@Lassie Right on!
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@Lassie, yes.
In my opinion, cleaning shows respect. Both ways.
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@botvot We are sitters and HOs. And we totally agree with your perspective that a clean home shows respect towards each party.
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The majority of people I’ve sat for (I have >45 sits completed on THS) did not have a cleaner coming in on a regular basis. They cleaned themselves. As such, for me it’s a matter of respect to make sure I leave the house in at least the same state that I found it. Which doesn’t mean a day of deep cleaning, but definitely making sure everything is sufficiently clean - just like I would do at home, since I don’t have a cleaner either.
On that note: in 9 years of sitting via THS I have NOT seen cleaning expectations of HOs increase, as suggested. 9 years ago I made sure I left a place clean upon finishing a sit; I still do the exact same. I don’t clean more, I don’t clean less than I did back then. And my reviews have not been affected.
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I agree with you. I share your concerns about THS. Also about some owners and some sitters on this forum. The ultra-demanding owners (complaining over sofa pillows in disarray!) and the sitters that try to make themselves as little and invisible as possible, and I have also been pushing back now and then.
But in reality, the HOs that I am encountering have been great. The only time someone complained about my cleanliness in a review was really about another conflict. I have not been dusting plants (or anything for that matter) and I still get five stars.
I also signal to HOs in contacts before arrival that they don’t need to stress about “deep cleaning” or “spring cleaning” for my sake. And the homes have always been pleasant.
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@Lassie whether you would pay or not for an overnight sitter, cats actually do need them and the sitter is providing that service to you. Cats need the companionship. Cat behavioral experts will tell you this – and you can look that up. Plus, all animals need someone watching them in case there’s an emergency. What if they eat something that puts their life at risk? Someone needs to be there, much more than once in a 24 hour period, both for their emotional well -being, and for their safety.
The sitter is not getting the better deal in my view. As a HO, I consider THS to be an incredible deal without cleaning.
I don’t need to warn anyone. I’m quite sure we will leave houses very clean. That’s not the point. The point is that it shouldn’t be required. I can have an opinion and still do the work because it’s required.
I will note that obviously, if I’m cleaning, then I’m not cuddling, playing, walking dogs or cats, let’s say that last day. I’m cleaning.
Personally, I would prefer a sitter in our home to focus their attention, when home, on our cats. The house will still be there, and I don’t mind cleaning my own home. In some cases, I might not even want someone to clean because I’ve had actual cleaners screw things up, like using the wrong cleaner that destroyed our brand new kitchen faucet.
I really don’t appreciate the suggestions that I don’t have respect. I am a very nice and giving person. That doesn’t mean that I the this is fair because I don’t. I think some of the HOs seem to have an entitled mindset, not a respectful mindset. Respect is not taking more than what you’re giving is worth.
Thankfully, my experiences interacting with HOs so far have been wonderful with one exception, where I just didn’t have the right feeling. My impression could totally have been wrong but I went with my gut. I think the right people most likely find each other, in the end.
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Yeah I’m also concerned when I read about sitters who disappear and spend very little time at home other than sleeping. That’s definitely not right either.
I think (hope) that most likely I just read people in a forum who weren’t reasonable, and somewhat jumped to the conclusion that everyone would be that way.
I still don’t think cleaning beyond our own mess is fair. But that’s what the users of the site expect, so that’s what we’ll do when we house sit.
I still would never require anyone to clean my own home. We hope to get a sitter later this year. And I’ll put my money where my mouth is. I want happy sitters who enjoy our animals and that’s it. This opinion will cost me the price of paying cleaners to clean our home before and after the sit. And I’ll still think that we received a fantastic deal.
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If you end up cleaning for an entire day, then you’d be one of those who’d gone overboard or you’ve made a gigantic mess, IMO.
I’ve never had to do that much cleaning on a sit, even added up altogether. I wouldn’t sit if that were true. I don’t even have that kind of time, since I telecommute. So do many other sitters. I think you’ve come to the wrong conclusions.
Sure, there are hosts and sitters who go overboard, but most of us are normal, LOL.
Add: Maybe there are some retirees who spend that kind of time, because they have it and maybe want to feel useful?
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@CuriousCat With all due respect I think you are making this cleaning issue far too big!
I do agree that the THS latest sitter prep list has too much focus on cleaning these days but it seems most people don’t even receive it and those that do might read it once but never again! Most of us know- very well -how to leave a home at the end of a sit and we hope hosts will do the same preps for us on arrival!
