Maybe it would be helpful in your Welcome Guide to simply mention to please strip the bed on the last day and do a load of sheets and towels, letting them know they can be in the dryer or folded and left on the bed (whatever you prefer). I guess some people lack common sense or do not want to take the time to do these things?
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Almost nowhere I sit has a dryer which would make washing and drying the day I leave almost impossible, and not every HO wants you to do that anyway for various reasons. So itās not common sense to not just do it. If the HO doesnāt specify, the sitter should ask what they want done. But if the HO doesnāt specify they also shouldnāt get annoyed when itās not done how they want.
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I think it depends on your laundry situation. Our laundry is in the garage downstairs and not easy to access. I always tell sitters to not make the beds and I plan ahead to have fresh sheets available that I can quickly put on. I also think itās a lot of extra work time for a sitter , especially if itās a short sit. However , as long as you are clear with your sitter and let them know beforehand where the fresh sheets and towels are then it should work out fine for both parties.
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Bit tricky for us to bring our own linen and towels as we travel from Aus. Hand luggage only. 
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You could always wear it and pretend itās a fashion statement 
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We had a sitter for 6 weeks. She washed all the bedding including a flannel flat sheet used as a blanket under a bedspread. She mentioned the washing included washing the mattress pad. We had left a second set of sheets that she made the bed up with and the sheets were in the dryer as we arrived back home at 10:00 am. Definitely a subject to be discussed from both sides depending on a short or long stay.
So far weāve driven to our sits and are able to bring our own sheets, pillows and towels. Weāve always talk to the owner beforehand to agree on their arrival timeline and our departure time and how it relates to our ability to do the bed. So far, so good. We also leave the home spotless.
I have communicated with all HOās about what they want me to do with the bedding and sheeting once finished.
All have had different requests. I have met them, even when the weather has been poor and there hasnāt been a drying options.
Communication is the key.
Interestingly enough, we are wrapping up a sit today, where the owners specifically (in capital letters in the home Instruction) asked us not to wash sheets/towels. It feels odd to leave them undone, but itās the owners discretion, and we will abide. It certainly is true that each sit is very different.
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Question for sitters and HOās
What do people normally do about bedding when they leave?
I always strip the bedsheets and leave them in the washing machine, letting the HO know so they can wash them with whatever else they want to when they return, as a load just for one set of bedding seems a waste. All HOās so far have seemed pleased with this and said thank you.
I had a HO ask for the bed to be remade with fresh sheets when they returned and it just made me curious what other people do or if there is a norm? 
Assuming that I have time before leaving, Iām happy to strip the bed, wash and hang out the sheets, but I always ask before doing anything. If the HO is returning with a load of laundry in their suitcase, they might want to prioritise it over some sheets!
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Yeah time is a factor. Do you ever fully remake the bed or expect to have to?
Sorry, not sure if I was clear, - including washing and drying the sheets, then remaking with them after
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Iāve laundered sheets for my own use during the sit, but I wouldnāt routinely plan to remake the bed at the end unless fresh bedding had been left for that purpose. Washing drying and remaking the bed all with the same set is a hassle that no one wants! Iām already busy cleaning!
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Thanks for your response. It was time consuming, and Iād not been expected to do it on other sits, so wanted to know what other peopleās experiences and thoughts were.
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We would usually strip, launder and remake the bed, if time allows. Making the bed is hard work, but does it really take more than 5-7 minutes?
If thereās no time, then we would strip and launder. Then either hang the clean sheets if the load finished in time, or just notify the owner that the clean sheets are in the washing machine, ready to be hung or dried.
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Iām with you on that ā getting up at 4am to do laundry? THS is a mutual arrangement, not a paid service. There is respectful give and take for both sides. I want to make the HOās lives as easy and hassle-free as possible but as a HS I expect a degree of this also. Will always wash and remake everything as it was when I arrived, but if an early departure meant there isnāt time Iāll strip the bedding and leave beside the washer. (Will also let the HO know this is whatās been done ā no problem if they then ask me to pop the washer on for them, but so far theyāve always been happy for me to just leave them so they can wash clothes as soon as theyāre back.) Throwing linens in a washing machine isnāt a huge task for someone to come back to, esp after having their home and animals cared for, but something about having to strip someone elseās used beddingā¦ thatās a different thing altogether so will never leave without doing that at the bare minimum.
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Of course the key is communication on both ends.
Unless asked otherwise, as a sitter, I strip the bed and put sheets and towels in the washer but do not run it since I usually leave early. I also ask the HO in advance, since some provide clean sheets and its easy to make the bed for them.
As a homeowner, I ask sitters to do exactly the same: strip the bed and leave laundry in the wsaher for me to do. Itās nice to not have to strip the bed from someone elseās sheets after traveling home.
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