Here at Winter Wagon, our drivers get asked questions all the time. We are kind of the first people visitors talk to when they get here, fresh from the airport and excited for their trip. They ask us about the best ski runs, where to get a good burger, and what the lift lines will be like. But you know the one question we get almost every single day, specially from people who own property here? It’s “who do you reccomend for cleaning services in Winter Park?”
It makes total sense. We are in the transportation business, but our partners and clients are all in the hospitality business. And we see it first hand. We pick up guests from cabins that are just spotless, you could eat off the floor. And we pick up guests who are leaving early becuase their rental was… well, not so clean.
A good cleaning service is probably the single most important partner a vacation rental owner in Winter Park can have. It is the differnce between a 5-star review and a 1-star review that totaly tanks your listing. It’s the differnce between a guest who comes back every year and a guest who disputes the charge on their credit card.
We’ve been driving people around Grand County for a long time. We’ve heard the good, the bad, and the ugly. So we decided to put together this guide based on what we’ve heard from our passangers and from other local property managers. This is our unofficial “driver’s guide” to finding the best cleaning service for your mountain home.
Why Cleaning in Winter Park is So Much Harder
First, you gotta understand that cleaning a house in Winter Park is not like cleaning a house in Denver or back home. It’s a completly different job and it takes a special kind of professional to do it right. Alot of new owners try to hire a friend or someone cheap from a website and they almost always regret it.
Here’s why mountain cleaning is such a beast.
The Altitude Factor (It’s Science)
This is the one nobody thinks about. We’re at 9,000 feet, and that changes everything.
- Less Oxygen: This is simple physics. The air is thinner. Physical labor, like scrubbing tubs and vacuuming huge floors, is way harder up here. A cleaner who could clean a 2,000 square foot house in 3 hours in Florida might need 4 or 5 hours here. They get fatigued faster and need more breaks. Be patient with your cleaning team.
- Water Boils Cooler: Remember high school science? Water boils at a lower temperature at high altitude. This means that just using “hot water” isn’t enough to properly sanitize surfaces. A professional mountain cleaning service knows this. They know they have to use high-quality, hospital-grade disinfectants to actually kill germs, not just wipe them away. This is super important in bathrooms and kitchens.
The “Elements” Factor
We all love the snow, but it makes a mess. And so does the mud.
- Mud Season: When the snow melts in the spring, it creates this sticky, clay-like mud that gets everywhere. It gets tracked into entryways, ground into carpets, and stains grout. You need a cleaner with heavy-duty equipment and the right solvents to handle this.
- Winter Grime: Ski boots are not clean. They track in snow, ice, salt, and gravel from the parking lots. This stuff is corrosive and will destroy a beautiful hardwood or stone floor if it’s not cleaned up proper.
- Hot Tubs: This is maybe the biggest one. Almost every rental in Winter Park has a hot tub. A hot tub is a warm bath of human soup if it’s not maintained. It is a massive liability. A good cleaning service needs to be trained in hot tub sanitation. This means draining, scrubbing, and perfectly balancing the chemicals (like bromine or chlorine) between every single guest. You cannot skip this.
The “Amenities” Factor
Mountain homes have differnt kinds of problems.
- Fireplaces and Chimneys: Everyone wants to use the beautiful wood-burning fireplace. This creates soot, smoke smell, and ash. It also builds up creosote in the chimney, which is a major fire hazard.
- Dryer Vents: Think about this. Your rental has, what, 8 sets of towels? Plus all the bedding. Plus guests are washing their wet ski gear. That dryer is running non-stop. The lint buildup in the dryer vent is one of the biggest fire hazards in a mountain home. A regular cleaner might not check this, but you need a specialist to clean it out at least once or twice a year.
What to Look For in a Winter Park Cleaning Service
Okay, so you know it’s a tough job. Now what makes a company good at it? When you’re calling around getting quotes, you need to ask more than just “how much.”
Here’s a checklist of what to ask about.
Are You Specialized in Vacation Rental Turnovers? This is the most important question. A “turnover” clean is not the same as a regular residential clean. A residential cleaner comes once a week and tidies up. A turnover cleaner has a very tight window (like from 10 AM check-out to 4 PM check-in) to make the house look like no one has ever lived there before. This means they also need to be your eyes and ears. A good turnover service will:
- Restock supplies (toilet paper, paper towels, soap, coffee).
- Check for damage and send you photos immediately.
- Do hotel-style presentation (fluffing pillows, fanning towels, folding the toilet paper into a little triangle).
- Check that all the appliances and TVs are working.
Are You Insured and Bonded? This is non-negotiable. Do not even think about hiring someone who isn’t. If they slip on your icy walkway and break their leg, you are liable. If they accidently break a guest’s expensive laptop or your flat-screen TV, their insurance covers it, not yours. Ask for a “Certificate of Insurance.”
What is Your Plan for Snowstorms? This is the Winter Park stress test. What happens when you have a 4 PM check-in and it just dumped 18 inches of snow? Does the cleaner have a 4-wheel drive? Do they just cancel? A professional company will have a plan. They will show up. A hobby cleaner will not. Your entire rental calendar can be ruined by a team that can’t handle the weather.
Are You Local? This matters alot. A company based in Grand County (like in Winter Park, Fraser, or Granby) knows the area. They know the back roads, they know the specific challenges of the different neighborhoods. A company from Denver might say they serve Winter Park, but they might be less reliable when I-70 or Berthoud Pass is a mess.
