As a sitter I always check with the HO what their preference is. Some just ask that the bed be stripped and bedding and towels either left in the room or in the laundry. Some HOs ask that you put the things you have used in the machine but bearing in mind that when a sitter needs to leave early to get to the next sit, there may be wet washing in the machine when the HO gets home and they then have to deal with that before they can do their holiday wash; alot of HOs I have found dont want to have to worry about that which is why they might say just strip bed but leave it in the room. I am more than happy to make up a bed but some HOs leave no notes as to where spare bedding is kept and sometimes you find it in the most obscure place and often not to size for the bed used! I would say that if your preference is to have the bed made up for when you return, leave a clear note to that effect and the spare sheets, pillow slips etc folded on the bed so that the sitter finds them on arrival. Include with the note if you want the used bedding just left somewhere or put in the wash but be prepared to deal with wet washing on your return and bearing in mind it might have been sitting in there all day if you are back late in which case it will need another wash cycle! I hope that helps?
For me as a HO itās fine if the used linens and towels are put in the laundry bin. I have extra pillows and blankets for guests anyway and during their stay our own are stowed away so (except the bed itself and the mattresses) will not be used by us. It would be double work to take everything off again for storage.
And, when you come back from a trip thereās so much to wash anyway that a few items more donāt matter to me.
I tell the sitters to strip the bed, pillows and blankets from linens and put everything including the towels in the laundry and I will do the rest.
I have been reading all the remarks over the past 24 hours and wanting to contribute without becoming negative. So thank goodness for @carpediem and @anon39388349 common sense answers.
I arrived at one house where the HO asked me if I had brought my own bed linen as her usual sitter always did. That was not a good start.
I note that some sitters do bring their own; the day that we are expected to bring our own is the day that I give up house-sitting after 11 successful years
I always ask my sitter to strip the bed and put the linen on to wash. I donāt mind if itās not finished when we get back. We understand that sometimes we donāt see the sitter if we are going to be home after midday and I donāt mind coming home to washing in the machine. Iāve only had one sitter who didnāt strip the bed and the majority of my sitters have washed the linen and towels and a number have remade the bed which was wonderful. Itās important to let your sitters know your expectations and Iād rather put lots of info in the guide than not enough.
'itchyfeet I agree with that and would not take on a sit that expected me to bring my own especially as I travel by public transport! I can understand that some sitters prefer to use thier own bedding and I have to say I have stayed in some places where the bedding was a long way from clean and I came close to going out and buying them some replacementā¦you roll with it and look forward to the next sit where more often than not you drift away under chrisp clean sheetsā¦nite nite!
@LizH yes the key to this is good communication and then everybody knows where they stand
I wonder what else some people expectā¦?
But I donāt think thatās the majority, so donāt give upšš¼
Our last sitter (not from THS) always brought her own but she lives a few streets from our house so this was not a problem for her at all as she often ātraveledā from her house to ours. However I donāt expect anybody to bring their own, especially not if they come from abroad by plane and public transport. Thatās why I simply purchased two extra pillows and blankets. It can be so easy if you simply talk to each other.
I think if everyone (Sitters and HO) had their own checklist this topic, amongst others, could be cleared easily right away.
Hi @Itchyfeet I donāt believe anyone is saying that they have been expected to bring their own by any owner, only that they have chosen to for their own convenience ā¦
@long1016 Washing sheets and towels and making up the beds with fresh linens is part of my practice. I wouldnāt think of leaving a housesit without leaving the beds ready for the HO to use upon arrival! Even when the HO has asked that I not wash linens, I usually strip the bed and leave the used bedding in the laundry room.
~S~
I will always wash the bedding if I have the time but the last sit I did was in a B&B
So the HO asked me to just strip the bedding & place them outside in the laundry bin for the launderette to collect them which was fab.
