Safety concern and house keeping skills issues

Owner Questions, Advice & Chat
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I am still in shock and I had sleeping difficulties after my last sitter. I would like other owners advices to see if I am overreacting.

We had a plenty of 5 stars reviews’ pet sitter for a week over Chirstmas.

When we did the interview, I thought we left it clear how important it was for us to be a good house keeper and NOT LEAVING CHORES FOR US, but when we got home we found out, not only that she overflow the stacked washer and it stopped before spinning or even rinse the dirty water, but that she put them in the overtop dryer letting the dirty water drip down to the floor (that, as she explained in her text, she mopped) but still we found brown traces of the dirty water coming down from the dryer.

She said water started coming from under the washer, but underneath everything is dry and dusty, wich makes no sense after what she described.

But what really distressed me was to find that the dryer was STILL ON AND RUNNING!!!, since she dropped the keys 4 HOURS EARLIER BEFORE WE GOT THERE!!!, (apparently, she put the dryer in an untimed program that runs not stop) and reading her last msgs, we could understand that the dryer had being working for some hours more before she left, with no succes because what she described in her text, the clothes were “sopping wet”. This made me uneasy because I later was told this could have easily caused a fire because not only the element could have burned after so many hours running non-stop, but the water from the sopping cloths inside could have couse an electical short-circuit.

Now I am scared to even use another petsitter because this could have ended pretty bad and have find our home in flames and my babies burned alive inside.

I am not even mentioning the 1” long dent I found in the door where the washer and dryer is. This particulary bothers me because we just changed all doors in the condo and they were BRAND-NEW!!!

Other than that, she kept the home clean because she was home just for sleeping and shower, what it was a totally unmatch for us since we left clear in the interview that the reason we need a sitter is to let in and out our male cat any time he needed (he probably was stuck inside or outside because she was leaving in the afternoon and coming back at night)

And her house keeping skills were questinable, she didnt even wipe after her use of the bathrooms, leaving water stains and her traces all over.

As well, the communication obviously wasn’t great either. She could have told us what she was dealing with at home with the washer and we would have strongly advised her not to put the clothes in the dryer.

Or confirm with us that someone else was joining her and we would have told her where extra bed-sheets were (or simply asked if there was any) instead of blaming it on the washer fiasco and left one more chore for me after my 10 hour trip back home.

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If I’m reading this right she was washing clothes for you on the day she left? Your clothes?

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She was washing the towels i left for her, the bedsheets of the 2 beds they used, the bathroom mats all together with the cats boxlitter’s mat (wich I find totally unsanitary and disgusting) in the day she was leaving, yes.

It belong to the condo but it was use by her and her companion. She could have put there some of her own cloths but I cant know because I just found in the dryer what belongs to the condo, and it was pretty heavy already with over 6 towels and the beach towels (one of them oversize).

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My sympathies for experiencing such a terrible sitter. Please write an accurate review to warn off other hosts.

Looking back at your history on the forum, you had another disastrous sitter previously. Maybe consider asking more successful hosts for their vetting process and questions, if you decide to continue with hosting?

Another possibility: Look for reviews where sitters are welcomed back repeatedly?

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Thanks. That’s a great tip and something I didn’t think before. :heart:

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Ah ok. Yeah that’s probably best left since it’s normally a big load and takes ages to wash and dry in a tumbledryer.

Sounds like it was a bit too much of a load for the washer to spin properly so it ended the wash still wet and unrinsed and she just threw it in the dryer. I generally don’t do laundry on the day of departure because of things like that unless I have a very late flight and have time to get it all done. I would suggest you ask your sitters to leave it next time.

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We had the same experience and believe it was a case where the sitter from Europe was unfamiliar with the separate washers and driers used in the US. (In all honesty, the washer/dryer appliances in Europe boggle the mind with all kinds of weird and indecipherable hieroglyphics on the controls.)