Do You Use Eco-Friendly Products? A lot of guests and owners in the mountains care about the environment. Using harsh chemicals can pollute the Fraser River. Many top-tier services here, like Bluebird Cleaning, make a point of using green, eco-friendly products that are still effective. It’s a nice selling point for your rental listing, too.
Who Are The Best Cleaning Services in Winter Park?
So, based on what we’ve heard in the driver’s seat and from local managers, here are some of the most reccomended and trusted names in the area. This isn’t a complete list, but it’s a great place to start your calls.
🏆 Best for All-Around Vacation Rental Turnovers
Bluebird Cleaning
- Why we like them: When we ask property owners who they trust, this name comes up again and again. Their reviews are amazing. They specialize in Short-Term Rentals (STRs) and vacation homes. They understand the “turnover speed” and the importance of communication. They are local, serve all of Grand County, and are known for being incredibly responsive and detail-oriented (like, they actually fluff the pillows). They also use eco-friendly products.
🛠 The “One-Stop-Shop” Property Service
Cabin Works
- Why we like them: Cabin Works is a great option for owners who live out of state because they do everything. Cleaning is a big part of their business, but they also do handyman services, appliance repair, snow removal, and full-on property management. The value here is huge. If your cleaner finds a leaking faucet or a broken dishwasher, they are part of the same company that can send a repairman. It simplifies your life.
🧽 Best for Specialized Deep Cleans (Carpets & Windows)
Bolen’s Cleaning and Maintenance
- Why we like them: Bolen’s has been in business in Grand County since 1995. They are the specialists you call when you need the heavy-duty stuff. They have the powerful, van-mounted steam cleaning systems for carpets. After a long mud season or a busy ski season, you need to hire them to get all that grime out of your carpets and upholstery. They also do windows, which is a tough job on a 3-story mountain cabin.
🔥 The Critical Safety Specialists (Don’t Forget These!)
Clean Sweeps Grand County
- Why we like them: This isn’t your regular house cleaner, but they are critical. They were voted “Best of Grand” for a reason. They are certified chimney sweeps. You must have your chimney inspected and cleaned anually. They also do the other critical job: dryer vent cleaning. Like we said, this is a massive fire hazard. Hiring Clean Sweeps once a year for your chimney and dryer vent is one of the smartest things you can do to protect your property and your guests.
Other Great Options to Call
There are several other great cleaners in the area that get good mentions. When you’re getting quotes, you should also try to reach out to:
- Highline (They serve a wider area including Vail and Breckenridge, but have a strong focus on “5-star review” cleans for rentals)
- Wheatley Creek Services (A solid local Grand County option)
- A & J Cleaning
- Busy Bees Cleaning & Home Services
How Much Should You Expect to Pay for Cleaning in Winter Park?
This is the hardest question to answer, because every home is differnt. The final price depends on so many things.
You might see some average hourly rates posted online, maybe around $32-$40 per hour per cleaner, but most vacation rental cleans are not billed this way.
Most companies will give you a flat rate for a turnover clean. They will come to your property, walk through it, and then give you a set price (e.g., “$250 per turnover”). This is almost always better for you because you can budget for it. You know exactly what your cleaning cost is for every booking.
Deep cleans, spring cleans, or post-construction cleans are almost always billed by the hour.
Here are the main things that will make your price go up or down.
| What You Have | What It Really Means for Your Price |
|---|---|
| Number of Bathrooms | This is the biggest factor. A 3-bed/4-bath house will cost more than a 4-bed/2-bath house. Bathrooms take the most time and sanitation work. |
| The Hot Tub | Does your cleaning fee include the hot tub service? This is a specialty task. It can easily add $50 - $75 to the clean if they do it right (draining, scrubbing, chemicals). |
| Pets | If you allow pets, your cleaning bill will be higher. Period. There is no way around the extra time it takes to vacuum all the hair from the furniture and carpets. |
| Bunk Rooms | A “room” with 6 bunk beds is way more work than a room with one king bed. All those linens have to be stripped and remade. |
| Linens / Laundry | Does the cleaner do the laundry on-site, or do they take it to an off-site facility? Taking it off-site (which many big companies do) is faster for turnovers but might cost you more in linen fees. |
| Your “Deep Clean” Schedule | You can’t just do turnover cleans forever. Your property needs a “deep clean” at least twice a year (we reccomend in the spring and fall shoulder seasons). This is when they pull out the oven, clean behind the fridge, wash baseboards, etc. This will be a seperate, higher charge. |
Our Final Thoughts
Choosing a cleaning service in Winter Park is a huge decision. It’s the most important partnership you will form as a property owner. A bad cleaner will cost you thousands in bad reviews and lost bookings. A great cleaner is an investment that protects your home and makes you more money by keeping those 5-star reviews rolling in.
Do your homework. Call at least three of the companies we listed. Ask them the tough questions, especially about snow days. And check their references. Talk to one or two of their other clients.
And hey, when you get your property all sorted out and spotless, you’ll need a reliable ride to and from Denver International Airport. That’s where we come in.
Winter Wagon provides private, reliable transportation in all weather. We can get you, your family, or your guests up to your sparkling clean home safely. Book your ride with us, and be sure to tell your driver who you hired for cleaning. We are always looking to keep our local intel sharp.