Something I’ve starting doing over the last few months of sitting is doing the big clean up and pack up on the penultimate night.
I tend to clean up as I go along, and am naturally tidy, but I do the big vacuuming, mopping, kitchen clean-up, and pack as much of my stuff as I can on the penultimate night now. This means I can have a much more relaxing final evening, with just a few final tasks to do.
Am I alone in this?
Yup, I start cleaning a day ahead and wrap up the day I leave. I use a checklist to avoid forgetting tasks and belongings.
I’ve been sitting while telecommuting, so I’ve always done the above. I don’t have time to just clean the day I leave.
Yes, exactly, and you know that if it is left to the last minute, you discover that the vacuum doesn’t work, or needs some complicated emptying procedure!
I tend to do the bulk of the cleaning the day before we are due to leave, regardless of our departure time. I like the final evening and the last day to be as relaxed as possible if we still be there for a bit.
I also may do some cleaning a couple of days before in less used areas so they are completely done. If we have been using multiple bathrooms–usually not more than 2– I will usually clean all but one a couple of days before we leave and close them off. This couple of days before I may also do things like dusting and little things that the host probably wouldn’t expect us to do but will give the house an extra ‘shine’ to it.
But this typical schedule may be a bit different depending on the type of house and the pets. For animals that shed a lot, or track in a lot of dirt, for example, I might leave the vacuuming and cleaning the floors of the most heavily used areas until the day we leave unless our departure was really early.
My husband and I are both like a clean space so for longer sits especially we are cleaning along other way for ourselves.
We do that too 
, and if we’ve got our car, we load it with as much as we can, leaving just 1 bag between us usually.
It makes the final day/s so much more relaxing and controlled for if an owner ends up arriving earlier than planned.
We also try to do as much cleaning as possible before the last day.
Like those who have already responded, I usually do the main clean-up the day before. There are always tasks that still need doing on the last day but I try to minimise them. On sits where I have my car, I often take my linen which saves laundering the host’s.
The past few sits have been clean as you go… I haven’t had to do more than pack and linens the last day… wipe the counters and go. It’s been nice. I leave the vacuum and broom handy for quick clean ups after the day is done, so it doesn’t build up. The floors I swipe w a microfiber cloth always underfoot so if there’s a spill I just use my bare feet to wipe as needed, quick! .ive had to stop myself from doing deep cleaning, tho. Its been proven again and again that if the owners have left grimy kitchen cabinets, it’s cuz they just don’t notice. All my efforts to clean to my standards have gone unnoticed! So I didn’t do any cabinet cleaning last time I saw grimy doorhandles, etc, and, sure ‘nough, , not a peep mentioned except for maybe “ the house was clean.”
I do that too
Crikey how much mess do people make? Hubby and I clean as we go but also tread very lightly in a home, a forensics team would find very little…so tbh we would clear up and clean in the morning. Hubby is in charge of bathrooms bedding and floors, I’m in charge of the kitchen and bins. It’s easier being a couple I think.
I don’t make a mess @BonnyinBrighton but it does take longer being a solo sitter. I like to take my time and return the accommodation the way it was on arrival as I’m sure the majority of sitters do.
Yup, sitting solo means handling all responsibilities. I live naturally clean and consistently get raves for cleanliness. It takes juggling time, though, especially when working full time remotely.
A few months ago, I started an indefinite sabbatical and have been considering joining my husband in early retirement. If so, sitting would become even less appealing, because then we’d do slow travel without responsibilities for others’ homes and pets. We’d keep our home and RV, too. We love nesting and would not give that up. Nomadic life wouldn’t suit us at all.
Sounds very familar.
Being naturally tidy , I sit as if the homeowners will be returning within a few hours ! Dishes clean & in cabinets, clothes in drawer, bathroom spotless, etc.
Aside from linens (washing, replacing or whatever the homeowners want), there is very little to do on that last day.
My current grumble : The last place I sat, I went above and beyond my usual fastidiousness just because my gut told me something about the homeowner . Spidey-sense said that she would be particularly….picky.
Lo and behold that house was immaculate and I got my first ever 4* “clean & tidy” rating. Sigh………..
Sounds undeserved. You live like we do - clean as we go always. There is no pleasing some people, unfortunately.
I’m pretty sure my only 4 star in one category: cleanliness was because the miserable excuse of a HO was apparently annoyed with me and couldn’t think of another way to say that! She was my 2nd sit, and I didn’t know the rules yet… don’t assume you’re friends cuz she says we are. Long story short, she took offense to my notes re: how to avoid mold in the dryer (my house was on the ocean, her’s on a river…I knew about mold), etc. etc. Whatever. Petty and nasty but it’s not affected my otherwise stellar 5 star rating. Whatever. So I don’t expect HOs to have my point of view, and I don’t offer advice anymore, you bet.
It depends on what time we are leaving.
If it’s an early departure. we do it the day before.
If it’s a late departure, we’d rather do it all on the day of departure, so it’s ultra squeaky clean on their arrival 
I can certainly vouch for the way you left my house ultra squeaky clean! 
@BonnyinBrighton Not all sitters are solo or couples, so some of us have a bigger footprint to clean! I sit with 2 teenage boys. We don’t make a mess and clean as we go, but often there are 3 bedrooms to air and hoover and 3 sets of bedding to strip and wash. Getting some of the jobs done the day before makes a lot of sense and allows us to have a slightly more relaxed final day.
It’s common sense if you ask me. I’m sure you’re not alone.
Hopefully the boys do their share.
I still genuinely don’t understand why there’s so much time given over to cleaning though. For example after I take a shower I clean the shower each day, after cooking I clean the kitchen. I wipe surfaces as I go. We’ll Hoover once a day, and the car seats if we’ve been out. We don’t wear shoes in the home. I’ll tidy up the lounge before bedtime. The HO could arrive home at anytime and find their home 95% ready, 5% being packing our bags/possessions, bed stripping and emptying rubbish bins.