Unusual Chinese guests

[Neil408]

[Update Feb 19th, 2020] This thread has now been closed in line with the Community Center Guidelines. 

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Hi guys. 

I'm writing this as recently I've had some unusual experiences with Chinese guests. I am based in the UK.

The first one I had was with two mid 20's girls who stayed, they made lots of noise at nights and also washed their dirty underwear in the sink in the bathroom. They were due to stay for 4 days but after breaking many other house rules they left after 2 nights.

The second issue I had with another guest - they blew up a kettle after boiling rice in it and refused to pay - it was only after contacting airbnb halfway through a 4 night stay that they then offered to pay for a new kettle.

Thirdly and finally - a Chinese guest stuck a metal spoon into a 240V 13amp toaster and thankfully had not injured or kill herself. In 2017 I rewired the property and upgraded the electrics to a modern RCD protected fuseboard (I live in a recently renovated 18th c. period property) and this likely saved her life by tripping the RCD protectors on the fuseboard. I did not find out about this until after she checked out. I came back from work to find my keys posted through the letterbox as requested but none of the electrics working. On further inspection, I found a metal teaspoon jammed inside the toaster. I asked her what had happened and she said she didn't know what I was talking about. I then asked her if she was okay because I had found a metal teaspoon jammed inside the toaster and she didn't reply. All I can assume is that she did NOT get electrocuted.

How far do I go in writing my guest rules? Do I have to treat everyone like children? 'Don't stick your fingers in plug sockets' 'Don't wash dirty underwear in the sink?' 'Don't stick cutlery or metal objects into a live 13A toaster?' 'Don't boil rice in a kettle?' I can't think of every possible eventuality where stupidity might occur?

Help and advice needed!

[Maia29]

Honestly, washing underwear in the bathroom sink is pretty common (for women and in lots of countries people tend to air dry their laundry).

As for the kettle, I’d chalk it up to the game.  I wouldn’t spend lots of cash on a kettle (try not to buy upscale models).

I agree with the other poster about ditching the toaster. I had a house fire in the 90s due to a faulty toaster and there’s lots of fire data on toasters. 

I leave all kinds of laminated signs with directions all over the unit as reminders. 

I’m super grateful your guest didn’t hurt themselves. 

[Neil408]

That's true but as it's a sink I wash my hands in and they were washing their dirty underwear without soap (just in hot water) it seemed a bit disgusting to me. I am a pretty clean person and wouldn't do it myself but perhaps it's different cultures. I just then wouldn't wash my wands in the sink I've just washed my underwear. Am I being weird or what?

I do have a washing machine and tumble dryer for this very reason and I did show them the kitchen when they arrived, which featured a washer-dryer. They then hung their underpants in the bathroom (there must have been 10 or 12 items) and I found it a bit unpleasant. Plus yes, water all over the floor - it is waterproofed and tiled but even so they could have taken more care plus standing water on tiles creates a slip hazard.

The kettle cost me £28 / ($40) / 32 Euros which was the cheapest one they had in the store unless I wanted a half litre travel kettle which I felt was not worth buying.

I have now got rid of the toaster, felt it was more hassle than it was worth in the end. If they're desperate for toast they can grill it in the oven which is probably safer.

[Suzanne302]

@Neil408 Unless you're rubbing your hands all over the bottom of the sink, I don't see how it would be an issue. (and even then I don't think it would be an issue, but...)

Don't you just use soap and put your hands under running water? You're not touching anything the underwear touched.

[Neil408]

Well I guess youre right there.

[Elena87]

@Neil408 

Around 10 % of guests with me are Chinese.

I've often entered the bathroom to be welcomed by a semaphore line of drying underwear.

From my understanding, they use washing machines of course but don't like to use them for washing underwear, as some think it unclean to wash together with clothing. Hence the sink handwash job. Just thank your lucky stars you don't have to explain what a bidet is used for. 

[Olyd-N0]

Neil, for the undies...it is common practice...  Perhaps you may wish to provide a bucket for that purpose and indicate to female guests that you would prefer them to use the bucket rather than the sink to wash their undies. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Neil408  since we start hosting some 3,5 y. ago, I constantly feel like a big mamma taking care of a bunch of kids. Stupid things some grownups do is beyond comprehension. I wonder how they managed to survive all those years???

We have notes all over the place, we have house manual with a picture how to operate the most simple faucet, our heating thermostat is the most basic model and we have a note "HEATING" written in bold big letters above it, we change the ordinary key lock to digital smart lock because most of our guests from other continents didn't know how to rotate the key, we have to show and tell them to keep shower curtain inside the bathtub, we have a picture above the toilet telling them what they can and what they shouldn't throw inside the toilet bowl etc...

We have a sandwich maker, not the toaster so they can't execute themselves, we removed microwave so they don't blow up the kitchen, we even removed high closets after one lady stepped inside it and it overturned, we installed clothes drying rack on the wall above the bathtub so the water drips inside and not on the floor...

We don't have such problems with European guests but other continents, especially Asia is problematic. It seems everything is different there.

There is no hope for this planet 😞

[Emilia42]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

I would be so interested to see a post where people from Asian countries discuss the 'different' things that Americans or Europeans do or don't seem to get when they visit their countries. I have never been to Asia but I wonder what I would be clueless about.

[Sarah977]

@Emilia42  Well, I remember a photo some Asian host posted of their toilet room. There were so many buttons and levers and symbols and contraptions to figure out for just using the toilet, it seemed like you'd need some intensive course to just be able to take a whizz and flush it.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Emilia42  I just wanted to write an answer but @Sarah977  was quicker then me as usual 😄 😄 btw it was Japanese toilet

[Sarah977]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  I'm not quicker, I'm just in a different time zone 🙂

[Lawrene0]

@Emilia42 , @Sarah977 , @Branka-and-Silvia0 :  I was a guest at a listing in my own country this month and stared in fascination at, but did not touch, the sleek espresso machine on the counter. Couldn't imagine where even to begin... 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Lawrene0  I would begin from the house manual 😄 .... if there was one.

My opinion is - the most simple and basic appliances are the best for STR.

[Lawrene0]

There wasn't one, @Branka-and-Silvia0 . There was a sheet of paper on the refrigerator that outlined what to do with the garbage and listed some restaurants and the wifi password. I couldn't find anything further. Granted, I didn't tear the place apart looking. It was a fairly action-packed stay, so I spent little time in the flat. 

I didn't want any dumb old espresso anyway 🙂

[Sarah977]

@Lawrene0 There may be a presumption these days that every civilized human knows how to operate a dishwasher, microwave, state-of-the-art coffee maker, uses Whatapp (I get clients all the time who say "I'll Whatsapp you" and seem shocked when I say I don't use it) and navigates their entire life from their smart phone.