How do you ask your guests to keep utensils/dishes clean?

[Nandini11]

Hi everyone,

 

I’m wondering how to handle utensils and dishes after guests has check-out!!

I’d love to hear your experiences on this.

Do you:

• Charge a cleaning fee that covers it?

• Mention it clearly in your additional house rules?

• Keep a board or small note in the kitchen reminding guests that they are responsible for cleaning up after themselves?

• Or have you found some other idea that works better?

I’d really appreciate suggestions on what has worked for you without making guests feel uncomfortable.

Thanks in advance!

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Tara0 

We have multiple protective covers on all our pillows, and cotton blankets and quilts that we wash regularly. The mattress has multiple protective zippered covers too. They are all waterproof, dust proof and bug proof. Our guest bed is a king size, so we have a commercial washer that can handle large bedding.

We do our best to eliminate the hair before washing, and yes, there are always hairs.   We shine strong lamps on making the bed, inspect every layer, and then use the UV lamp. We use a clean vacuum cleaner tool before and after on the bed. 

[Bhumika]

Hi @Tara0 , I was just reading your discussion with @Kitty-and-Creek0 . Are you planning to use UV lamps to identify cleaning spots? I do think it's an interesting tip!

[Tara0]

Hi @Bhumika Yes, I'm definitely planning to use @Kitty-and-Creek0 's tip, and soon. I agree, very interesting. I have just been personally very busy moving house in the past few weeks, but the UV torch is on the to-do/get list. 

[Bhumika]

Hi @Tara0 , Congratulations on the new space and wishing you good luck for the same 🌻 

Do keep us posted of your findings about UV torch when you do so later . We'll be eager to hear all about it!

Regards,

[Debbie1192]

@Mike-And-Jane0, I think that's valid. Honestly, if I didn't have the housekeeper I have (she's incredibly meticulous and cleans better than I do!), I would consider this methodology. She catches EVERYTHING (then sends me a list of "infractions" including pictures, LOL!).

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Nandini11 We did nothing other than to supply a pan scrub, a dishcloth, washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets (at least one per day of the stay, and tea towels. We found that supplying quality cleaning equipment meant guests kept everything spotless (well ok occasionally a grill pan was left dirty in the oven)

[Tara0]

@Nandini11 Only a tiny fraction of guests leave mess at check-out. 99.9% are responsible and considerate people. 

So I don't mention it at all. I hate signs, - the whole point of entire home listings is for guests to feel like they're in a real home. And they're paying quite a lot to stay and I charge a fee for cleaning (which includes the laundry cost).

My check-out instructions are simply to ensure the front door is double locked when they leave, then post the keys through the letterbox. That's it. 

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Nandini11 

One trick we have with dishes and kitchen items is to have available only two sets of dishes it the occupancy is 2, 4 for 4 guests. That means that they do dishes after each meal. 

We also set a good example of cleanliness so they will quickly see that this is how we live, and what we expect. It works!

[Nandini11]

@Kitty-and-Creek0 

I agree with you…that guest do try to keep the utensils clean if they see it’s cleaned and that’s how they should live too…

[Nandini11]

For those saying we ask guests to wash utensils or guests are responsible for the cleanliness of the kitchen(which do include utensils cleaning as well)— actually, we only explain during the house tour or at arrival that guests are responsible for keeping the kitchen clean. Do guests usually mind this, or feel surprised since it’s not mentioned at the time of booking but told to them after they arrive or during check-out?

@Debbie1192 @Carmen23

[Patricia2526]

Hi @Nandini11 

We have a small reminder sign in our kitchen that says “Clean as you go.” Most of our guests are really considerate and make sure to leave no unwashed dishes behind. On the rare occasion that someone is in a rush to check out, they’ll sometimes leave a couple of glasses or plates and even send me a message saying, “Sorry, we left some unwashed dishes.” I always reassure them that it’s absolutely no problem and our cleaners will take care of it, and there are no extra charges. We want our guests to leave relaxed, not stressed about a few dishes.

