Deep cleans take 2–4× longer than turnovers — the extra cost reflects the significantly greater time and detail involved.
Vacation Rental Cleaning in Myrtle Beach
Bakerss provides both turnover cleaning and deep cleaning for STR properties across the Grand Strand. We sync with your calendar.
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