I think I last ironed a decade+ ago. And my husband, during our last move, wanted to get rid of our garment steamer as well — can’t remember when we last used it.
I hope to never iron or steam anything ever again.
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You can ask for whatever you want; however, you might have a very limited pool of applicants.
I’ve honestly never heard of ironing sheets, but then again, I never learned how to properly fold the fitted sheet. 
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Hi Dolly ,
The rule of thumb for THS is that it’s a mutual exchange ; pet care in exchange for clean comfortable accommodation . Unpaid sitters aren’t expected to do jobs that a paid professional would usually do ( deep cleaning, heavy gardening, house maintenance)
So if it’s a few pots or a greenhouse that needs watering in an evening a sitter will likely be willing to do that . You can add it to the responsibilities section of the listing so they know what they are agreeing to . If it’s a big garden that needs maintaining ( grass mown , beds weeding, dead heading, watering, sweeping up leaves from paths ) and that would take a professional several hours then that’s beyond what is reasonable to expect from an unpaid sitter.
If you want to come home to a bed remade with crisp ironed sheets you can have a spare set of ironed sheets ready to go on the bed .
Then ask the sitters to remove the bedding at the end of the sit and put on the crisply ironed spare bedding .
THS is about finding a mutual exchange . There are more sits listed than sitters available . Aside from pet care , if a listing has a lot of additional demands from a host , sitters won’t apply for that sit and will choose one that is less demanding.
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Just stuff the improperly folded fitted sheet inside a well-folded pillowcase
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That is exactly what I do!!!
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This wouldn’t by any chance be in Germany, would it?
I’ve met Germans who iron everything — kitchen cloths, linen, even underwear. Do love a super crisp linen too, though — but that’s more about the choice of fabric, drying and soap, really
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Wow, that’s actually higher than I thought. I remember my grandmother ironing her sheets and thought it was odd.
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I don’t know how to fold a fitted sheet either. We had one sitter fold the fitted sheet. I was extremely impressed. It was perfect!
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This thread reminded me of the “Downton Abbey” series — the servants even ironed newspapers for their upper crust employers.
Ironing well is something my dad — now nearing 90 — takes great pride in. He started teaching us kids when we were grade school age. He made us iron his outfit daily, down to his handkerchiefs.
I know how to perfectly fold a fitted sheet, too. You just won’t catch me doing it.
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As sitters, we have mowed some lawns on occasion without being asked which was really appreciated by the homeowners. We always wash the bedding. I chuckled about ironing the sheets - I refuse to iron anything - I don’t even buy clothes that require ironing! Someone asked if this homeowner is in Germany - I was going to ask if by chance England? We stayed with friends in England and the wife ironed everything down to her husband and son’s underwear. I was wondering if it was some kind of therapy for her but I’d rather be doing any chore other than ironing 
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One sit we were on the grounds were superb with uninterrupted views across the valley. They had raspberries, strawberries, asparagus, lettuce etc as well as an orchard area that slopes down towards the railway line and river beyond. They went abroad for three weeks in May as did the gardener! ( He wasn’t silly!)
Before leaving they got petrol in for the mowers including a sit on one. Towards the end of 3 weeks the grass had grown a great deal. I offered to cut it as it would have got out of hand and the owners had caravaned across France and would be tired out. We were all of retirement age .
They so appreciated my efforts and they paid me the gardener’s rate for the trouble. The dog was at death’s door and enjoyed the remains of its life with us but was put down as soon as the son was able to see it for the last time, a week later.
Housesitting can be very demanding; physically, emotionally too. But I’m totally addicted as long as I’m working with appreciative and generous Home Owners. I love going beyond expectations but,if I feel abused, I will never return.
Whatever happens the animals have the best time I can offer them. They always deserve 5 star treatment, in my view. Especially if I don’t think the Home Owners cut the mustard.
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Our last sitters were a young (30s) couple doing their first sit. While I was out with the woman showing her the shops, my husband was with the guy showing him other things around the house. I’m the one who manages the THS account so he doesn’t know the rules. The sitter asked my husband if there was anything they could do around the garden to help out. My husband suggested he trim the hazelnut trees lining the track behind the house. When he told me this after we left, I said “WHAT?? You’re not supposed to ask the sitters to do that kind of thing!” 
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Are the ironed sheets for your bed, or for the next person to use the guest room? I’m not sure I would notice if sheets had been ironed or not. I just want soft sheets.
I don’t iron my clothes, so I certainly will not iron sheets. I don’t mind stripping the bed, and dumping the sheets wherever dirty laundry goes. Only once have I been asked to remake the bed, and I was not happy to do that. I sit solo, and anything other than a twin bed is hard for one person to make. All that tugging, pulling, and straightening of the bedding. I don’t think making the room ready for the next sitter is something any sitter should be asked to do.
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You can ask. And you shoud mention stuff on your profile. There is no rule against asking, however, not all sits are going to suit all people. I sit for fun. I’ve never ironed sheets in my life. I’d be terrified of burning them. I probably wouldn’t apply or take your sit. Some people are put off by gardening. I’m no expert but I enjoy it if homeowners can give me idiot-proof instructions. Videos are great.
What I can do is take care of and love your pets. I’ve got some serious expertise in this area. I also have experience owning a home and taking care of it. I’ve got common sense and great communication skills. I’m tidy, but I’m not the cleaner. I’ll clean up after myself and leave the place as I found it – not including the ironed linens. Personally, I try to negotiate my way out of even washing linens both because of the time involved and because I don’t want to take a chance on messing up someone’s washing machine.
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I was thinking German also! I have noticed that clothes dryers are much less common in Germany (and other European countries), so they were really big on ironing everything. When you hang dry everything, it gets much more wrinkled and towels get that crunchy texture. I’ve never ironed sheets in my life. If I need to get the wrinkles out of something, I spritz it with water and throw it in the dryer for a few minutes.
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My wife insisted on buying a lovely ironing board and iron and I admit I was puzzled as my mother had passed many years previously.no danger of a mother in law visit! . the board and iron are stored in the basement storeroom.. to be unearthed if we ever get guests posh enough!
An iron board with cobwebs is our symbol of domestic retirement! We only polish floors ten minutes before visitors are imminent!
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I think this post along with the “you can’t use our kitchen” post are either added by THS or created as a joke. Note how neither OP added any further comments than the initial question. Seems suspicious to me 
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Good point @Stmarys 
Even so, I think there are different types of jokes, and I’m at least a tiny bit closer to accepting ironing the sheets than to giving up access to such a magnificent kitchen
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My husband likes ironed sheets so the deal is he does them! (he even irons my side too !) I wouldn’t.
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