[John2406]

Hi @Nandini11 

A great question, and many great answers as well, but as to what Guests do, or don't do, i feel all comes down to what they perceive our places to be!

Put another way, when we first opened , here in the UK (in 2012), we were called and known as "Self-catering Holiday Accommodation", and everyone who stayed knew exactly what to do st the end of their stay, ss either they were seasoned holidaymakers, or the property owner(s) would have been in contact with them with various topics, including an end-of- holiday list of to-do's, all followed up on the day if their arrival with a "meet & greet" which involved showing where items were, what was provided for their use, and where to find the items; how to operate the TV and ditto all other items.

Whilst i cannot, hand on heart, state that everyone complied with all instructions (aka "requests"), by far the majority did.

The problem we found was that where holidaymakers had children, or where they were running late, the time by which they had to leave was the main reason washing-up, putting towels and/or linen where requested, having tidied up, including having vacuumed away crumbs from a rushed breakfast, weren't foremost in their mind. Leaving by a specific time, however, always took precedence over anything else.

Although "Self-catering Holiday Accommodation" is now covered by the generic letters of STR (and I often wonder how many of today's Guests' actually know what the abbreviation means?!) the "R" which stands fur 'Rental" means something totally different here in the UK, as a Rented property is iccupied by Tenants who have Rules and Regulations bound up in a legal Contract to which they have to comply - except a Rental cannot be for less than 6 months!

I do often wonder however "what's in a name", as in it's possible that holidaymakers consider themselves to be exactly that, whereas "Guests" (well, here in the UK anyway) stay in Hotels, Guest Houses, maybe B&Bs, where no cleaning has to be undertaken before they leave.

Could that be the reason so many "Guests" fail to clean or anything else these days?

Just wondering; just cogitating! 

[Dinesh87]

Hi @Nandini11,

That’s a really good question and I’ve enjoyed reading through all the suggestions here. What I’ve found works best is setting expectations gently but clearly without making guests feel pressured.

A few approaches that have helped:

Pre-checkout reminder message: A short, friendly note the day before check-out saying “Please leave the kitchen tidy and place used dishes in the dishwasher/sink” sets the tone without sounding strict.

Visible but subtle signage: A small note near the sink that says “Please wash your dishes after use so the kitchen stays welcoming for everyone” keeps it light yet effective.

Lead by example: Keeping everything spotless at check-in helps guests feel they should leave it the same way.

Of course, there will always be exceptions—some guests are in a rush or simply assume it’s included in the cleaning fee. In those cases, I find it’s best to be flexible. Most guests really do want to be respectful if you explain why it matters.

Thanks for starting this conversation—it’s always helpful to hear how others balance hospitality with practical hosting needs 🌱

[Holland6]

Simply put in house rules, in short sentence.

like,,,,, ( do dishes. )

some people don’t know how to do dishes, sink, counter, etc.

if dishes look half done,, in the eyes of departing guest they are perfect. That’s the nature of the beast. And maybe some people have an inner code, like ,,, don’t do windows.

my 2 cents, nobody likes to be told, how to do things.

[Stacie96]

We have a differing POV on guests doing dishes.  First, we are not a free-standing Airbnb; rather, we have a completely private suite section in our home, with separate entrance, that provides guests with a private area consisting of bedroom, full bath, kitchenette (Nespresso Vertuo coffeemaker, microwave, full-size sink & refrigerator), and access to laundry room. We stock the kitchenette with dishes, bowls, cups, glasses, flatware, s&p, sugar, honey, half n' half, fresh fruit, filtered water, and snacks.  

So!  We do not request that they wash dishes for two reasons.  One, not sure how well they will actually wash the dishes, which we feel is important for sanitizing reasons;  and two, we feel as part of our "hotelier" style, that is not their responsibility.  We do ask that they put their towels into the washing machine. Other than that, we do not require anything on their part.

We do charge nominal cleaning fee of $30.  

Hope this is of value to others with a similar set-up as we have.