In our 5+ years as sitters around the world we’ve only had one host who had really ridiculous expectations- she dropped a star on cleaning for an extremely petty reason (we did not defrost the icebox after an icetray spilled a little water!!- on a one week sit…!..)
Most people- hosts & sitters alike- are just normal people with normal expectations. Most hosts would just like their home returned as found. And that does not usually involve deep cleaning.
Personally we only do extra cleaning on arrival if the home is not up to our standards- and we only do whats needed for our comfort- and for the rest of the sit we’ll clean up after ourselves- as we go- and a bigger clean on leaving. E g for the current 5 week sit I cleaned two windows, inside & out, in one room we spend a lot of time in- for our own enjoyment! The hosts may, or may not, even notice when they return but it doesn’t matter- I did it for us & not for them!
Don’t forget people come on the forum mainly to complain about things that are going wrong or they look for advice or other perspectives on issues that arise. When things go great- as they should- its not newsworthy!
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@Maggie8K I’m not at all retired. I stay extremely busy with a small business. I also clean daily for at least an hour, my own mess, after dinner. I am not a messy person.
I also have cleaners. Often two people. They stay and work hard for about an hour and a half.
Between both of those efforts, my house, which isn’t large, still has areas that need work right now. The fridge needs cleaning, along the baseboards isn’t great, probably soon the windows (I did clean those a couple of months ago), we have pet covers on our couch that need cleaning, sometimes the cleaners do not dust very well, etc.
I know that you can’t clean very well at all in 45 min to an hour, whoever mentioned that number.
Whenever I do really try to clean, I can easily spend 5 hours working very hard and still not be nearly finished.
I think / hope that most people are reasonable. But we are on a platform where the unreasonable people can destroy someone’s entire membership, by docking stars for ridiculous expectations. That’s unfortunate. I really don’t think they should have review ratings especially.
I still continue to believe that home owners should make clear that they do not expect anything other than don’t leave a big mess created by the sitter (absolutely not their animals other than like accidents or then getting sick, which would need to be cleaned right away too avoid damaging the home).
And it’s pretty funny that several people have said I don’t have respect when, clearly, when we put our house on this platform, we will be much more generous to the sitter than those who require and expect cleaning. I would treat that person like a welcome guest, hope that I’ve chosen someone who will appreciate our generosity and show that appreciation by caring well for our pets. And with pet care we would also be very reasonable – morning and evening feedings would be fine, along with attention when home on the evenings, that kind of thing.
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@CuriousCat I’m sorry, you might have mentioned it earlier, but have you done a pet sit yet on the platform? or multiple? I’m asking because I don’t understand if your position on cleaning as part of occupying someone’s home is related to a bad experience you’ve had or on an apprehension you have of future potential sits, apprehension that may have appeared after reading posts on the forum?
We have never met a home owner who had crazier expectations than just coming home to a normal looking house, in 7 yrs of pet sitting. That’s us, but honestly, I think that’s fair to say that we aren’t that exceptionally lucky in that department, it’s maybe…the norm?
So, if you are worried that the “trend” is all about stellar clean homes or professional grade looking houses at the end of the sit, rest assured, it isn’t the majority.
What you might find is that some home owner came back to a disaster of a filthy place in last experiences, and stress in their listing what they want cleaned, as they might have been too vague in the past.
If you want to enjoy your time with THS, as a sitter, believe us when we say that we clean after ourselves, that’s it, and pet parents are more than happy about that. You can also avoid the listings with excessive requests. Don’t let it deter you from trying pet sitting here, I know a lot of us are having fun, and cleaning is definitely not the main issue when pet sitting.
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No, I mentioned that there are some retired sitters who might spend unnecessary time cleaning, which is maybe why you got the wrong impression about unnecessary cleaning time.
Sounds like you’re unnecessarily worried, IMO. But if actually takes you many hours to clean and you’re worried about reviews that much, sitting might be too stressful for you unless you find matches and discuss explicitly that they don’t expect much cleaning.
I do my thing and don’t stress about reviews, yet still get good ones. If I run into a host who’s unreasonable and gives me an unfair review, oh well. Because I expect most hosts to be reasonable and be able to discern.
And logically, what’s the worst that can happen if someone doesn’t get to sit again ever anyway? It’s not a death sentence. Sitting isn’t necessary. And there are many platforms you could join alternatively.
