Page 16 | Care to share the oddest thing house guests have done in your home this festive period?

CharlieWeasleysWife · 2026-01-01T15:32:15+00:00

We've had many guests over the festive period and most have been an absolute delight. However, have just waved off a few of DHs friends and they: Removed phone chargers and toiletries left in the guest room/bathroom and taken home Used (a used!) dish cloth to wipe their face then replaced on the sink Complained we won't allow scary/violent TV until our young children are in bed WTF? Edited for typos

Dawnintheageofaquariams · 03/01/2026 17:00

Christmas, late twenties (my age, not the year), best friend from Uni came to stay.
Went out for drinks, she ended up pulling some guy and bringing him back to mine and then boyfriend's flat. She had a key, we walked in to them proper going for it in the living room. We fell out after that.

BruceAndNosh · 03/01/2026 17:01

Stuff the flannelling nonsense.... Have we got to the bottom of the accidental unscrewing of door handle yet?

awaynboilyurheid · 03/01/2026 17:06

quarrybanks · 02/01/2026 23:24

So glad you said this - I thought I was going mad! I couldn’t think of ever seeing one in a hotel. This thread has been an education- I’m in my fifties and my grandparents used flannels but I had no idea anyone used them now!

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Oh the young all use them now as they remove make up with oil cleansers and then use hot water on the flannels to remove their make up, I’ve had to buy more when they are staying over!

MaggieFS · 03/01/2026 17:08

BruceAndNosh · 03/01/2026 17:01

Stuff the flannelling nonsense.... Have we got to the bottom of the accidental unscrewing of door handle yet?

No, I’m starting to think it was a load of old flannel.

(I’ll get my coat 😉)

RasaSayangEh · 03/01/2026 17:12

I have no opinions on flannels.

We have a cute matching pair of festive salt and pepper shakers, a gift from some years ago, always have them on the table at Christmas and we're very fond of them.

FiL decided to pick at the hole on the salt shaker with his fingernails and picked off a big piece of the glaze 😭 I don't know why he did it, DH thinks maybe FiL imagined the hole was clogged - but it wasn't, because we always refill them fresh every Christmas!

I'm disproportionately saddened by my poor chipped salt shaker (I need to get a grip, I know!).

Care to share the oddest thing house guests have done in your home this festive period?

belle40 · 03/01/2026 17:14

I hosted my parents for Xmas and my father was kind enough to make the observation that I could take on a new role of chef in a boat's galley having successfully prepared and cooked a full Christmas lunch in my (tiny) kitchen.

It wasn't meant with any malice but I did silently 🙄as they happily returned to their (huge) detached house in another part of the country...

TeenToTwenties · 03/01/2026 17:20

Bulldog01 · 03/01/2026 16:56

Not Christmas.But I really needed to mention,when my Husband and I got married,we held the wedding party at our flat.My mother & step farther stayed the night of our wedding :0(

In the morning they asked if I wanted to keep any left overs from the wedding food & drink.I said no, take the lot,they did!

I was shocked that they would be so petty.They took the glasses,which belonged to them anyway.But pretty much took all the food & drink! & Cut a huge chunk of wedding cake to take with them.

I will never forget that day almost 42 years ago! Truly awful way to treat the Bride & Groom!

I don't understand. You said to them to take the lot. So what was the problem?

Raisondeetre · 03/01/2026 17:21

TeenToTwenties · 03/01/2026 17:20

I don't understand. You said to them to take the lot. So what was the problem?

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Agree

NightLightCream · 03/01/2026 17:28

TeaRoseTallulah · 02/01/2026 23:57

Of course you get flannels in hotels . We have small basket of flannels / washcloths in the bathroom right next to the towels.

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Holiday Inn don’t have them, Birmingham, in my standard double, the last two years, when I stayed in better hotels with another company, they had them.

NightLightCream · 03/01/2026 17:29

RasaSayangEh · 03/01/2026 17:12

I have no opinions on flannels.

We have a cute matching pair of festive salt and pepper shakers, a gift from some years ago, always have them on the table at Christmas and we're very fond of them.

FiL decided to pick at the hole on the salt shaker with his fingernails and picked off a big piece of the glaze 😭 I don't know why he did it, DH thinks maybe FiL imagined the hole was clogged - but it wasn't, because we always refill them fresh every Christmas!

I'm disproportionately saddened by my poor chipped salt shaker (I need to get a grip, I know!).

Buy some red enamel paint .. ( not nail varnish )

Festivespirit85 · 03/01/2026 17:43

VoltaireMittyDream · 02/01/2026 15:57

Not house guests so much as visitors.