What happened in our home was that the sitter attempted to wash a set of sheets. During the wash spin cycle, the load was unbalanced and the washer faulted. The sitter apparently thought the wash cycle completed and moved the soggy sheets to the dryer. Of course, US driers are not able to handle soggy loads (which a European washer/dryer is specifically designed to handle) and multiple dry cycles failed to do much of anything. It was a very unfortunate situation with an otherwise excellent sitter.

I have to warn @Bella77 to check the drier vent outlet and verify good air flow. In our case, some water from the soggy clothes migrated into the vent line, collecting lint along the way, and entirely clogged air flow. THAT was a serious danger as clogged dryer vent lines are a common cause of house fires. Sorry for this bad news.

It doesn’t sound like your sitter intentionally left you chores to handle on your return. Rather it seems they were attempting to save you chores on their last day and things went seriously sideways on them. That’s a bummer for both of you. You might have a conversation with the sitter to get full details on what happened; it could help both parties process the outcome.

Since our experience, we have added to our welcome guide and house manual that we do NOT want sitters doing wash loads of towels or linens explaining that heavy loads are a bit challenging for our 50 year old washer/dryer appliances. I think it’s the 50 year old claim that grabs their attention. And, yes, the appliances are that old, they’re built like a battleship and, when they breakdown, a 12 year old can fix them.

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Definitely!!! I learned my lesson from this, and after seeing that she put the litter box’s mat with towels and bed sheets in the washer together, and seeing the brown stains coming from supposedly fresh washed laundry that still are in the dryer and I haven’t wiped yet in case I need proof, I won’t trust ever again a house sitter’s cleaning standards.

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Thank you for your detailed explanation and advice. And sorry for your experience, too.

In our case, she was a 51-year-old New York teacher; her age and job made us believe she would be responsible and experienced. The washer and dryer are only 4 years old, but after what you just described to me, we don’t want to risk it. We will buy a new set right now. I am way too scared now. This is going to be an expensive sitting job since we don’t know how high the electricity bill will be this month after her dryer use. Plus, she left both bathrooms’ lights on even though we wrote in the house rules printed sheet that all lights and appliances in the condo need to be turned off every time before she leaves the condo.

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Sounds like you won’t ever have a house sitter again

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I think you’re focussed too much on having your house cleaned and chores done rather than having a pet-sitter. You’re unhappy there were watermarks in the bathroom? You’re unhappy that she left in the afternoon so I’m guessing you expected her to be there 20+ hours a day? If you want your cat to have 24x7 access to the outside the solution is a cat-flap rather than a 24 hour doorman. You want your house spring-cleaned when you get back from your trip hire a cleaner.

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If they are their for a week, I honestly don’t ask them to clean sheets, just to strip the bed and leave the dirty sheets near the washer.

First, I prefer to do this myself so it is washed the way I want. I also know the quirks of my machines whereas sitters don’t.

Second, they really aren’t there to clean. I understand cleaning up after themselves but that just means cleaning their dirty dishes and spills.

So if you do get a sitter again, maybe consider a cleaning service to come in right after or the day the sitter leaves?

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I’m really sorry you felt shaken after finding appliances running, water where it shouldn’t be, and damage to a newly renovated space. It makes sense that you’re looking for clarity and reassurance.

At the same time, it also sounds like the sitter may have been trying to manage a situation to have everything cleaned for you. Even experienced sitters can be at loss when an appliance behaves unexpectedly, especially in an unfamiliar home with machines that all work differently. What looks like “carelessness” from the outside can sometimes be someone trying to fix a problem because they don’t want to bother the homeowner. Espcially as some hosts will dock stars if a sitter isn’t independent enough.

The dryer running for hours is understandably alarming, but it’s also possible she didn’t realize the program was untimed or assumed it would shut off automatically. The same goes for the washer overflow — she may have genuinely believed water came from underneath if she saw it spreading across the floor, even if the source was different. The cause could be present before the sit, for instance a clog, which in my experience can be surprisingly small causing a problem - or the position of the hose behind the machine could have shifted (this happened twice with our machine, both times after service by professionals).