Plus, the THS membership fee is not significant, because even doing one sit has covered your costs in many cases, because it’s less than the price of one night’s stay at many hotels, and not even fancy ones.
I think you’ve worked yourself up unnecessarily. Personally, I do sitting only as long as I find it enjoyable and low stress. Why would anyone voluntarily do it otherwise is beyond me.
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@CuriousCat It looks like you have not read my comment - tagged to you- above but in your latest response (to @Maggie8K ) I feel you are really overly concerned about cleaning - to an unhealthy degree! Please do read my comment to you above and the latest replies from @Maggie8K & @Nadia111
Most hosts have perfectly normal expectations! Basically to leave the home as found- in most cases! Believe me- we’ve done over 100 sits over the last 5 years in 10 different countries and the vast majority of hosts are NOT obsessed with cleaning to the n’th degree!!
You are over-reacting when you really don’t need to!!
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Nobody has said that you “don’t have respect.” You inferred that from some posts.
Expecting cleaning and being generous to a sitter are not mutually exclusive. My HO reviews usually mention how welcoming and hospitable I was, while I also hope to return to a clean house.
As others have said, the topic of cleaning is probably not as fraught as you may think. I don’t expect a sitter to deep clean (no need to empty and clean my fridge, clean baseboards, wash windows, etc). I just hope to come home to a clean kitchen, bathroom, toilet (yes, I do want sitters to clean the toilet after themselves), floors. My Welcome Guide has very little mention of cleaning, so it’s not like I assign cleaning tasks to a sitter. I like to choose sitters who value cleanliness as much as I do, and want to clean for their own comfort, not just to please me.
When I am on a house-sit, I clean because I don’t want to use a dirty stovetop, see layers of dust or pet hair, etc. I do it because it is important to me, not because a HO expects it.
There are sits here with other requirements that might seem onerous to some - requiring sitters to bring no gluten or meat products into a house, or not to bring any scented soaps or shampoos, or water a yard for 2 hours a day. Sitters who don’t like the requirements can just scroll past, or agree to them if they feel that the sit is worth it.
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I have completed 14 THS sits and gotten all 5-star reviews. Most HOs have mentioned in their comments that I left their house “spotless,” “immaculate” or “very clean and tidy.” I almost laugh every time because I certainly have never spent hours cleaning before I leave. I also don’t sit for longer than a week, and I’m careful not to spill things or make major messes. As a guest, I certainly quickly clean up any spills, but I have never washed linens before leaving, though I always ask if they expect that. Every HO so far has requested I strip my bed and leave used sheets and towels in a designated area (bedroom or laundry area). I have only vacuumed for one sit, which was requested by the HO for just the main living area, and I honored that. I usually sweep the kitchen and always thoroughly clean any toilets, sinks and bathtubs I’ve used. I wash off the kitchen counters and of course make sure cushions are neatly arranged, anything I’ve used has been put back in its place, etc. But that’s it. I have never done any dusting or other extras. I focus most on disinfecting kitchen and bathroom sinks and tubs, bathroom vanity, and kitchen surfaces as common courtesy to minimize germ spread. All the HOs have been very happy, and likewise I can tell they prepared their homes for me to be similarly clean. It would not be worth it to me if I were expected to wash, dry, fold linens and remake the bed when I usually have a long drive home. I would recommend discussing this in your initial call to make sure you’re on the same page. If a HO expects me to vacuum the whole house, wash any floors, or wash the linens I will decline the sit because that would all be too exhausting on top of the pet care and basic cleanup before leaving. But my main point is every single HO has been extremely pleased with how I’ve left their home. I have never been expected to clean like a professional house cleaner. I will add, too, that the majority of the HOs I’ve sat for would rather I leave some dirty dishes in the dishwasher and a partially filled kitchen waste basket than waste energy and run the dishwasher unnecessarily, waste trash bags, etc. I love meeting so many like-minded people who care about the environment more than a perfect house!
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Greetings,
I tend to stay in larger homes than my own home, my own home is 2,300 square feet. I also require my car to be in a garage and I also require a dish washer. Think lots of kitchen counter top surfaces, multiple living areas and in one home I did a sit in, six toilets! All but one home, I have watched dogs, and all but one of those homes, two dogs! TWO DOGS!!! I love dogs, but dogs are dirty! Wiping a dogs paw when they come in is NOT cleaning the dog off, not to mention leaves, ticks and dirt on the sides and underbelly’s. Don’t get me started on male dogs…they don’t always aim and end up aiming right on their front paw…or the head of another sniffing companion somehow!!! They track dirt, drool, shed fur and somehow, every sit one dog manages to puke somewhere on the carpet…NEXT to hardwood or tile! I love cats and dogs, but I have owned dogs. Please…no need to tell me how clean dogs are, yours is no better than the next persons! I digress.
