I spend close to that amount on cleaning fee's for my rental.

Cleaning fees are a pass through from the guest, so you would be receiving the payment from the guest within a short time after check-in and then you can directly pay the cleaner with the cleaning fee you received.

Tenants on C class care more about the price and being clean.

Like anything is sales (and you are in sales even when you are trying to buy a property), the less clean cut the deal, the more likely it is to get rejected.

Good design, clean, comparable with market rates, and professional photos.

A typical turnover can be a month or 2 of vacancy and $2-10k in make-ready costs (cleaning, paint, flooring, appliances, towel racks, vanities, etc. that gets beat up and broken norma wear and tear). 

Hi - I’m relatively new to the real estate game and am just starting to read multiple books involving this topic.I noticed a house being cleaned up two weeks ago, talked to maintenance people, and was in the right place at the right time to talk to the owner.

And STR is much more involved with high turnover rates so you’ll not only need to post the listing but know how to keep it competitive so that you maximize bookings, of course, furnishing it, keeping supplies, restocked, cleaning, maintenance, And what about consideration to any local STR rules and regulations?  

With small homes you get quick and easy stays with fewer issues, cheaper cleaning fees, higher occupancy, and still great rates. 

It isn't that hard to clean, but it does take more maintenance.