It may help your concerns and worry to consider that she might have been doing her best within her own understanding, even if that “best” didn’t meet your needs.

You’re not overreacting to feeling unsafe, but it might also be true that this was a combination of miscommunication, unfamiliar equipment, and a sitter who didn’t want to disturb you during your holiday.

On my sits I hardly ever do laundry the last day, either because the host has said to leave it (to be nice or because they prefer to handle it, or combine it with their holiday laundry) or because I tell the host I am not able to because of my travel plans. Maybe that would be a better solution going forward, to take the stress out of it.

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“I am sorry, Ray, but that is what we needed and what we were asking in our profile. That was the deal, and we left it very clear in the interview. Your opinion is valid, but our expectations too, even if you don’t approve it. We need someone in the afternoons, not in the morning. She should have told us she wouldn’t be there for when we need her. A dog needs to be walked every 2 hours; we need someone at home from 3 pm till 9 pm, not necessarily need to be there the whole time straight but at least show up. After that, she could have done whatever she wanted. And we spent hours to leave my home pristine for her with NO TRACE OF US. I told her that we expected the same back, She didn’t have to clean to feel comfortable but we shouldnt have to cleanafter her either. This wasn’t an Airb&b. If you read again the introduction thread, I was asking other owners, not pet sitters, since I understand not all of you have the same cleaning standards. Thank you again for your previous advice, but I think you should stop here the interaction with me. Happy New Year and Good Bye.”

Contacting previous sitters to get an HONEST review of a sit?
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That is exactly what I mean when I said what I said. I shouldn’t have to clean for someone else’s traces when I clean mine so the sitter finds herself welcome and comfortable. I think that if you come to a clean space, and are told that they have a high cleanliness standard, you should at least wipe the mirror, not leave dented doors, and not even mention it."

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Yeah that all sounds very sloppy, so I understand why you’re upset! All you can really do at this point is leave an honest review.

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Hi Garfield, thank you for your respectful answer and advice. I agree with you about the miscommunication and the fear of me dropping some stars in the self-sufficient rating point, but this not only proves that she not only failed on that but in the communication too.

On the other hand, I insisted that we don’t mind to be contacted and that we rather prefer so in case something happened, which was exactly the case.

If we hadn’t have found the dryer running with all wet clothes with the dirty drops coming from it and the dent in the brand new door, we would have totally overlooked the cleaning issues (and more that I didn’t mention), but now and after what some disrespectful house sitters are answering here, I think we will write it all in our review.

We think it is more than miscommunication and try to deal with something she was not use to. I printed for her a self-made “Rules and Regulation” sheet that says to turn off all lights and electronic devices in the condo which she totally violated when she left the dryer running and lights on when she closed that door and left.

Not only that. In the welcome guide, the night before and the same day, I texted her to fill the food dispenser in the case something happens to our flight. I assumed she forgot, but it is way too many things to just overlook it all. Now I feel like to overlook none of them at all.

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If you read again the introduction thread, I was asking other owners, not pet sitters, since I understand not all of you have the same cleaning standards.

Let’s clear up a few misconceptions here:

  • Sitters are not some separate species to homeowners. I(’m assuming the “you” in “all of you” is referring to sitters and not some other grouping.)
  • Just because I’m a sitter doesn’t mean I’m not a homeowner.
  • Cleaning standards (not to mention other aspects of a persons character) are not the preserve of one group of people or another.

Thank you again for your previous advice, but I think you should stop here the interaction with me. Happy New Year and Good Bye.”

Whether I interact on this forum with you or not is not your choice to make.

Coming home to wet laundry and a smudged mirror must have been a terrible ordeal, your attempts at catastrophising the experience aside. I wish you a speedy recovery and a spotless new year.

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Just a reminder to please keep comments kind and respectful.

Thank you.

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I think I did, I really apologize if you mean I didnt. I still need to ask the other homeowners about how to write my review to this sitter, so please, don’t block this post.

(Edited to meet the Forum Guidelines)