Deep-cleaning a Tenerife apartment after guests is mostly about two things: sand and bathrooms. Start with dry removal (vacuum/sweep) to lift grit without scratching floors, then do wet cleaning, then finish with terrace and drains so outdoor dirt doesn’t come back inside.

This guide gives you a Tenerife-specific sequence (salt air, beach sand, and hard water) plus a final “guest-ready” check: smell test, quick AC-filter glance, glass/shine, and a photo set for your property manager.

Your Tenerife deep-clean kit (what to have ready)

If you’re cleaning between check-out and check-in, speed comes from setup. Stage everything before you start, and don’t bounce between rooms.

• Vacuum with crevice tool + a hard-floor head (or a broom + dustpan as backup).
• Microfibre cloths (color-code if you can: bathrooms vs kitchen).
• Mop + bucket (or a flat mop with washable pads).
• Degreaser for kitchen (safe for your surfaces).
• Descaler for hard-water marks (or vinegar/citric acid mix where suitable).
• Glass cleaner + squeegee for shower screens and balcony doors.
• Disinfectant for high-touch points (follow label contact time).
• Grout brush / old toothbrush for corners and tap bases.
• Trash bags, gloves, and a small flashlight (for hair, streaks, and limescale).

Tip: In coastal apartments, salt + humidity can leave a faint film on glass and metal. A dedicated glass pass (near the end) makes the place look “professionally” clean.

The step-by-step Tenerife sequence (sand + bathrooms first)

This workflow is designed so you don’t re-contaminate clean areas. It also matches what guests notice first: floors, bathrooms, and kitchen.

• Step 1: Ventilate immediately (open windows/doors, start extractor fans).
• Step 2: Strip beds and collect towels/linens (bag them; don’t carry loose sand through the flat).
• Step 3: Dry removal everywhere (vacuum/sweep) with extra focus on entrances, sofa area, and bedrooms.
• Step 4: Bathrooms deep clean (descale + disinfect + silicone inspection).
• Step 5: Kitchen deep clean (degrease + extractor filters + fridge/oven spot checks).
• Step 6: Wet clean floors (mop), then do skirting boards and touchpoints.
• Step 7: Terrace, balcony, and drains last (then final glass pass on doors/windows).
• Step 8: Guest-ready pass (smell, AC filter glance, shine, staged photos).

If you have limited time, don’t skip Step 3. Wet-cleaning over sand turns one problem into three: scratched floors, grey mop water, and gritty corners.

Dry removal (the “sand pass”) — do this before any wet product

Beach sand travels fast: shoes, suitcase wheels, towels, and even pockets. Your goal is to remove grit without spreading it.

• Start at the entrance and work inward, vacuuming edges first (skirting boards, under console tables, door tracks).
• Vacuum sofa seams and under cushions (sand collects here and guests notice when they sit down).
• Run the crevice tool along sliding-door tracks and window rails (common sand traps in Tenerife apartments).
• Shake small rugs outside, then vacuum both sides if possible.
• Check under beds quickly (hair + sand “tumbleweeds” are common).

Mini-checklist: entry mat, sofa area, bed perimeter, balcony door track, bathroom floor corners.

Bathrooms: descale, disinfect, and inspect shower silicone

Tenerife bathrooms often show hard-water marks, soap scum, and humidity-related issues. Do the bathroom while your apartment is ventilating so it dries faster.

• Pre-treat limescale: Apply descaler to taps, shower heads, tile edges, and glass. Let it dwell per label instructions.
• Remove soap scum: Use a bathroom cleaner on shower walls and screens; rinse well so it doesn’t haze.
• Detail the fixtures: Scrub around tap bases and the shower mixer where scale builds up.
• Toilet deep clean: Clean under the rim, hinges, and the base behind the toilet.
• Grout and corners: Spot-scrub darkened grout lines and corners, then rinse and dry.
• Silicone inspection: Check shower silicone for black spots, gaps, lifting edges, or a persistent musty smell.
• Finish dry: Squeegee the shower screen and wipe chrome dry for a streak-free “hotel” look.

