@s.marie15 It sounds horrible, and we can understand how you’re feeling. With this being a 3-week long sit, it’s worth taking date-stamped before and after photos, to cover your back. Clean the areas you’ll be using (just to make things more bearable for yourself) and close doors on everything else. And do please leave an honest, balanced and factual review (not easy to do but you’ll feel better for it, and it can provide a learning opportunity for the pet parent).
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I would include this level of detail as it’s really gross and unacceptable to expect a sitter to live like this
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Disgusting. Foul people like this should not be hosting anyone. Please write a factual review and warn off other sitters.
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THS don’t read reviews so even if you give only one star for cleanliness they won’t take any action . A member dispute will be acted on by THS.
You don’t need to wait until the end of the sit to raise a member dispute if that is what you choose to do .
Hosts are expected to provide sitters with a clean and comfortable home .
THS don’t read reviews so even if you give only one star for cleanliness they won’t do anything based on a review . A member dispute will be acted on by THS.
If you choose to raise a member dispute - this is the process- you must call it “Member Dispute “ for THS to investigate-
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@s.marie15 it might not be worth you taking time to do this - your experience sounds remarkably like one that I did exactly a year ago, thankfully only for 3 nights though. The toilet even needed flushing - bleah. The new review system was just about to go live, and because I wanted to avoid getting a retaliatory review (it was only my 3rd sit) I used your approach. The owner responded to my email saying this was obviously not the sit for me and cancelled the next sit that I had (foolishly) confirmed with her before this sit started - to be honest I was glad not to have to go back there!
As others here have said, for the benefit of other sitters do please leave a clear review that describes the state that you found the home, maybe even saying what you did and how long it took you.
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I agree with you @DianeS
@s.marie15 - I recommend that you do not contact the owner privately before you have both written your reviews and are published. Otherwise, the owner could leave a retaliation review on you.
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In this case, I agree that private feedback before having their review, could end in a retaliatory one.
Also, it seems they live like that and have no sense of hygiene, so they won’t understand what your problem is. They probably think they acted kindly and promptly ordering a sheet for you, so what is the fuss about?
What can you expect from someone who doesn’t have a spare set of sheets and thinks only the lower sheet needs washing?
I have never, ever heard of it and would have never imagined it could happen.
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I’ve read somewhere that the younger generation only uses a fitted bottom sheet and not a top sheet. I have no idea why, but it just sounds gross.
I’ve never read the THS checklist, but I have my home spotless for any guest coming over, whether it’s friends or guests whom I’ve never met, taking care of my dog or home. It’s just common courtesy, but I know there are people who just don’t know any better.
No change of duvet cover or pillowcases either?
There are lots of places where this is common. I sometimes do this as well, and I’m definitely not in the younger generation. As long as the comforter/duvet cover is washed along with the bottom sheet, it’s no grosser than using a top sheet.
I do have complete sheet sets, however, and always make the bed fresh for sitters using a top sheet. I cannot imagine buying only a bottom sheet after being told my sitter needed sheets. Then again, I can’t imagine having to be told that after the sit started (or before, really…)
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Exactly. It doesn’t make a difference what type of top sheet you use it can be a traditional sheet or a duvet cover. Many sets come with bottom sheet, pillowcases and duvet cover. What I think is unhygienic is not washing the whole set for another person or not having a replacement at all!
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Definitely not just the younger generation @avidtraveler! The majority of our sits in the UK (and there have been many) rarely have a top sheet. That’s why we travel with two flat sheets! The current sit I’m on in my home country is for an older couple and there’s no top sheet. Just as well I packed my own 
.
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I’ve never used a top sheet apart from when I was a small child before duvets became the norm. That’s quite normal in the UK and in Europe generally where duvets are generally used. They are even sold as sets of duvet cover, bottom sheet and pillow cases! We just change the complete set as you would a bottom and top sheet.
I’m now thinking that when I have sitters from abroad I’d better add a top sheet to their bed…I’d still want the duvet cover washed along with everything else though!
Amazing how we find that things we take for normal are weird to others. Live and learn!
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Using a top sheet under the duvet is unusual in many countries. I grew up in Ireland and had never seen a top sheet under a duvet until I moved to the US. I am back in my sister’s house in Ireland now, with no top sheet!
I think the top sheet is a great idea because it is a lot easier to change the top sheet than to change the duvet cover every time you change sheets. Of course I wash the duvet cover, but not as often as I change sheets
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That’s true and it’s one of the many things I love about sitting and this forum. I really enjoy trying to look at things from different angles. I always go to supermarkets and stores as part of “sightseeing”. Even if it is the same store, there’s always a different range of products, sizes and presentations that is considered normal in that country. There are fewer differences in later years but still quite a few.
I am usually more interested than bothered by those differences, I even admit that there are different perceptions of what’s clean and tidy and just take the state of the house as the standard to keep but there are some limits.
I don’t think the situation described by @s.marie15 is normal in any culture. Even if you have a dryer, you wouldn’t be able to replace the sheets instantly if by accident they got stained and, having pets, that’s more likely so the only possible explanation that I can think of is that they feel comfortable surrounded by an unclean environment.
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I don’t understand this @temba in our hot climate. No top sheet? Weird!
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@largo what happens in summer when itstpo hot for a duvet?
Ugh, so sorry you’re in this situation sounds awful. You are handling it well and obviously leave it in the review.
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Awful–so now you know they Are clueless knuckleheads, you gave them a chance to somewhat rectify and they failed miserably.