Hello all!
Hoping to get help from you those of you that are wordsmiths to find different ways to creatively and kindly say, this place is dirty so that other sitters know while also balancing that with the fact that if you can get past the level of cleanliness, everything else is great/amazing?
TIA! X
@bakindoki, remember Cleanliness is now one of the new owner categories to be star-rated by sitters so there’s your opportunity to express this. I’m sure other members will offer their tactful words to help you!
@bakindoki a great question - it would help to know what kind of dirt ?
Is it :
Dust, cobwebs ( in an old property) ,
pet hair ( from multiple pets )
mud from being situated a rural location
mouldy / out of date food in fridge ,
stained or unwashed bed linen ,
greasy appliances and surfaces in kitchen
Lack of equipment to clean ( broken vacuum/ no mop or cleaning products )
The answer is yes 
.
There are cleaning supplies but the vacuums are not powerful enough to pick up the pet hair, as half the home is carpeted. They would probably need a pet vacuum or a rake. They also misplaced all their grooming tools so I couldn’t groom their pets even though I wanted to and it probably would have helped with all the fur shedding.
The home is mostly well-organised (with some really cool art, etc.) and it’s not super cluttered at all, but it’s just…not the cleanest. Smells coming out of the fridge, the trash receptacles look like they’ve never been cleaned before, cobwebs, stains on linens (but I’m sure they’re washed), food and grime On the walls near pet area, kitchen is sticky, and the home smells like a litter box as it is a multi cat household (i’ve left windows open and clean the boxes twice daily, but am aware that depending on the choice of litter, there’s only so much you can do 
).
I still had a lovely sit and they were wonderful and thoughtful/laidback hosts but this definitely would not be a sit for everyone and I’m cool with the week-long commitment length.
So yea, would just love some ideas on how to say the above kindly. People live in different ways and that’s totally ok, and I just want to be fair and transparent but realise this can be a very delicate topic for many folks.
@temba thanks for calling that out! I was aware and find those sliders super useful…just wasn’t sure how to reference this in the copy or if I should just not mention it and decrease that slider. Everything. Else was 5 star, I would say. Cleanliness in reality was probably a 2, but I know they tried before I left and the baseline is just in a very different place than what I personally would consider suitable.
@bakindoki would you go back ?
Only go back if certain things were changed ?
Definitely not go back under any circumstances?
Wordsmith options @bakindoki could include:
Very well lived in
Functional if basic
Clearly the full time home of multiple pets and humans
Would really benefit from a deep clean
Earthy
For those sitters who love pets and (location etc)and are less concerned about pristine accommodation
Not for the faint hearted
Any of those helpful? Definitely use the new cleanliness rating star 
to mark it down but use the copy to big up the rest of the good points. #wishyouwellwordsmith
Hosts ABC were lovely and welcoming.
Very much enjoyed the kitties whose demeanors were blah blah.
Location of home was blah blah and I enjoyed blah blah.
Future sitters may want to consider balancing the above positives with a home’s cleanliness that may not meet the standards of other sitters.
I WOULD / I WOULD NOT return all things considered.
Thanks! this is very helpful!
Thanks! This is also a great approach.
TBH, undecided, but I think maybe yes and no…depending on length of stay.
So probably yes for a short time where I’m just here to explore the city and no for a long time where I’d actually be living here?
If it were a long stay, I would then be committing myself to overhauling the entire place and doing a deep clean because I wouldn’t feel comfortable staying longer without properly going in. I’d also require that they provide the necessary grooming tools as I have no problems with committing to grooming, especially if it means a cleaner and more pleasant home. I’d probably also ask/suggest if it would be possible to try out a different litter that I know to be good while I’m here. And I know I would buy a tool specifically for cleaning/combing all the hair in the carpet, etc…all those changes are a bit much which I acknowledge, hence why I don’t think I’d do a long sit here.
Again, fully acknowledge that this is just me and people are different. I’m still happy to have and learn from the experience. Absolutely no shade intended.