But back to the way I leave my hosts homes. The dishes are all clean, garbage/recycle bins are emptied, floors are swept, vacuumed and if needed in the example of drool by the bowl, wiped well, surfaces are wiped down and the ONE bathroom I use (I pick one bathroom and only use one…less to clean!), I clean well. It takes an hour…I tend to stay in larger homes, well over 3,000 square feet, one as high as 5,900 square feet. While I am working (I work remote), the towels and sheets are going through the washer/dryer as the dish washer is cleaning the dishes. I even have time to wash my own clothes as the last load.
Every single one of my reviews mentions how clean the home is. Four of them hire professional cleaners as well so I would think they would see that I didn’t touch the blinds or the ceiling fans!!! I NEVER dust gran pianos…you have to be very careful about that. And the Waterford crystal chandeliers…I’m not doing that!!! This can be simple, so keep it simple.
Like @Treeandcathugger, I laugh as well when my reviews mention how clean and tidy the place is. If they only knew how little work it took…but I also started with a home that was given to me clean.
But I prescreen that in the initial interview, look at pictures, look in the backgrounds and look at how the owner is presenting themselves, their pet and their home. Go with your gut!
@CuriousCat, I understand you may be inconvenienced more than I may be. Since I work in the homes I sit in, it is very easy for me to multi task on that last day. However, many people, including yourself don’t want to lift a finger because they are busy and other people, like myself, are either working remote or retired…so the small amount of time isn’t a huge deal to someone like us that are home more often versus away. I can see your point very clearly. But…may I simply suggest to you, why don’t you find the $5MM - $10MM homes on this site and sit in those? Be picky! I did one sit…they simply wanted plants watered outside every day! No animals! Remember to only use one bathroom…and keep all the windows closed except the rooms you are in (pollen in the spring, as an example) or just keep the AC/heat on. Fresh air, which I prefer, can be quite dusty especially when a nice cross breeze is blowing all day. But if you stay in the luxury properties, you may feel like you are getting more out of it than you truly are. So sure, you can afford an AirBnB just like I can…but is it at $10MM home you are staying in? I am not, and I do not believe you are either.
Save the Airbnb for the more common tourist destinations and the THS for the more exotic locations or simply grand estates that you would otherwise not stay in…and make it worthwhile, 2 weeks or more. Than you may not find “cleaning” to be such a chore.
I sit because I miss pets and I am now single. My ex was someone that always wanted to stay home so I never went somewhere for more than a week, no more than twice a year. Well…the flood gates opened!!! I am taking advantage of traveling which is something I have never been able to do before. As I type this, I have slept in my own bed 41 nights and I won’t be home again until June 09. I would say I have been sitting for about 30 nights, the rest of the time I have active vacations and it wouldn’t be fair to an animal.
Know why you are house sitting…I suppose that is my biggest piece of advice to you. If you find your why, you may not renew THS when your membership expires or you may use it more!
I hope this helps!
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You sure picked a very heated topic!!! I love it!!!
This topic has inspired me to have a spring clean which I’m enjoying hugely, I’ve thought about what a sitter would think of my modern ‘spotless’ by all appearances apartment home (I’m a sitter myself) and what I’d be repulsed by in a HO’s place. I have pretty high standards or so I thought… but delving into corners I’m discovering places I’ve not cleaned in a while and discovering all sorts of surprising things: like a suede belt at the back of o low shoe cupboard that has grown white mold!! Like a glass bowl of marbles with x3 dead bluebottles yuk!! And the most surprising thing I’ve found was a half eaten bag of stale crisps under the L shaped low leather sofa- obviously the Hoover has been pushing that around back and forth for quite a while too! So now I’m on a mission to test my own home for its Yuk Factor. 
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If Trusted House Sitters changed their name to Trusted Pet Sitters, this would shift the emphasis fully onto Pet Sitting rather than people getting stressed the home wasn’t clean enough.
Just a thought.
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Oh! So I’m not the only person who does this. I look at a dusty plant and think, “You poor dear. No rain shower to wash you clean. Let me give you a wee wash off.”
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