Iâm in the USA⌠if you did a sit in winter in the north east youâs def need a dryer. So yeah⌠it is expected.
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I feel like this thread hasnât quite gone the way the OP might have hoped⌠
I bet my ancient fridge is sucking electricity down like a black hole. He probably costs 50 cents a minute. 
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Sorry, I assumed it was elsewhete because you had said cents.
Please donât only make it explicit in your âwelcomeâ guide, make it clear in your post as wellâŚ
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So agree. I have also taken a tablespoon of mayo or two. I also bring toys for the pets, leave a gift for the PP, etc. if I bought a full jar of mayo I couldnât take it with me as it would spoil on the ride home and the biggest reason is there is usually not that much room in the refrigerator for my fresh food to keep. Mentally I like to feel like a welcoming guest in their home and that would feel like she looks at you like staff stealing the family jewels. If my only two choices was staying with her or getting a hotel, I would opt for the hotel.
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Iâve been wondering why this whole thread has triggered me so much and I think there are two reasons:
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Genuine sorrow for the OP. There is such - sadness - in living this way. And it is so unnecessary. Life is here to be lived, embraced, enjoyed to its fullest. The tone of this post broke my heart a little - I wanted to say, Oh, sweetie - you are loved. The world wants you, and everyone else, to enjoy the truffle mayo. You are meant to have soft towels and sheets and luxuriate in them. And to share that luxury with everyone.
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The title of the post, 'Basic sit etiquette". Etiquette is defined as, âthe customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group.â Perhaps if the post had been made in the form of a question - âWhat is the customary code of polite behavior between host and sitter?â - then the title of the post would not have rankled. A better title of this post could have been, âHow can I receive excellent pet care while offering as little as possible in return?â The answer to that question is to hire paid pet care at the best price you can find. THS is not for everyone. But I truly hope @Nrgeec will have the opportunity to taste the abundance and generosity of Life and return to the THS fold with a full heart - and a full pantry.
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Hi Nrgeec, You need to make yourself clear. It can very so much from one home owner to another. Some are very generous and others not so. Most will say help yourself to a nything in the fridge as will only go off if not used. It is also normal to be told you can use any condiments including cooking oils etc. Quite a few will say help yourself to anything in the cupboards but not all. And I have had a few telling me to help myself to wine etc. Algthough I am not a big drinker, so a bottle may last me nearly a week. A few have also said to help myself to anything in the freezer also, especially if they live a long way from any shops. I have never undone packets that have not been opened. And I would n ot undo or use any bars of chocolate they have in the fridge either. As to slippers, I have sometimes had these provided for me. Would be just the slip on type, like would be provided by a hotel for example.
It may be helpful to have printed in a welcome guide, what food sitters are able to use and what not. With so many sits and so many differing owners, it is easy to forget what has been said. Tryig to remember, was it just food in fridge, or also the food in cupboards such as pasta etc.? And for me so far, owners have always said to use all condimets including cooking oils.
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Whoaha! Hang on! An oven is the only way of cooking food. A fridge is the only way of keeping food cold, unless youâre close to the poles. Whereas a dryer is not the only option for drying clothes.
I, for one, have no problem with electricity use/costs for functions which can be done no other way. But as an environmentalist, drying clothes with electricity when thereâs an outside space strikes me as⌠A shame.
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I actually own a solar oven! And a solar fridge. Really. (Look up âGoSunâ - their products are fantastic) Perhaps the OP might want to invest in those.
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I do more paid sits than sits I do on TH. Interesting that my paid sits pet owners are much more generous than the ones on TH. They always say help yourself to anything in the pantry, refrigerator or freezer. I never do. I take the same from both. A tablespoon of ketchup, a couple tablespoons of mayo. I never would take more than that except maybe a few crackers or a delicious looking cookie. They wouldnât even notice it was gone and wouldnât even care if they did. Itâs not the items for me itâs the feeling of being comfortable in oneâs house that I donât have to walk on eggshells.
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I get what youâre saying, but I always find it interesting how quickly some people draw the line between âthis is environmentally okayâ and âthis isnât.â To me, being environmentally conscious isnât about never using a dryer â itâs about thinking holistically and making smart choices that fit your life. Sometimes, convenience, health, or even time plays a role too. And that doesnât make someone less of an environmentalist.
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Iâm pretty sure you are not supposed to supply a dryer. Many homes in southern Europe donât have a dryer and thatâs perfectly ok.
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You are writing about what you would âexpectâ not what is required by THS. I live in a city where the majority of people live in apartments and donât have their own in-unit washing machines and dryers. There might or might not be facilities in the buiding and these likely will involve a cost per load and dryer use.
In my apartment building there are shared laundry facilities that are pay as you go. I leave laundry detergent and some money on my laundry card and explicitly tell sitters that they are free to do a load or two on me. Thatâs not required by any means.
Washing machines and dryers are listed in the amenities. They arenât a requirement for membership.
Iâm not a full time sitter, and generally the sits I go to are less than two weeks. Iâve rarely used a homeownerâs washing machine unless theyâve specically asked me to clean their sheets and towels. When I have needed to use the machine, Iâve also used the dryer, which is expected in the US. I would imagine if I sat full time, I might specifically look for sits that had both a washer and a dryer. However, I would check the listing, as itâs not a requirement.
Even on airbnbs a washer and dryer is an amenity and not a requirement. Individual expectations may vary.
Regarding the OP, it sounds like the OP has both a washing machine and a dryer and expected the sitter to understand that the dryer wasnât to be used. People who have those kind of expectations are bound to be disappointed in others.
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OK, the butter thing is pretty standard on west coast. So it is not hard when you go to use it, and it is rarely hot enough for it to melt.
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Butter shouldnât be left out for long.
If you use a whatâs known as a butter bell, then that avoids rancidness, because of a water seal, even when left unrefrigerated:
Yes, I always keep butter out of the fridge. Butter doesnât need to be kept in a fridge.
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I have had butter sitting in a cupboard for weeks and itâs been fine. Obviously in really hot weather it would melt so then I would keep it in fridge.
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Same, I only place the butter dish in the fridge during periods of high heat. We have a large, busy household, so we probably go through butter faster than many. Someone who consumes the stick at a slower rate, would probably need to store it in the fridge.
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In the dish cupboard? with the clean dishes?? 
PS I am on the west coast and know all about butter on the COUNTER
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That is where my aunt keeps hers. If she leaves it on the counter, the cat knocks the lid off and licks the butter. The dish cupboard is a much safer bet!
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