Why do guests rearrange furniture?

[Laura2592]

This one really stumps me.

We have had a few guests who have done some redecorating of our space....moved furniture,  rearranged lamps and put them in different rooms,  taken down curtains or paintings, etc. I just do not understand this.   Its never the same thing so its not a hint that we need more light in a spot or the sofa is poorly situated for the TV.

Its just as though some people need to put their "stamp" on even the most temporary residence. Ultimately I wouldn't care if they put things back. I love to decorate but can honestly say I've never done this at an Airbnb or hotel. 

Anyone have insight into this behavior? Its just got me curious!

[Anonymous]

@Ann783 @Lenore22  You might find this article interesting:  https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/11/travel/coronavirus-hotel-housekeeping.html

The cleaners interviewed make a good point:  cleaning several days of accumulated dirt after checkout is much harder work without interim cleanings, and the hotels will still make them do a rush job to save money.  

Even so, I don't see how the daily cleaning would directly make guests safer from Coronavirus specifically, as is spread by droplets rather than dust and dirt.

[Ann783]

Yes, I saw this article also. Here in the US, many housekeepers are Black, Brown, immigrants and female. They are working harder and making less. The virus can survive on surfaces for up to 24 hrs, so surface cleaning can be helpful but mostly it is for optics.

@Anonymous , personally I want more cleaning not less, during a pandemic. I’ll be avoiding hotels until there is a vaccine or effective medical treatment.

[Anonymous]

@Ann783  If "more cleaning" means someone entering the room during your stay - even when you're out -  and more workers in the hotel corridors, it's increasing rather than reducing the risk of transmission. But like you, I think it's better just to avoid hotels during a pandemic. 

[Rory85]

I'm brandy new so I've never experienced anyone moving my furniture...yet!  I have moved end tables if I have had to accommodate a pull-out sofa, but I always put things back.  

Off topic...you guys have a Level 10 under your profile pic, what does that mean?

[Emilia42]

@Rory85 It means they do a lot of talking on here 🙂

[Sarah977]

@Rory85  Just relates to amount of activity on this forum, nothing else. 

[Ann783]

@Rory85 It means we don't have real friends and spend our free time on this forum. 😂

[Rory85]

@Ann783 Haha...gotcha. Me neither..lol

[Sue714]

We have a Cellar in the Kitchen and due to its position we decided to block it off for safety reasons. We placed a very heavy Sideboard over the opening it’s not that obvious that it’s underneath.

Well people are nosey and can’t help themselves they have to move it! 
I’ve placed a framed sign on the Sideboard stating “The house is over 100 years old and like many other houses built in that era. Yes, there is a Cellar underneath which has been locked and there is not accessible. Please don’t move this Sideboard as you will cause damage to the flooring.”

Waiting to see if the sign works.

[Katrina79]

@Laura2592 @This doesn’t erk me, although I’ve seen numerous comments about hosts post about the subject so I know it bothers some. Like @Kelly149 I am myself a habitual furniture mover, probably why I don’t mind. In fact I’ll even do this in public places like at a music venue, in my own house, in hotels, even if I’m staying with a friend or family. Funny thing today I just finished cleaning up one of my suites and the guest moved the bedside table to the other side and pushed the bed over a bit. I quite like it, that’s how I’m going to leave it from now on. Ha! Sometimes change is good! 

[Ann72]

@Katrina79 @Laura2592  That has only happened significantly once.  A guest moved a bench from a kitchen table to the front hall.  When I found it I was annoyed, but honestly it was better there so I left it.  I never told the guest though.  Don't want to encourage this kind of behavior!

Far more crazy-making for me is how people put things away in the kitchen, but particularly the guest who doesn't get the concept of nesting bowls.

Nesting bowls together:

Nesting bowls apart:

Nesting bowls almost together:

It's usually at this stage that guests apparently decide that putting the set back together is just too exhausting, so they put two bowls in the pantry, one in a cabinet, and one in the coat closet.

I'm like:

[Katrina79]

@Ann72 @I must admit the kitchen disorganization really erk’s me! I mean why is every pot, pan, bowl, cutting board and lid all jammed into one cupboard? It wasn’t like that when you found it...it’s nonsense. Now if you want to spin the table around go for it! Change up the end tables sure why not, but don’t mess with the kitchen lol! 

[Ann72]

@Katrina79  Agree 100%.  It's the kitchen rearranging that makes me lose my mind.  I actually fired my previous housekeeper because she refused to keep the silverware/cutlery drawer neat and orderly.  You know - big forks together, small forks together, knives together...  Again I was like Do I really need to explain this to you?

I recently quit smoking and didn't want to get triggered to a relapse, so last time I was there, I took a deep breath and set aside half an hour for putting everything in the kitchen back where it belongs.

[Sandra126]

You'd hate my cutlery drawer. I was fed up with guests mixing things up in the compartments so I took it away, and cutlery now is free to mingle as it chooses. It's liberating. Just put it in the right drawer. 

[Sarah977]

@Ann72 @Katrina79  I'm gonna be the voice of dissent here- I hate pots and pans and bowls nested one inside the other, so you have to take them all apart to get to the one you want and then put it back again like that after something gets washed.

I realize that some people simply don't have the storage space and shelving to do otherwise, and of course people should put things back the way they found them, but in my own kitchen, I have very little of that nesting business.