Tip of the Week 13: Asking guests to tidy up

[Breanna]

For the lucky 13th in the Tip of the Week series, I thought I would share this tip on asking guests to tidy up before they leave.

This was shared by @Sheila646  on a topic where Hosts discussed whether or not guests should pick up before they check out. 

We ask our guests to tidy up after themselves:

1. Put the dishes in the sink or dishwasher.
2. Gather their litter in the trash cans. 
3. Gather the towels in the laundry room.
4. Leave their linens on the beds, so we can sort them by size and pretreat any stains.
   
   

These simple steps ensure it's easy to tell what guests have used and make expectations crystal clear.

On this thread, we invite you to share what you ask your guests to do before they check out. So go ahead, and tell us everything about your tips and tricks on how to clearly communicate this! 

We’re excited to hear and learn from you all. Let's gather the best tips on communicating cleaning expectations to guests, and don’t forget to give a thumbs up👍 to the best tips shared. 😊

👉 TOTW series

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Breanna 

Good topic! 

We ask our guests to not do any chores at all and do not strip the bed. We have a system and prefer to do all this ourselves. Besides, they are on vacation, and are paying to stay with us! No chores for paying guests!

[Fred13]

We are exactly like @Kitty-and-Creek0 . Actually how we put it is that it is easier for us if they leave everything naturally, with the customary 'Thank you for trying to be helpful'.

P.S. I could see the dishwater thing would be an exception, but we do not have one.

[Elaine701]

Different guests behave differently. Some will be obsessively clean and tidy, others can be quite messy.  Most fall somewhere in between. 

But I'd never demand that they clean up. We're in the hospitality business, and that's not very hospitable. Besides, they're paying us, not the other way around. 

Still, messy snd damaging guests make life miserable for hosts. There's a few signs that will give indications of guest character prior to booking, so it's worthwhile to try to innocuously test the water before letting them book. There's precious little you can do about it anyway, so prevention is always the best cure. 

And those that pay the least tend to be the messiest. So keep your prices a bit above the competition, provide a product that's attractive to the more responsible types, under promise and over deliver, and you'll likely have fewer problems with messy or downright filthy, damaging guests. 

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Fred13 

We don't have a dishwasher either !

[Fred13]

I could only imagine how my OCD wife would start inspecting each plate with a magnifying glass and redo all of them by hand anyway. 🤔

[Ana2038]

Sorry, @Fred13 , I’m with your wife. Same goes for the bathroom…..🧐

[Fred13]

The bathroom,  I don't think a germ has a chance with my wife around. They are terrified of her.

[Paul10204]

Thank you @Breanna  for sharing this excellent tip on asking guests to tidy up before they leave. I value your input as a community manager.

I do have a few additional questions related to this topic, and I'd love to get your insights. However, I found it a bit uncomfortable to discuss some of these details in a public forum. Would it be possible to discuss this further in a private message? Your guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Ana2038]

@Breanna , like @Kitty-and-Creek0 & @Fred13 , we don’t ask our guest(s) to do much. We actually prefer to take care of trash ( our city requires that we separate compost, trash and recyclables) and it’s much easier to strip and spot stains on bedding when the bed is left unmade. 

[Fred13]

Is like with my tools, if a employee wants to 'help' and put them away, they will put them away in places I could never find them.

[Lorna170]

This is my check-out list.  I think that my requests are reasonable in that these are things that any self-respecting adult would do.  I do not ask for any laundry to be done, sweeping, vacuuming, dusting or polishing -- just don't leave me a week's worth of food and animal detritus!

All bedroom linens may be left on the beds, towels may be left in the bathroom shower.
Clear kitchen sink of all dishes, utensils, pots and pans, load and run the dishwasher.
Empty refrigerator; leave non-perishable donation items on counter.
Take out all kitchen and other trash to the garbage cans under the deck in basement.
Clean up all pet refuse in yard and driveway.
Place both covers on the Hot Tub.
Close and lock all doors and windows.
Please sign the guest book and have a safe journey home!

[Stephanie2522]

We don't! They pay a cleaning fee so we feel if they are paying that, it would be a bit ridiculous to require them to clean on top of paying.

[Mark-and-Ariana0]

No we don't since the cleaning fee is covering these to be done by cleaners. We had one case that the guests left the cottage in a real mess and we opened a case in airbnb for extra cleaning cost and they got it from the guests. 

[Mindy143]

We have a very similar method to Breanna, where we ask our guests;

1. leave sheets and linens on the beds
2. leave towels unwashed
3. wash and replace dishes or place dirty dishes in the dishwasher, start and leave clean dishes in the dishwasher
4. take trash out to the trash bin