How much guidance do you provide on household appliances?

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

Dishwashers, ovens, refrigerators, microwaves, washing machines, stoves, you name it and most likely you have it in your home. Nowadays it's pretty rare not to have any of the household appliances mentioned above.

If you are like me though, you get use to your own appliance, the way it works, the setting etc. and so it can be a little tricky when you go somewhere new and use a different one.

I was wondering if you give your guests any guidance on how to use your household/listing's appliances, if they have access to them? Perhaps you provide user manuals or you create your own, or you give a demo when they arrive?

It would be great to hear what you do and any tips you give to your guests.

Thank you,

Lizzie

[Peggy-And-Mike0]

I tried the Pengram app and found it hard to use. You need to do much more user testing before launching it on these pages.  

[Lisa-and-Ben0]

Wow that’s pretty cool!

[Linda1299]

I alway's explain to my guest how to operate the appliances and  have plenty of room in the kitchen for them to be able to make their own meals and store all their own foods etc. I also show where all the extra bedding,linens and toiletries are for them so that they don't need to ask but i'm happily to help them to be comfortable in any way i can. And i also explain to them how to use the security alarms ,exits, and  where the  fire extinguishers are! Greeting my guest!

[Lisa-and-Ben0]

I let guests know where the manuals are located ( in a kitchen drawer). Everything is pretty self explanatory these days, if there is a particular quirk with 1 or 2 items then I would suggest pointing them out in the house guidebook. And if course I let guests know they can ask me about anything at any time.

[Tamara325]

I keep a house manual and my listing is very detailed and surprisingly enough people will still text me late at night with ignorant questions (where are the electrical outlets) or requests to do laundry right before checkout.  Not only do I go through and explain the do’s and don’ts they still do the Don’ts.    

[Mariann4]

I don't provide any instructions. Nor do I provide a toaster. Not common here and I don't like things that has ONE purpose only 🙂

I do however have a note taped to the light-switch of the bathroom that asks guests not to turn of the light in the bathroom. (The bulbs don't like being turned off. And I don't like constantly having to change it) The note is OVER the switch making it hard to see the switch AND hard to use it. People just don't care...

The only problem I have faced are people having difficulties turning the stove oven on. The knobs are integrated into the stove and you have to push it to make it come out. Like a IKEA cabinet door... Not everyone understands this. But it's a minimal problem and people tend to laugh when I just push it out when they try to understand where they are.

Oh and second problem: no one uses the ventilator when cooking and roasting...? Why? Is that not a common utility?

Mariann 🙂

[Susan151]

I offer kitchen access in my listing, but to be honest, I am not all that enthusiastic about sharing this space with guests. I do not include any pictures of the kitchen in my photo gallery, but a few people, all Chinese, have come prepared to fix meals. I have no manuals. I have no instructions. I hover.

Want to cook a steak? I pick the correct pan and temperature. Are we making a hot pot? I pick the pot. I watch the temperatures. I make sure that dish towels are not too close to the flame. I let them use my second most favorite Western chef knife, or either of the Easten knives. [One is for vegetables; the other for meat.] Cutting boards? I will get them. Often, guests need a sense of which utensil will work best, so I find them what they need.

Today's guest wanted to warm some chicken wings she had bought, pre-cooked, at Costco. So, I went into hover-mode and talked her out of the microwave. We placed the wings on a rack over a sheet pan, and roasted the wings in the oven until they were crackling again. I then arranged them onto a serving platter and this young woman thanked me! She had never used an oven! Now she would knowhow to reheat food in her South Carolina apartment.

Ah, and the dishwasher. Nope. No reason to touch that at all. Mr. Susan hardly lets *ME* touch the dishwasher, so guests are simply asked to set their dishes by the sink. And, they are not allowed to clean either the cast iron or the All Clad pans. Just too much can go wrong.

So, hover is how I manage my kitchen appliances.

The coffee machine and electric tea kettle in their suite are a matter of a quick introduction, and there are manuals for them.

[Sandra126]

I explain the heating in person, minutely. If they look like they are not listening I make them press the buttons so I know they have understood. And I have a troubleshooting note by the amplifier, as pressing one button wrong will lead to much frustration trying to get sound. And I provide as simple things as possible.

[Rubén16]

@Lizzie  I have a commical experience when I first started to host, I had a 7 day booking and at the end of the guest stay I asked him how was his stay? he replied "everything was perfect however I should consider putting a light switch for the ceiling light"  he said he was climbing on top of the bed to turn the light on and off (7 night stay).

I then thanked him for the suggestion, unknown to him the ceiling light switch was behind the beds head board, so thereafter I laminated a sheet of paper with light switch on it and an arrow pointing to it:)

[Isabelle623]

We have put manuals of every appliance in multiple languages and mention that in our check-in instructions to our guests. And a detailed youtube link has been provided to operate and clean our robot vaccuum cleaner. Until now, no questions on how to operate anything yet in 8 months....

Isabelle & Alex

[Lisa977]

Yes I allow them to use them and I have typed notes. One hangs on my fridge and one on my washer and drier. 

[Jude44]

I have 2 Airbnb sights.  One has appliances that are pretty straight forward, but the other has a mini split for heating and cooling, an induction stove and combo convection microwave.  I usually give a quick tutorial when I greet them, but I also have a folder with all of the manuals in case they need it.

[Noreen16]

This is am excellent idea. Regardless how simple our appliances may be. 

Noreen Northern Ireland;)

[Kathleen128]

Hello.  We meet  our guests when they arrive and direct them where to park by the yurt.  We then give them a brief tour  which includes info on the appliances (coffee maker, heaters, record plater, etc) as well as show them what food items we have left in the yurt for them.   I then show them the separate bathroom, explain shower controls, etc.  Then to the hot tub to show them the controls, etc.  This routine also gives us a chance to get to know ach other a bit and answer any questions, refer them to any restaurants, etc.  It seems to be working out extremely well.

[Lisa1480]

I have a laminating machine so I type up notes, directions or “complimentary” and tape them next to the appliance or basket. It also helps if I forget to mention something when giving the tour, they still have directions. It’s a quick reference in a convenient location in case they don’t read my welcome letter... too much info in one place and I’m afraid they wouldn’t read it.