HI-- I’m a HO and I was just wondering what guidance TH gives sitters regarding cleaning a property before they depart? I’m aware of the cleaning checklist via the blog but I thought they sent an email before departure and I was wondering what this said. Thanks for your help!
Hi @OutNumbered I will tag @Lucy-B who can help you with this
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Thanks! Would be great to hear from sitters as well though 
I’m a sitter and as far as I can remember, I don’t think we’ve ever received an email reminding us to clean the house at the end of the sit. (And to be honest, I would never need a reminder.)
I’m sure there are blog posts and general information on the THS website giving people an idea of what to do at the end of the sit, but any sitter worth his/her salt would leave the home as they found it. Also, specifics are normally discussed during the interview process. We always ensure we know where to find cleaning supplies, vacuum, mop etc and we ask for advice on cleaning anything we are uncertain off (what products to use on the floor, what they would like us to do with the bedding etc.)
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Oh really? I was under the impression a departure email/reminder was sent. Thought I read a discussion about it on this forum once but maybe I misunderstood. I haven’t gone over details of expectations before as it’s never been needed beyond showing where cleaning supplies are and asking that the house be left in the condition we left it.
Hi @OutNumbered As @Kelownagurl mentions, and to confirm, emails to sitters regarding cleaning at the end of sits are not sent out.
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To be honest, we don’t go over details beyond what you mentioned other that to ask questions if we’re not sure about something. For example, for our current sit, the home owners showed me what to use for their kitchen floor because it needed some special care.
I think that because every house is so different - length of stay, kinds of flooring/surface etc, whether the home owners have a a regular cleaner as well - it would be difficult for THS to give guidelines to sitters beyond the obvious - leave it the way it was when you arrived.
Yes every house is different. But I think a basic vacuum, clean bathroom and kitchen and strip bed email would be good, especially for newer members.
We have never been sent anything before we leave a sit but yes, we always leave it beautifully clean!
Again, an instance where THS staff do not know what is happening.
On the very odd occasion I receive this email with a long list of what I should be cleaning.
The last one that I received was about 2 weeks ago. It is sent 2 days before the sitting ends and is a reminder to start cleaning. The sitting was only 2 nights so I need to start cleaning before I finish unpacking!
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As a sitter, cleaning before departure is a given so I’m not sure that a notification would be necessary. If it is of particular importance, it might be worth mentioning in your ad that you would appreciate the house being cleaned for your arrival, but I think the majority of sitters will naturally do this.
I’m thorough in cleaning before I leave, and want the HO to return to a clean environment after their travels, as they’ll have enough to do with unpacking etc. If there are any areas that need particular care, it is worth noting these in the welcome pack or making the sitter aware of these, as well as informing them of where the cleaning supplies are kept.
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I just want the house left how I left it for the sitter. Nothing particularly specific but I expect personal messes to be cleaned up no matter the duration of the sit and toilet cleaned, a quick vacuum in traffic areas/places used, etc if it’s a week or longer.
Don’t worry, I think this is the least of what the average house sitter will do to ensure your house is properly cared for while you’re away! I don’t have experience as a home owner myself, but to me being a sitter means, at the very least, respecting and taking care of the pets and property, including everything you’ve mentioned above.
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Hi @OutNumbered, as @Itchyfeet has mentioned, there is an email (used to be headed something like Time to Springclean for your Owner’s Return) that randomly gets sent to sitters just like there’s a similar one randomly sent to owners a few days before sitters are due. I know it has been raised on the forum before because the word “Springclean” was not thought to be appropriate and was meant to be changed but whether it has I have no idea.
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@Itchyfeet I do apologise, you are right, I have checked with our marketing department. and 2 days before a sitter leaves, they are sent an email. The email contains a checklist button, which then links to our blog page ‘sitter cleanliness checklist’.
Marketing are still looking into why some members not always getting all the emails regularly.
Yes, I am sure you must have found it very amusing on a two day sit!
Hi @Therese - we’ve completed 7 long house sits all over 10 days in duration and never had an email about cleaning any of the homes…? We’ve left them all sparkling of course but the prompts are not coming (or any end of sit comms TBH)
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Thanks everyone. One of the reasons I recommend TH regularly to friends is because our home has always been left clean and tidy—often treated with more respect than when we have had friends stay and petsit. But a recent experience left me wondering what TH actually advises, especially with so many new members, many of which are younger and with little to no housesitting experience.
I’ve seen the blog checklists but think they’re a bit over the top and seem to be for more long term sits where a proper deep clean may be due. It’d be good if TH had a more basic cleaning checklist and ensured they stipulated that a home is to be left how the owner left it. I get so many applications now from young an inexperienced people. Covid has changed the way people work and opened up traveling to many people who couldn’t work from home before. If ads about petsitting being the new ‘free accommodation’ for world travel are going to be placed on social media to appeal to a younger crowd then I think more needs to be done to lay out expectations of what TH expects from sitters.
We have been doing this for 8 years and have NEVER received a “cleaning” reminder and why would you need one?
We leave the houses we stay in SPOTLESSLY clean - actually cleaner in some cases than when we arrived! We ALWAYS do all the bedding and towels and if time allows make up the bed again.
I would consider this as just normal behaviour - not something you need reminding of but then that is just us 
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I agree. But I think most on this forum are experienced. There’s definitely a surge of younger travelers joining that may not know better.
@Therese another case here of no email reminders? Us too @Fionabarton1970 cleaner than when we arrived 