What to do if the silicone looks bad: Don’t try to hide it with heavy fragrance. Photograph it, note the exact location, and flag it for maintenance. Silicone issues can turn into leaks or recurring mold if ignored.

Kitchen: degrease properly (including extractor filters)

Guests cook differently than owners. Even “light” stays often leave grease on handles, splashbacks, and around the hob.

• Start high: Degrease extractor hood surfaces and the area above cabinets if reachable.
• Extractor filters: Remove metal filters (if applicable) and soak in hot water with degreaser, then rinse and dry fully before reinstalling.
• Hob and backsplash: Degrease, then wipe again with clean water to avoid sticky residue.
• Handles and touchpoints: Cabinet pulls, fridge handle, oven knobs, light switches.
• Sink and drain: Remove food debris, clean the plug area, and rinse to a neutral smell.
• Bin zone: Wipe the inside lid and the floor around the bin.

Quick reality check: If you can smell the bin after cleaning, a guest will smell it immediately. Replace the bag, wipe the bin, and add a fresh liner.

Wet clean floors, then terrace and drains (so dirt doesn’t come back)

Once dry debris is gone, wet cleaning becomes fast and satisfying. Work from bedrooms toward the entrance so you don’t step back onto finished areas.

• Mop with clean water and the right product for your floor type (tile, laminate, wood).
• Do skirting boards and door frames where scuffs show up in photos.
• Wipe balcony furniture and railings (salt film can dull surfaces).
• Sweep the terrace, then wet clean it if needed.
• Check terrace drains and shower drains for hair/sand build-up, then rinse through.
• Finish with balcony doors and windows so the view looks crisp.

Note: Always follow building rules for where you can dispose of sandy water or debris, especially in complexes with shared drainage.

What drives deep-clean time (and cost) in Tenerife?

Even if you’re doing it yourself, it helps to understand what makes a “simple turnover” become a deep clean. If you’re hiring help, these factors are usually what changes the price.

• Sand level (beachfront units and windy days take longer).
• Number of bathrooms and shower screens (glass + limescale is time-heavy).
• Hard-water scale on taps, shower heads, and tile edges (descaling dwell time adds minutes).
• Kitchen grease (extractor hood, filters, oven trays, sticky cabinets).
• Terrace size and drain condition (especially after storms or high winds).
• Laundry logistics (on-site washer vs external laundry service).

As a general guide, deep cleans can range widely depending on apartment size, condition, and how long guests stayed. Timing, complexity, and location on the island all matter, so it’s best to request a few quotes if you’re outsourcing.

What to ask before booking a cleaner (or delegating to a team)

If you’re a host or property manager, these questions prevent the most common misunderstandings.

• Do you follow a dry-first process for sand (vacuum/sweep before mopping)?
• Is hard-water descaling included, or billed as an add-on?
• Do you clean extractor hood filters (and how often)?
• Will you inspect and report silicone condition, leaks, or mold risk areas?
• Do you provide before/after photos or a simple checklist report?
• What’s your turnaround time between check-out and check-in?
• Can you handle laundry, or do we need a separate service?
• What products do you use (and do you offer low-fragrance options if needed)?

The final “guest-ready” pass (5 minutes that saves bad reviews)

This is the last loop you do after everything is dry. It’s also the easiest place to build a consistent standard across cleaners.

• Smell check: Step outside for 10 seconds, come back in, and sniff the kitchen, bathrooms, and bin area.
• AC filter glance: Quick visual check for visible dust build-up (don’t deep-service it during turnover unless scheduled).
• Glass/shine: Balcony doors, mirrors, taps, shower screen, and TV screen (wipe carefully).
• Reset the space: Align cushions, straighten chairs, close shower doors, and present towels neatly.
• Photo set for the property manager: Same angles every time (entry, living room, kitchen, each bathroom, bedrooms, terrace, meter/keys if applicable).

If you want a simple standard: if it will appear in the first 10 photos of a listing, it should be spotless and streak-free.

If you’d rather not deep-clean yourself (or you need a backup cleaner for tight changeovers), you can post one request on AskTenerife and compare responses from local providers.

Visit asktenerife.es to get the best offers within 1 hour.