It looks like there is a lot of information/tips on the internet for what to do if your carbon steel pan gets rusty, so you might be able to save it.
I’d say let this go at this point but mention it when speaking with the all sitters you select going forward. If a Welcome Guide is involved, perhaps some things slip through the mental “cracks,” especially if not directly pet-related.
In fact, a running list of things to emphasize is a good idea. I mention things I’ve made mental notes of when speaking with home owners.
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My guess is if you ask her she will deny, obfuscate or otherwise not take responsibility. The fact that she hid the pan says it all : She tried to hide the evidence hoping that you’d not find it.
It sounds like you already made the (very fair) request and there is no need to update your guide -unless you want to put the request in all CAPS !
I’m sorry that you had this experience with a very irresponsible sitter. I personally would have dinged her a star or so and noted exactly why.
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Hahaha! Yes, it does say how to clean: “All cast iron and carbon steel – including the frying pan I keep on the cooktop, the wok, the de Buyer skillet, the small cast iron skillets in the drawers – gets wiped out with hot water and immediately dried, then heated briefly to ensure completely dry. If something gets stuck on, scrub under running hot water until it comes off, or just leave it on the counter for me to deal with. Please do not wash cast iron or carbon steel with soap, put it into the dishwasher, or let it soak. I would absolutely rather come home to find them dirty with stuck-on grease and food than to find they’d been soaked or soaped or put through the dishwasher.”
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Yes, I’ve soaked it in vinegar and boiled it (yes, weirdly that helps) to remove as much of the rust as I can, then oiled it and stuck it into a 450 oven to start the reseasoning. I’m sure it’ll be back to where it was in a few dozen uses. Not the end of the world!
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I’d already reviewed. I probably wouldn’t have dinged a star from the overall, maybe taken a star off for the communication rating, but I’d really hate to ding someone a star overall on their first sit when they were probably trying to do the best they could.
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Hopefully the kitties were in a better state than the skillet upon your return! I’m cringing, as I’m sure I’ve both soaped and soaked cast iron on previous sits, although nothing ended up looking quite like that. Perhaps stick ‘post-it’ notes to anything that has special cleaning requirements? I did a sit where everything was labelled, which I initially found hilarious and a bit O.T.T., but it was actually incredibly helpful, and saved me from having to refer back to the welcome guide on more than one occasion.
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We’re in the US and do have Brillo…I wouldn’t have thought of it for this, as it’s not something I’d use on a seasoned pan, but it sounds like at least Brillo thinks it’s a good idea for a rusted one. After I vinegared and boiled it, there was still some seasoning left, so I oiled it and stuck it in the oven on 450. Maybe I’ll find the seasoning that was left blends well with the new seasoning!
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The cats were great. I’ve actually thought about maybe sticking post-its on things, but as you say, it feels a bit over the top lol…
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The thing is there isn’t exactly a lot of training for this other than “on the job training.” I don’t see anything wrong with private feedback on both ends to help people learn.
My issue : I don’t understand why anyone needs how to “learn” how to follow simple directions. If the HO made clear request - and it sounds as if they did so both in the home guide and verbally- then the sitter clearly lacks basic skills. Yes. I know that I am harsh in this dept. Unless the request is vague, subtle or for some reason completely impossible to respect and/or if there are language/translation issues, I have little mercy …ESPECIALLY if the sitter attempted to hide the evidence of their disrespect for the HO.
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@Val I have not read the other responses.
Is that a carbon steele pan?
I finally brought mine to dump for recycling.
If it is…I would just let it go. It’s expensive but a hard pan to know how to use and clean.
I put my cast iron and le cruset away and have other quality pans for thsitter use.
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I see your point. This is sitter fail. No animals were harmed, but not reading instructions led to bad choice road and a coverup.
But they way I see it, the host missed a chance to say something in the review. If she says nothing, the sitter might think she can get away with this. Or maybe the sitter panicked and has been feeling terrible about the whole thing and will be relieved that she was caught. Maybe this was a bad moment, and not a character flaw. We don’t know.
In any case, what happens next time and to whom? Offering feedback that can include some feeling as in: “When I found the pan I felt disappointed because I’d left instuctions about how to take care of it, and I wish you’d contacted me when this happened because I could have told you what to do about the rust,” might have the effect of preventing this from happening to someone else. Then again, it might not matter, but at the host is at least doing what’s in her power to maybe help others.
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I am also of the opinion that it is always best to communicate. In this case, as you say, it might help preventing this from happening again. I’m not referring to pans, but to reading the guide carefully and referring to it when necessary. We don’t even know if she is aware that this could have been avoided by reading the guide. She may still think her mistake was just not handling the pan properly. Also, if the only feedback she gets it’s the 5 stars it’s maybe too easy to forget about the whole thing and even consider that hiding the pan was a successful strategy and a wise decision. Being a bit embarrassed now to be contacted by the owner may help her make better choices next time.
@Val could even tell her that she has chosen not to disclose this fact on the site by responding to her review and give her private feedback instead. As the sitter is new, she may not be aware of that possibility.
That said, ultimately it all comes down to what @KC1102 said “whatever feels right for you”. Life goes on and maybe after all this discussion @Val just wants to forget about everything. Up to you, @Val. You have all sorts of opinions here
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The main thing about pet sitting is are the pets well looked after and cared for and the house left clean and tidy. I have done lots of sits where there is china, special glasses etc not to be used, wooden handle pans that don’t go in the dishwasher. Put things away you don’t want used, get a cheaper set of pans for housesitter use. Balance the cost of actually paying to have someone take care of the pets against someone you have for free.
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I thought to write this as a tip: the post-its on the cupboards with items that need this kind of special care …
They certainly can’t overlook that.
Just “beware, Items with special cleaning treatment, read the Welcome Guide for more information”.
(Or something like that)
As a sitter, I wouldn’t mind…better safe then sorry.
So personally not “over the top for me”
Simply put them away. Done.
Is it only me that had to google ‘skillet’?
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No, me too.
So here is my top advise for next time
- Call it a ‘pan’ like other people do
- Put it away if you have an emotional relationship with your pan.
- Just get a new one if the above hadn’t worked out.
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