Not really new to hosting but I need some advice

[Kathy35]

I have a wonderful guest who has been considerate, clean and fun to hang out with.  My question pertains to how to handle the fact that he is ruining my cookware.  I allow my guests access to the full kitchen so he is not out of bounds, but he has badly burned two pots.  He has been here since the 6th and is scheduled to leave the 14th, but has asked to possibly extend his stay. I don't mind him staying I just don't want all my fairly expensive cookware ruined.  Any sugesstions??? TIY 🙂

[Huma0]

@Kathy35 have you spoken to him about this?

[Kathy35]

Humna,

The second burning must have occured today.  I came home to find the pot soaking and he's not home yet.  I'll talk to him, I think I'm going to ask him to limit his cooking to just the two pots he has already ruined.  He's new to AirBnB, so I'll be helping him by letting him know hosts are not going to like this happening to their homes. He brings flowers for the house and takes the trash out, so in every other way he's a delightful guest.

[David-and-Fiona0]

Just chat with him. Don’t let things boil over : ) He sounds like a great guest except for his cooking prowess. 

[Kathy35]

Boil over- LOL

Good advice, I think I just needed to vent a bit and appreciate your reply!!  I'll recommend him with the caveat that you close the kitchen 🙂

[Scott80]

Since he is nice. Politely ask him to keep an eye on his cooking for safety. Depending how the conversation goes, you could try to get him to replace the pots, but I think you'd have to weigh the possibility of the request generating resentment, since it sounds like it was unintenional.

Also perhaps pervention is the answer. I would not put expensive cookware in an AirBnB. Walmart has a nine peice cookware set for $20. If you've only spent $20 and it gets ruined, stolen or wears out, you can get a brand new set for $20. I highly doubt that guests are going to care or know the difference if you provide Calphalon or Wal-a-phon. 🙂

[Kathy35]

That's good advice Scott!  And, it was definitely unintentional. I've hidden the Cutco pots from him and will consider buying some cheapo stuff I don't care about.  Thanks!!

[Huma0]

@Scott80 totally agree. My mother bought me a beautiful set of copper pans for my birthday. They are hidden out of sight from Airbnb guests! I have loads of inexpensive ones for the guests to use and, as so few of them actually cook here, those do just fine.

[Jennifer178]

Hi Kathy,

I have a lovely fella who has stayed with me repeatedly.  He is the only guest who has ever wanted to use the kitchen.  He comes for a week or so every month and wants to feed himself.  Fair enough. I was sitting in the kitchen one night talking and watched him cook.  Pots boiled over, (maybe our great conversation distracted him) his pork chops splattered grease and then I watched him pour Palmolive dish soap on my glass top stove (could not figure out for the first few days what that residue was)  that seemed to take days to wipe away.  

I thought "I will never survive this"  So I gently pointed out that a watched pot never boils but an unwatched pot boils over.  I bought a $5 grease/splash guard for pans (turns out I really needed this in my life!) and told him Palmolive is for the dishes in the sink.  He said but it cuts grease and I have grease on the stove. good point (hence the grease guard).  My stove top is easy to damage and I have a special cleanser and cloth to clean it.  Deal struck, he cooks more attentivley and I clean my stove top.  The rest is on him.  Harmony.  Until you point things out in a calm manner some people do not think about their actions. A reasonable person will react reasonably.