Interior Design

The Airbnb Refrigerator

The baseline for all Airbnb refrigerators should be completely empty and clean.

Sound Familiar?

Pesky Problem

Your Airbnb refrigerator is a time capsule of previous guests.

We’ve seen it time and time again. We open the refrigerator at our Airbnb to put away a handful of groceries for the weekend only to discover a mini tour of the guests who have stayed here before. This guest liked spicy ketchup. That guest preferred whipped cream cheese. This guest used about a third of the half-and-half that will expire next week.

Nothing in the fridge has technically gone bad yet, but all of it was clearly bought and used by other guests, not placed there by the host. Call us snooty, but would you dip your food in BBQ sauce you found in a half used bottle in a hotel mini fridge? No? Neither would we.

Let's Try This

Bite-Size Solution

Reset your Airbnb refrigerator after every single stay.

The solution here is simple: reset the refrigerator in between each stay. The baseline for all Airbnb refrigerators should be completely empty and completely clean. You want guests to open it and think, “Wow. I wish my refrigerator at home looked this nice.” From this empty and clean starting point, you can get as creative as you like.

We’ve discovered all sorts of lovely and (importantly) host-arranged goodies waiting for us inside Airbnb refrigerators: local beer, tiny cupcakes, farm fresh eggs, the cutest little cow pitcher of cream for a morning cup of coffee. These are all delightful easter eggs to leave hidden for your guests to discover. But these little gestures of hospitality are only delightful because they’re the only items in the fridge.

If you’re concerned about being wasteful as you tidy up between stays, you can always take any found items back to your own kitchen. There you’ll know exactly how long they’ve been opened and who left them behind. Then you can decide for yourself whether you feel comfortable diving into the leftovers.

5 Minutes

Here's Your First Step

Go take an honest look at your Airbnb refrigerator.

Maybe what’s waiting for your critical eye is a completely clean and empty refrigerator. Congrats! This is exactly what we’d hope to find as your guests. But if you find the traces of previous guests, start by removing any item you wouldn’t intentionally place there for your next guests. Then, add the refrigerator reset to your cleaning checklist you follow between each stay.

Why you should leave your Airbnb guests snacks

Your guests are hangry. That is, they are angry because they’re hungry. And worse, they just walked in the door. Your guests’ travel day has

Hospitality

And what would you like to drink?

Picture walking into a nice hotel room. (Are you there?) Bright white bedspread pulled taut. Curtains tucked back letting in the natural light. The little

save or share this post

keep reading

ready for the next one?

bye-bye blindspots

The Ultimate Airbnb Checklist Collection

The number one question we hear from hosts is “What am I forgetting to put in my Airbnb?” This collection is the definitive answer to that question. In our signature product, we go room-by-room, step-by-step until your Airbnb is perfectly appointed and ready to impress. Bye-bye blindspots and hello happy guests!

free checklist!

Even the best hosts can forget a thing or two

Luckily all 15 of these common mistakes are super easy to fix. Grab your copy of the checklist below and dive on in!

WELCOME TO

big heart hosting

we help hosts thrive

You’re an ambitious Airbnb host with a big heart. But on some days, hosting isn’t exactly what you had imagined. Maybe it’s overwhelming. Or isolating. Or just not making the kind of money you had envisioned. At Big Heart Hosting, we’re on a mission to help hosts like you thrive, not just get by. We create step-by-step resources that bring together the best hosting strategies from around the world. We’ll give you the knowledge and community you need to create the joyful, prosperous Airbnb you deserve.