A launch clean is a one-time, top-to-bottom detail pass — inside cabinets, behind appliances, baseboards, light fixtures, and every mirror and window — done before a listing's first guest and first photos, since a brand-new listing has no review history to absorb a bad first impression. Fort Lauderdale STR Cleaning books it separately from routine turnovers.
A first-time listing gets one shot at its first review, and that review gets written before a guest ever checks the thread count. It's shaped by what's on the counter when the door opens and whether the unit matches the photos that sold the booking — which is the gap a launch clean is built to close.
This runs longer than a standard turnover because it checks things a turnover skips: inside kitchen and bathroom cabinets, behind and under furniture, inside the oven and refrigerator, ceiling fan blades, vent covers, baseboards, and every pane of glass a camera flash will pick up. Fort Lauderdale STR Cleaning treats it as a separate line item from the recurring guest-to-guest reset — done by the same crew carrying the business's 4.9-star, 156-review rating on Google — because the two jobs solve different problems.
Should the clean happen before the photographer shows up, or after?
Before. Photography uses flash and wide angles, both of which expose streaks on glass, dust on blinds, and smudges on stainless appliances that a guest walking through at normal speed would never notice. Booking the clean first means the photos show the unit at its actual best, instead of a version a guest arrives disappointed not to find.
Exterior work isn't part of the interior clean — pressure washing a driveway or entry typically runs $100–$350 here, and a full exterior window pass typically runs $75–$300 — but it's worth scheduling before the shoot if the listing photos show the outside of the property. A pressure-washed walkway reads very differently in a listing photo than one that hasn't been touched in a year.
What shows up on a brand-new listing that doesn't show up later?
Newly renovated units carry construction dust that's worked into HVAC vents and light fixtures, plus adhesive residue on new appliances and cabinet hardware that doesn't come off with a quick wipe. Newly furnished units carry factory packaging residue and sometimes a smell from new upholstery or flooring that needs actual ventilation time — not a scented spray — before the first guest walks in.
What should be in place before the first booking goes live?
Four things get checked on a launch clean that a routine turnover assumes are already done:
- Opening par levels of towels, linens, and bath tissue counted and set, not estimated
- Smoke and CO detectors tested, not just glanced at
- Dishwasher, washer, and dryer each run through a cycle to catch anything that needs a plumber or electrician before a guest finds it
- Exterior glass — and the driveway or walkway, if the listing photos show it — ready for the camera
How is a launch clean different from a normal turnover?
A launch clean is a one-time deep pass — inside cabinets, appliances, and fixtures — done once before the first guest. A turnover is the faster reset done between every guest after that; it assumes the deep-clean baseline is already there.
Should I book it before or after professional photos?
Before. Photography exposes glass streaks and surface dust that a normal walkthrough won't, so cleaning first protects the photos instead of the other way around.
Do you handle exterior pressure washing or window cleaning for the listing photos?
It can be arranged, but it's priced and scheduled separately from the interior clean. Locally, pressure washing runs $100–$350 and exterior window cleaning runs $75–$300, depending on the size of the job.
What if the unit was just renovated and still smells like paint or new materials?
That needs ventilation time before a chemical-heavy clean, not more product. Call ahead so it can be scheduled with enough lead time to actually air out before the shoot and the first guest.