We’ve been lucky so far!
@Elizabeth224 please tell us more about your whole experience. We don’t understand your comments, it’s a bit cryptic.
We are a nice bunch and want to ensure expectations from both HO and sitters’ sides are understood and met. When you give a bit more information, we might be able to weigh in on whether your sitters were out of line, or whether it’s acceptable practice and you were expecting something outside the norm.
We can also help you voice your expectations/requirements for future sits better, so that you don’t come home to a full dishwasher, if that’s an important point for you.
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I don’t quite understand the issue. You’re upset that the sitters used your dishes and washed them? They may have turned on the dishwasher right before they left. Or they may have simply forgotten to empty it – there is a lot to do when leaving a sit. I’ve frequently arrived to sits with full dishwashers (sometimes dirty, sometimes clean). Then I get the challenge of trying to figure out where things go. Not really something to be upset about. Were there other issues?
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I’m not the only one who cleans washing machine filters. 
Phew. Worried it was just me who leaves the house sparkling when I leave.
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@Elizabeth224 shouldn’t you be happy they didn’t waste water, detergent, and electricity doing small loads? Did you get to go on vacation while having free pet care? If so, who cares about putting dishes away? By the way, you say it’s free accommodations but it’s not free at all. Pet parents of all people should know how much work and responsibilities there are to take care of pets. You exchanged your home for 24/7 live-in petcare and home security.
Edited to meet posting guidelines
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Please let us know about their answer.
No. Sorry. This is not a free platform. Its services exchanged. Its also weird that most replies are from sitters … sorry sticking to my experience… whatever the opinions are in the responses.
OP has deleted this comment, but in the AirBNB world “take out the trash, strip bedlinens, and start the dishwasher” are usually tasks you do on the way out the door. I wouldn’t think twice about doing any of these things!
OP, I am a combined sitter/owner, so if you’re looking for some insight from the other side of the fence, I can certainly weigh in.
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Well @Elizabeth224 you flat out ignored our requests on here for more information on your situation and your responses are very hostile. So don’t be surprised if you don’t receive the responses/support you were hoping for.
PS. Many sitters on here are also home owners who use sitters from time to time. Don’t ever assume someone’s position. Most of us that have answered you have a lot of experience.
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@botvot those brief 1 to 2 line descriptions in listings result in a hard pass for me. They can always use ChatGPT to write some of the descriptions for them if they are stuck fir words.
If an owner can’t be bothered telling prospective sitters more about their beloved pet and home care needs then I can’t be bothered considering the listing, even if it’s in an area I want to be.
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I feel like I’ve written an essay in each section of our listing. Our welcome guide is no different. And pretty sure our last sitter didn’t bother to read the guide.
I’ve seen equally underwhelming sitter’s profiles with not much information about themselves or their experience as pet sitters but they still apply with hasty short “I love to travel!” Messages. Like sure, who doesn’t love traveling?
I don’t understand why it’s hard for some people to put themselves in other people’s shoes.
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Looks like I missed the OP, so I don’t know the details…
I’m a HO too and I signed up to THS almost 2 years ago because I was sold on Pet care being the priority, and I’ve had sitters not having time to wash my sheets or came home to the dishwasher still running. Trivial things like that don’t matter if i know my dog was happy and well taken care of and they didn’t leave him alone all day or overnight.
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The gist of the deleted post @wendy_chicago was that the OP had returned to “her precious fur babies” (quote) having been looked after by “strangers in her home” (quote) and the strangers had used all her crockery in only a week long sit and left her to empty the full, clean dishwasher. For this (am sure there was more but it was not detailed) she had complained to THS HQ and sparked the thread and debate…#baffled
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HO/PP here, and I don’t understand what was wrong in the scenario. I don’t have a dishwasher, but if I came home to a drying rack full of clean dishes I’d have no issue with it at all.
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How do I get you two as sitters. I could use a handyman for sure.
Last year I left a sit with a full dishwasher because I discovered that the HO had left it full of dirty dishes and I didn’t want them to come home to that. I use one cup, plate, bowl, spoon, fork, etc. the whole time I’m at a sit, and wash by hand after each use. I then put them away exactly where I found them when I leave.
Yeah, things like “Home and Location: We live in a nice flat in a good area.” Well, that’s helpful. Especially when there are only 4 pictures… and they’re all of the cat sleeping.
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@LIQ So you left the dishwasher full of the HO’s dirty dishes? Sorry, the sentence has me confused. Or maybe you ran the dishwasher full of dirty dishes and then left it full of clean dishes?
I said I didn’t want them to come home to a dishwasher full of dirty dishes.