Some helpful feedback please from you fellow hosts.

[Alexandra199]

Hello fellow hosts

I would really appreciate some constructive feedback please. I have self catering cottages in The Cotswold in the UK. I have guests who stay and have the whole place to themselves. Since Covid the cleaning regimes have become much more tricky and it takes longer to clean a whole house after guests have checked out. As a general rule I get nice reviews.

Today I had a brief review of my cottage, followed by a 4 star overall, and a 2 star for communication (never had 2 for anything before ). The explanation for this low star rating was provide by the guest, who was aggrieved by the pre-check out email I  send to all guests the night before they are due to leave, the email is as follows:

Hello, you are due to check out tomorrow morning and I hope you have had a fabulous time and take home some wonderful memories of your stay. Check out is at 10am. Please read and follow the instructions on the wall of the kitchen, prior to leaving.

Please consider running the dishwasher this evening, to give yourself time to put away the clean crockery you could then quickly hand wash any breakfast crockery in the morning.

Please make sure to take all your belongings with you.

Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Alex

The instructions on the wall of the kitchen basically ask guest to put their rubbish out in the relevant bins, wipe down the kitchen worktops and leave a message in my guest book (nothing too exceptional).

This particular guest felt that reading the email on the Saturday night asking her to load the dishwasher and hand wash plates put a downer on her day.... so 2 stars for communication

I'm pretty cross about this and I've never had any other complaints but I wondered if you lot thought I was being unreasonable. The reason for this request is some guests leave the dishwasher going and then check out. The cycle can sometimes take up to 3.5 hours to complete and my cleaners have other properties to do so don't always have time to empty it and put away all the crockery once it has eventually finished.

Your thoughts please guys? (Please bear in mind I am already pretty upset about this review so be kind)🙄

Alex 

xx

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Colleen253 

The trash that goes to the dump is sorted by hand, by humans, as it goes by on a conveyor belt.  I was raised by a surgical nurse, and spent a number of years in an urban ER. I daresay with gloves and a mask we can easily & safely sort fresh, non rancid stuff. It doesn't scare me at all.

[Helen744]

Helen@744 I certainly agree its the worst job .I suggest to guests that we recycle and ask them to try . We have a bin for glass small and a kitchen tidy also a bin with a sign that says . "If you think it should be recycled put it in here'It works pretty well depending on the guests trash generation .some people make so much rubbish it is overwhelming . some barely any A lot is takeaway food and drink containers boxes and alchohol cans and bottles. I often have to tip the recycling out on the lawn and rifle through it like a bad detective ,if those guests only knew what I know. I do not resent it but when a guest has at their disposal three disinfected out side bins three kitchen receptacles and waste paper baskets then I would hope they get the picture and generally they do . H

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Richard531 

You mentioned that

"Perhaps you are going a little over the top and you close the listing for a day between guests, or doing 4 hours of air scrubbing, or overcleaning surfaces that are already clean, etc." 

I take issue with that, as a thorough deep cleaning including surfaces that appear clean, is not just for Covid. It is for every change, and should have been all along.For me, the Covid cleaning was what i normally do, and what I have always expected, as a guest.  As hosts, it is not only our responsibility to keep guests happy, it is also to keep them safe. That means making them feel safe as well. There is just never too much scrubbing, cleaning, dusting, vacuuming and deep cleaning. imho

[Sarah977]

@Richard531  "If I were a dude bringing a gal to your adorable cottage for a romantic date, I’d be a little miffed if I were loading/running the dishes at night, unloading the dishwasher in the morning, and then hand washing more dishes as I walk out the door. "

Then you shouldn't book an Airbnb. Guests are expected to clean up after themselves. If they don't want to do so, they should book a hotel. There would be nothing offensive to most people in a reminder from the host to  please start the dishwasher the night before check-out and just hand-wash whatever breakfast dishes there were in the morning. 

And thorough cleaning and sterilizing is not "over-the-top".

Gushing about what a great host Alexandra is, while criticizing her approach is quite passive-aggressive. Sounds just like Airbnb CS.

[Helen744]

Helen@744 There is not only a lot more work  if you follow correct protocol but a greater outlay on products which seem to have increased in price. Its not just doing surfaces in a hotel room but an entire house . Its the doubling up of cleaning and disinfecting . the guests can give the cleaners covid too so there is airing and disinfecting and time out on the way in as well . Wearing of masks while doing household chores is the pits .and rubber gloves are a nightmare . I prefer a sink full of disinfectant and cleaner for stage two of surface cleaning. there are a lot of extra areas that do not occur in a hotel like space . I no longer favor throws or cushions but they can be aired if there is suficient time. i prefer leather seating as it is wipeable with disinfectant . Sometimes I miss the dust way up high Guests will not get covid from that dust but they will complain . All linen is washed with disinfectant but seriously once apon a time we could cope with the odd germ  Not now . I am sure its not good for any of us H. in the long run

[Sarah977]

@Helen744  There is no need to launder linens or anything else with "disinfectant". Plain old soap and water deactivates the virus, as will a hot dryer or hanging things out on a line in the sun. Nor is it necessary to apply disinfectant to things like leather or cloth furniture if you leave a day or more between guests. The virus doesn't survive for more than a day on porous surfaces like cloth, paper, cardboard, etc. Of course, it's still best to have extra throw pillow covers and such one can change out between guests.

It's the hard surfaces that require disinfecting. Plastic is one that the virus lasts the longest on. I read of one study, not yet peer reviewed, and done under laboratory conditions, that found active Omicron on plastic 196 hrs after it had been applied. However, just because they found traces after that long doesn't mean it wasn't weakened to the point where it wouldn't infect anyone. But I'd still be disinfecting all plastic and other hard surfaces. 

[Helen744]

Helen@744I have a mild disinfectant that I simply throw a cap in with the dirty sheets . Maybe for my own protection as I wash them at my house . All linen is folded in on itself and sits around on my deck for 24 hours in gar bags .I do not wipe sofas with straight disinfectant but a mixture of soapy water and another cap in the sink and everything gets a good general clean . I use disinfectant wipes for all other surfaces after cleaning . I live with vulnerable people and this has been my go to for a long time  since covid began . It only follows the guidlines as far as I know. no one has been sick so far. It is a bit sad because would prefer to follow a lower input regime H