must agree
Do you mean comments on the forum?
which comments? and why?
Your answer to me is hidden. I have no idea why. I have not read it. It was not me that flagged it.
@Janeyw36, sometimes, when these forum discussions run too long, it can become quite toxic. I think you have received good feedback in the first 20+ responses. For your own sanity, itâs best to stop interacting where posts become harsh or argumentative. I think you had your validation.
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I agree not interested in carrying on thank you for your input.
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That sounds very hurtful indeed! I also struggle with preparing my house for sitters. I have a wooly malamute who brings in tons of dirt and debris on his coat, and his shedding also produces lots of dust. Plus, Iâm not a naturally tidy person. But, I work hard to put my house in order for sits. For my last trip, which was 3 weeks, it looked clean to me when I left, but half way through, the woman in the couple told me that her allergies were too badly triggered, despite their extra cleaning efforts, and so she was leaving but her boyfriend would stay to care for the animals. I felt horrible. Then, when I came back, I found the house dirtier than I had left it (bf appeared to have run out of cleaning time before catching a plane), plus the floor was scratched in places where they had moved my furniture to vacuum behind. Now, I donât know what to think of the experience, except to try even harder to clean and declutter before a sit starts and discuss allergies. I love my home and I want my sitters to love it too, but I also understand not everyone has the same preferences.
As there is no way to block users on Discourse, one needs to use (hmmm) the second-best option which is hiding usersâ posts. However, the hidden posts are not truly hidden, as you can still click on the âhiddenâ label and read the post. (Who came up with such a smart solution? 
)
Most probably someone tried to block you / hide your posts
As a HO, I have a cleaning gal that comes once a week, so that i wonât have an issue with cleanliness. The housesitter pays her to clean the house, a nominal amount, really.
I had a housesitter couple that liked their deep fried foods and the cleaning gal complained bitterly. Itâs not her job to do spring cleaning activities such as washing walls and cabinets sticky with oil. The gardener complained because the used oil was dumped in a garden and everything in the garden died. The couple wanted to leave the sit early to attend an event, so i scrambled for replacement. But hereâs the kickerâŚthey wanted a review BEFORE my return home. I wrote them a good review BEFORE i was aware of the greasy issues, which bothers me because other HO may now have to face the same issue. The moral of the story is to write reviews only after inspection!
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@Theresa
The sitrers paid for the cleaner??
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I would NEVER pay for the cleaner- the HO employs the cleaner not me. If the HO wants to maintain their cleaner whilst Iâm there Iâm happy to accommodate but Iâm certainly not payingâŚ. after all the cleaner is mainly cleaning up pet hair and normal house dust cleaning windows etc surelyâŚ.
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Iâve sat at places where there was a regular cleaner paid by the hosts. At a couple of sits, the cleaner was suspended while I sat. I wouldâve liked the option (not the requirement) of paying them to do a final clean in my place. Thatâs because Iâd rather spend the time doing something else. But Iâve not encountered the option and havenât bothered to ask.
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Yes. $25 a week to clean their mess. Itâs not my mess, right? I donât want to lose my cleaner while i"m away and she needs the work. I pay the gardener. Havenât had an issue with housesitters paying for a house cleaner. Theyâd rather have fun and explore the area vs scrubbing a shower.
@Theresa itâs literally your house and your pets
Weâve never ever been asked to pay the cleaners wages and certainly would never agree to - almost all the sits we do tend to have staff such as cleaners, gardeners, pool cleaners. Itâs the norm where we sit.
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Itâs your house and your pets @Theresa and therefore your cleaning bill. Sitters are also your guests not your staff. We would never pay someone elseâs cleaner. #bonkersidea
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Itâs their house while they are there. If they vomit on the carpet, itâs not my mess to cleanâŚitâs theirs. Also, i live in the tropics and maintaining a home in the tropics may be outside of housesitters expertise. The house keeper knows my expectations and the housesitter doesnât have to worry about meeting my expectations. Iâve had dozens of housesitters over the years with no complaints. Like i said, who wouldnât prefer enjoying a new country or place over scrubbing toilets and showers?
Hmmmnnnn. No. Itâs definitely your house with YOUR pets @Theresa that they are taking care of as a mutual exchange. Theyâre not just hanging out for fun or having a holiday. Your animals shed hair and dust gathers whoever lives there. A sitter living in is to help you out whilst you travel. We sit (& live) all over Asia and Africa where âhelpâ in the home is cheap and plentiful. Your choice but weâd dodge your sit immediately for its expectations. #seemsmean
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I agree with the others that this is your responsibility, not the sittersâ. As you say, $25 is not much which makes it seem all the more inhospitable that you push this cost onto your sitter instead of covering it yourself.
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I think youâll potentially lose a lot of sitters with this viewpoint- this reducing your choices-but there will always be people willing to agree to it if theyâre desperate for the sit. What this means is the profile of your sitters will be skewed towards agreeing to something that a large proportion of sitters here maybe find very odd indeed. Well best wishes, but please be aware how strange this approach sounds to many of us.
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Following with interest. Just did a sit and inly wiped down the bath and shower glass.
Wonder what ranking i will get.
I did empty 5 full bins of various types, wash the bedding, turn on the vacuum, and wipe the benches.
Doesnt include the pet care & walks.
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