I’ve seen some that mention they have allergies and suggest that those with allergies may have some issues on the sit. I personnally do not mention cleanliness at all if it was not in good shape and now that we have a star system for cleanliness I would rate them appropriately in the star for Cleanlines. I learned from experience that if you do not see any of the prior sitters mention cleanliness, that it’s likely not clean.
Use the sandwich approach - Good-bad-Good
It was an absolute pleasure housesitting for [their name]. They are truly lovely and welcoming hosts. Throughout my stay, I appreciated their warmth and hospitality. The pets were sweet, cuddly… The home is generally well-organized and not cluttered and in a great location, however, I did notice some areas that could benefit from a bit more attention to cleanliness.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time housesitting for [homeowner’s name], and they were incredibly kind and considerate hosts.
We usually end up with - We will recommend this sit ( this means we wouldn’t mind repeating). If that line is missing, then it means we will never repeat this sit for the future.
“The hosts, animals, and location for this sit are all amazing. If you are picky about cleanliness, this may not be the sit for you, but otherwise it was great, and on balance I’d return for a short sit or if there was a deep cleaning before a longer sit.”
Honestly leaving a review like this is purely for other sitters. It would be unlikely to benefit you, as the homeowners may be too embarrassed or angry to have you back. If you do come up with something like this, I sincerely appreciate your willingness to help other sitters. A sit like that would drive me nuts for the entire time I was there.
That sounds too generous - “absolute pleasure” and “thoroughly enjoyed” are not phrases that I would use for a sit like this.
@babindoki - you’ve had some good suggestions for tactfully wording the review. I would take off at least 2 stars for cleanliness AND explain why in the review. I find it frustrating when sitters and homeowners don’t explain a reduced star rating. I like @Cuttlefish and @HelloOutThere suggestions. I might add “if you are sensitive to smells, this might not be a good fit due to the number of cats and the overcrowded (or whatever) fridge”
Very difficult situation you find yourself in.
Telling a friendly person who you have connected with something unpleasant about their lifestyle is so difficult. It is hard not to cause offence but as sitters we should try to be true to people who come after us. On the one or two sits that we have done that have been less than perfect (a lot less on one occasion) I just omitted to do a review. The other technique I adopted was to make the review short and to the point, not saying anything about the state of the property. This was before our new system of reviews was implemented.
Now, I don’t know how I’d deal with it. Of course less than five stars on cleanliness but what do you say and not cause offence? Maybe, this was not a sit for OCD sufferers or we struggled to keep the place clean because of the number of pets shedding hair.
Of course if you have no intention of ever going back or they are not your all time bosom buddies just say how it is.
“The property was not up to our usual standard of cleanliness.”
Leaving a review blank that ends up being sandwiched between completed reviews makes me think that the home host and thsitter didn’t hit it off.
But then when I see the home host left a nice review for the sitter then it’s like… why is the sitter review blank?
What was “wrong” with the sitter?
Especially now with blind reviews.
@Val " If you are picky about cleanliness…"
IMO, having a clean home upon arrival at a sit is not being picky.
And I agree. But if we’re trying to come up with a way to say “you are lovely but your place is gross”, we may be trying to be gentle. ‘Picky about cleanliness’ takes a little of the sting out of it by admitting people have different standards. My husband was using stacks of pizza boxes as furniture when I met him. I’ve fixed that.
I’d suggest something like, if cleanliness is a priority.
I’m in the same situation! Hosts lovely, location great, pets sweet. But soooo dirty. Toilet I was given to use had pee stains. Counters dirty. Bathroom smells moldy. I’m currently showering at a local facility because I can’t bare the shower. They left their old used towels hanging on it. I was so shocked. They are kind nice people. If I was to sit again I would need a cleaning service to come the day they leave. They showed me my bathroom and then continued to use it themselves. Fridge very full with their old food…. But there are some upsides . Excellent location. I have had 1 excellent sit and the others very dirty. Is something sent to HO like clean bathroom thoroughly and then don’t use it! Or clean fridge? Cause my experience is HO need this clearly layed out and then a reminder before sitter arrives.