Like others, we always wash, dry and return the sheets to the bed. This is only constrained by having to leave early but in that case we do remake the bed in fresh sheets. When I get back from holidays I donāt want to do a whole lot of work and Iām pretty sure our hosts donāt either.
I appreciate all the answers as I was just curious. The reason I was asking again is that in the beginning it seemed all our HSās were washing and replacing sheets on the beds and washing their towels, but as of late, this is not the case. I have even had some make the bed back up with the dirty sheets still on the bed, so twice the work of removing all the pillows, comforter, etc. and start from scratch.
Our last sit decided they could not sleep together so they used two of our bedrooms, hence two sets of sheets, and then left them dirty. Lots of work. I know they are staying with our furbaby, but they are also getting a place to stay while they explore a new city and are on their way to another sit.
I was just curious what others were doing regarding this topic and have seen what I thought was correct, and I do agree about leaving early and not expecting anything to be done, but all our sitters are driving from one location to another so should not be a big deal about time constraints.
Thanks for all the comments!
It depends. I have that conversation with the owner prior to the sit. Almost always they tell me just to leave it. Iāve only had four sets with trusted housesitters but I have pets sat for many years. ) However, I do wash the towels as I wake up first thing in the morning and do so. If I have time to wash and dry the sheets than I will. In the meantime Iām getting the final details done and cleaning the rest of the house. The last thing I do is put sheets on the bed prior to leaving. But at the very least I either leave them in the washing machine without washing them or I dry them and fold them and put them in the bedroom - depending on how much time I have.
Having run an Airbnb I have found that many guests like to have their bed made prior to their arrival and not in a room that has been sitting there for a month without anybody staying there and, while I have only done four sets, twice the owners have told me that they wait until Just before a guest arrive so that everything smells clean.
Hi long 1016 I would always wash sheets and put out to dry. This is a tricky one as the house sitter could be going to the airport and facing a long haul flight so they may not be that keen on getting up extra early. I have done it and washed sheets but have to say it was tough getting out of bed at 4.00am to do last minute stuff plus washing sheets then 1 and 1/2 hours to the airport for 20 hour flight home. I think if it matters to you, it is worth mentioning to the sitter. I do not know any other sitters but feel they are probably keen to have a happy home owner. I base everything I do on what I like and would hope to find in my home. Do not make it too complicated.
Hello,
We always aim to get all the Bedding and Towels washed and dried before leaving and check if they want to the Beds remade, I would pop it in the House Notes maybe, I always check along with the Dishwasher being run and emptied before we leave.
Manda
We ALWAYS make the time to clean the linens. We have left towels in the dryer and clean dishes in the dishwasher if the owner arrived sooner than expected (which happens frequently when they are driving/Raving).
As a sitter and an Owner, Iād be insulted if the sitters did not leave the house as they found it - which includes clean linens.
As Sitters, we always wash all linens we have used including bed sheets, towels, kitchen tea towels, pet towels, etc. All the laundered items are neatly folded and put away. I always ask, upon arriving at the sit, if theyād like us to put clean sheets on the bed weāve used. Most say āNo, just wash the sheets youāve used and leave them in the linen closet or folded on the bed.ā I think they prefer to make up the guest bed themselves.
I am new to TH and just completed my first sit about 3 hours from home. Iām not a virgin house sitter anymore. Yay! And I got a 5-star review. I could not imagine leaving someoneās home without laundering their bedding before they returned. In my case, the sit was only for 4 days, but I had 3 dogs in my care and they all slept with me. I tend to only use the dishes I need and not make a mess, so leaving a place clean or cleaner than when I got it, is only the polite thing to do. Plus my HOās had state of the art brand new Maytag washer and dryer!.
Congratulations on your first ever sit and your 5* review ā¦ itās always a special feeling no matter how many we get but that first one is always Xtra special, you are now a āseasonedā sitter!!
We always put clean sheets on the bed, and washed used ones unless we were scheduled to leave earlier in the morning and there wasnāt time. We would always wash towels too.