Folly Beach – just saying the name makes us want to kick off our shoes, jump in the water and reeeeeeeeeeeellllax.

But cleaning vacation rentals in Folly Beach is no joke. As of this post’s publication we are the top cleaners in Folly Beach. Purple Dot cleans over 50 homes on Folly Beach, from tiny bungalows to palatial beachfront mansions.

Over our thousands of cleans in Folly Beach we’ve seen a lot. Here are some of the most unique challenges we've faced cleaning homes in Folly Beach.

1. Sand, sand and more sand

This one is not surprising. Cleaning homes in Folly means coming across lots of sand. It’s on the floors, and everywhere else too: baseboards, linens, sofas…

A broom and a solid commercial vacuum cleaner that can take the brunt of sucking up sand are our primary weapons.

But, to get to every nook and cranny, for example hard to reach corners or the inside of washing machines, we use microfiber cloths, razor blades and, our favorite of all, toothbrushes.

2. Palmetto bugs!

We bet that palmetto bugs, not dolphins seagulls or turtles, are Folly’s most populous non-human population.

Big, scary and ugly, they’re everywhere. While having professional pest control is the most important way of keeping them out of your Folly vacation rental, maintaining a clean home is critical too.

That’s where we come in. Getting crumbs and spills up is critical, as is making sure every nook and cranny is clean. Palmetto bugs like dark and humid spots like kitchen drawers, behind toilets and underneath beds.

Cleaning hard to reach spots is paramount to keeping palmetto bugs out. If your cleaners are cutting corners then don’t be surprised when these unwanted guests move in.

3. Sea spray

That wonderful Folly sea smell comes at a cost. Sea spray, which is basically ocean water in aerosol form, coats everything on Folly and leaves behind a nasty looking grime.

Cleaning outside windows on Folly is never as simple as spraying Windex and wiping down.

Sea spray accumulates quickly and leaves a heavy grime. First we spray external windows with a garden hose and then squeegee everything off. Once dry, we apply Windex and wipe it all down with a microfiber cloth.

4. Pink mold

Hopefully you’ve never seen pink mold, but stay in a Folly home that has not been properly cleaned and you will see it in the bathrooms.

Pink mold, which is slimy and usually appears around tub drains and shower heads, is a type of bacteria that grows in humid areas.

Your bathroom plus the hot, humid Lowcountry air equals a perfect recipe for the nasty stuff.

Pink mold is gross, and while it’s not as dangerous as black mold, you definitely don’t want to be rolling around in the stuff.

Keeping it at bay requires consistent cleaning, and not just with water or weak products like Windex that all-too-many cleaners simply use everywhere.

We like to apply a 10% bleach/90% water solution to the entire bathtub. We let it sit for five minutes and then use a green sponge to scrub everything out.

5. Booze, booze and….

Folly life: beach by day, booze by night... and, believe us, a whole lot more! Remember, we’re the ones who clean it all up the next morning.

People come to Folly to have a good time, and cleaning vacation rentals in Folly means mopping up a lot of booze and other party remnants. We don't always walk into frat houses, but we've had our fair share of "WTF" moments.

Whatever the situation is, we always get our vacation rentals back into 5-star glory. With bleach, mops and strong stomachs, there's no mess we can't tackle.

Want to see what 5-star vacation rentals in Folly and Charleston look like? Check out our Instagram.

Ready to hire 5-star cleaners? Contact us and get a quote.