The November/December issue of Cleaning & Maintenance Management is now available in a digital format.

Featuring honest analysis from cleaning professionals regarding the return on investment of the newest cleaning technology, the issue offers advice on the steps to take before adopting the equipment. It takes a closer look at the accessibility of custodial software on the jobsite and examines vacuum innovations that enable teams to clean with more efficiency and less noise.

The latest CMM edition also provides tips on preventing pests from wintering in your facility and best practices in preparation for natural disasters. It offers advice on creating employee handbooks and company mission statements that provide impactful guidance, and in simplifying cleaning routines to ensure consistency. 

Here’s a quick look at what you’ll find in this issue:

Weighing In on ROI of Cleaning Technology
Cleaning experts discuss tech pros and cons and best implementation methods for new equipment

When Pests Come in From the Cold
Protect your facility from rodents and insects this winter

Plan for Storms on Sunny Days
Seven steps to creating a natural disaster plan

Custodial Software Accessibility on the Jobsite
Facility maintenance software trends stress connectedness and mobility

Prioritize Consistency in Your Cleaning Program
Hospitality and food service facilities benefit from simplified cleaning routines

Evidence-Based Cleaning Ensures Healthy Places and Spaces
Bring science to environments where cleaning decisions determine health

Vacuum Innovations Are Reshaping Facility Care
Cordless, lightweight designs and automated, quiet operations increase efficiency and sustainability

Take Your Mission Statement Into the Field
How to create a company handbook and mission statement employees will actually use

Check out the table of contents to see all this edition of CMM has to offer, including ISSA Show Exhibitor Profiles.

Just in time for Thanksgiving, vacation rental company Airbnb is changing its house rules, including limiting the cleaning tasks hosts can ask guests to complete during their stay, ABC News reported. In recent years, guests have complained about being tasked with various chores at checkout, even after paying a cleaning fee, USA Today reported.

Under the new policy, which applies to reservations booked on or after Nov. 20, hosts generally will no longer be allowed to require guests to strip beds, wash and put away dishes or take trash offsite, the company posted on its website.

Per Airbnb’s website: “To help set clear expectations and create positive experiences, hosts may set house rules and requests for their listing, as long as they are reasonable and comply with the requirements detailed below. Guests must follow hosts’ house rules and are encouraged to comply with hosts’ requests.”

The company further states that all house rules and requests must be reasonable. For example, hosts generally may not ask guests to complete tasks that require significant effort or time, or that a cleaner would typically perform, including stripping the bed, taking trash offsite or washing and putting away dishes.

Airbnb also said it strives to understand the listing’s context to determine if a request is reasonable, including any relevant local considerations, and may grant exceptions. For example, it may be reasonable to ask guests to dispose of trash in an animal-proof container in bear country. Hosts also can still ask guests to do simple tasks, such as putting used dishes in the sink.

The new policy also prohibits hosts from imposing their own fines on guests. Additionally, it limits separate contracts to certain circumstances, including when required by law or homeowners’ association rules.

Airbnb said hosts can now choose from seven standard house rules and add their own reasonable requests. Airbnb will also display the rules more prominently on listings, in guests’ Trips tabs and in reservation reminders.

Hosts can continue to update their house rules at any time. If a request does not follow the policy, Airbnb said it will flag the issue and allow hosts to appeal.