Apart from cleaners, I sat where there have been regular gardeners and window washers. Notably so in a couple of cases, because they forgot to lock up and left gates ajar. In both cases, luckily my sit dogs didn’t happen to be runners. If not, that would’ve endangered the dogs, like getting lost or being run over by a car.
Now, I check once gardeners, window washers and such leave, to protect the pets. In one case in Glasgow, the window washers had a key to the back gate and not only left it propped open, they left the key to the gate in the lock. Anyone could’ve come along and swiped it.
Yes we’ve detected a bit of jealousy. We tend to go out when cleaners come. We’re always friendly but we’ve had owners use them to check up on us so keep our distance and don’t say much. Shocking how bad many of them are too!
The cleaners we’ve had while sitting have been really lovely, however we bumped into the usual dog walker on one occasion, who started probing and commenting on the timings to walk the gorgeous dog, in a you’re-not-doing-it-right type of way, because it was different to the timings that she (the dog walker) usually took him out.
But once she understood we were out for stroll with the dog and we’ll let the dog decide on the route and the dog would be walked for much longer than she ever walked him (we put it in a nice way), and then we made her realise we were sitting free of charge, she changed her tone and started talking negatively about the owner, incorrectly thinking she was taking advantage of us… I have no idea why others feel the need to do that! So we reprogrammed her mind to realise it was a win-win, I wish everyone could see that, but I think paid staff are the hardest ones to explain the great ethos of THS to!
I stayed at a wonderful place with a cleaner that came quite often. Once she tried to ask me to finish her job and deal with the owner’s laundry. I wrote her a note that I’m unpaid and only in charge of the pets. I also advised the owners in a friendly way. I am not the hired help lol She did not like that and while I was an impeccable sitter, I’m certain she complained and I wasn’t asked back for setting a fair boundary lol There is a feeling of them being jealous sometimes and unaware the role is unpaid. Other times I’ve had fab experiences.
We’ve had several cleaners come during our sits and it’s never been a problem. I ask if they are planning on have cleaners or yard people come during the sit and they always state I have the option. I say yes because I appreciate the extra cleaning. I give warm vibes and say hello to the cleaners, but other than that, I let them clean and then say goodbye. I never chat with them.
@Hiya, a significant portion of our housesits (~50) have included Pet Parent cleaner. Most Pet Parents do not cancel cleaner during housesit, perhaps as they seek to honour cleaner income, perhaps as they’re simply appreciative of property/pet support. We have never had issues with cleaner.
For context, we are full-time housesitters and travel for months at a time, to various countries, with only carry-on luggage. No suitcases. Unimaginable to many people, but we find the freedom wonderful and we could not consider international housesits with checked luggage.
Re questions - if you don’t seek such conversation then suggest simply walk away or be absent from property during cleaner visit. Many people are curious about housesitting. At a recent housesit, a cleaner asked us such questions as they were highly interested in being a housesitter themselves - not to judge us or our decisions. We explained THS and gave them a few [shiny new] mini business cards with our THS referral code ;).
Re HO comms, we suspect that this both understandable and reasonable. One possible reason for cleaner visits during housesit may be to check if everything - property, pet - is ok. We don’t consider issue with this. If we note that cleaner visited for significantly atypical time/duration and consider an issue then we’d politely mention to HO in a WhatsApp message. HO + cleaner may have arranged different time so it’d only be a polite heads-up.
We have not encountered tension with cleaners. Indeed we relish their presence as they help to tidy a property; sometimes offer tips on local area; and are typically nice people doing their profession.
My favorite cleaning story is on a sit in London once I was taking a nice soak in the tub. All of a sudden, the front door, which was a straight shot down a short hall thru the open bathroom door to the tub, began to be opened! I sputtered “NO! NO,” while frantically standing to reach a towel, and at the same moment the door did open! It was an equally surprised house cleaner, turned out, who spoke not a word of English and had no idea a naked lady would be there to greet her. We both froze for a nanosecond before I began saying g “ who are you?” and trying to g to cover my wet body with a towel. We ended up laughing g about it after we both realized what the situation was, and, although we didn’t speak the same language, we were happy to work together after that for her weekly housecleaning visits. Ha!
never interfere direct with the cleaners. Do this via the HO. Suggest them that to ask (hinting that they ask) the cleaners to do this because of the work crew. Explain to the HO you don’t want to interfere in their relation, but think it needs a good clean. Then the HO either communicate with the cleaners direct (problem solved) or they ask you to do it. In the last case you can “hide” behind the HO. in both cases the cleaners would be very unlikely to complain against you. The trick is to be always the first one to communicate.
One of our very first sits was a large country house which had live in house keepers living in a separate cottage in the grounds. They were an elderly couple and the lady in particular took a disliking to us, was generally quite sharp towards us and nosy, asking us questions about our age and experience etc whilst mentioning they had worked for the family for so many years. We were quite young at the time , around mid 20s and I think they took an instant suspicion towards us. I think she may have had a bee in her bonnet about not being asked to sit themselves.
They would constantly let themselves in to the house to do various small chores but it was definitely to check up on us as they never seemed to be doing any actual cleaning
Before they left the owners told us to help ourselves to the abundant eggs laid by the chickens and give them away to friends and family if we wished (it was a local sit) and the grumpy lady was AFFRONTED and had a real go at us one day as we had given away a couple of boxes to my parents and used the rest.
We never did get a review from that sit and I wondered if she told the owners a false narrative of our stay.