DB’s wife and kids have pretty extreme untreated OCD, which he has been conditioned to accept as normal.

When they come to ours they bring their own food, cutlery, sponges and tea towels. (For some reason our plates are deemed acceptable).

SIL measures out their kids’ food and stands over them hectoring them to make sure they’ve eaten enough of each food group, and keeps checking their water bottles to make sure they’re drinking enough.

SIL has also developed a new thing where she cannot eat in proximity to Christmas trees. She behaved as though we should all have known this, even though she had never told any of us. So she was quite agitated that there was a Christmas tree here at all, but eventually settled for having us shut the door to the living room so she couldn’t see it. She would ask again and again for someone to check the door was shut, as though the tree might be trying to escape and sneak up on her.

It was pretty sad and disturbing all round, and the kids are growing up extremely anxious.

But my brother is a big shot finance bro with several multi million dollar properties and a whole staff of people to run his house and regular holidays to Turks & Caicos, etc - so to his mind this is proof that he and his family are a living formula for success and nothing whatsoever is dysfunctional about the way they do things.

She sounds like she is either ND or has some serious MH issues. Those poor children.

Festivespirit85 · 03/01/2026 17:51

RickertyRocker · 03/01/2026 00:01

Arranged a time that everyone agreed to in advance. Dinner at 5pm, arrival from 4pm. One couple arrived 2.5 hours and another 1.5 hours early. My OH is more understanding than I am.

Oh I hate this sort of behaviour. My mum once did this to me. Rocked up at 10am when I told her 11.30am, and then tried to feign she didn't know what time it was.

Gabitule · 03/01/2026 18:06

CarrieMoonbeams · 01/01/2026 21:06

I'd just put a brand new pot of cleansing balm in the bathroom cabinet. My SIL was the only visitor so I know this was her - she's run her finger right round the edge of it, leaving a trench 😂. It's the Clinique one, Take The Day Off, so it's very thick and probably more solid than she was expecting!

She does have form for this type of thing. Every time she comes here she goes straight to the bathroom, flushes the loo and puts the taps on so (she thinks) I can't hear her having a scoosh of my perfumes 🤔.

I’d find this so annoying. If I was you I’d send a message: ‘by the way, I meant to ask, what did you think of my new Clinique make-up remover?’ to let her know that you’ve noticed. If she denies it, I would make it clear that I know it was her, and lightheartedly pretend to be amused that she’s denying it

PandorasBox7 · 03/01/2026 18:09

BruceAndNosh · 03/01/2026 17:01

Stuff the flannelling nonsense.... Have we got to the bottom of the accidental unscrewing of door handle yet?

Perhaps the door handle was stuck? Just trying to help btw

VoltaireMittyDream · 03/01/2026 18:09

Festivespirit85 · 03/01/2026 17:43

She sounds like she is either ND or has some serious MH issues. Those poor children.

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Def serious MH issues, possibly ND as well, as at least 2 of the kids are (but TBH I always assumed all that came from our side of the family).

She’s a lot better since she’s been on antipsychotic meds - she used to do things like cut up the kids’ birthday balloons with scissors if things didn’t go her way. ☹️ It’s fairly awful tbh.

Kingsleadhat · 03/01/2026 18:10

RasaSayangEh · 03/01/2026 17:12

I have no opinions on flannels.

We have a cute matching pair of festive salt and pepper shakers, a gift from some years ago, always have them on the table at Christmas and we're very fond of them.

FiL decided to pick at the hole on the salt shaker with his fingernails and picked off a big piece of the glaze 😭 I don't know why he did it, DH thinks maybe FiL imagined the hole was clogged - but it wasn't, because we always refill them fresh every Christmas!

I'm disproportionately saddened by my poor chipped salt shaker (I need to get a grip, I know!).

Would a dab of nail polish sort that out? Or indelible marker?

PandorasBox7 · 03/01/2026 18:11

I used flannels as a child and I think they are making a come back. I actually got a couple for my grandchildren to use when they visit. However I prefer a sponge myself. **

simpsonthecat · 03/01/2026 18:13

Surely loads of people use those hot cloths by Liz Earle? I know my DD does!

CluelessAboutBiology · 03/01/2026 18:14

simpsonthecat · 03/01/2026 18:13

Surely loads of people use those hot cloths by Liz Earle? I know my DD does!

I do

lifeisgoodrightnow · 03/01/2026 18:16

CorporaINobbyNobbs · 03/01/2026 16:43

and why the left hand??

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Because you use your right hand to eat. It’s a cultural thing I’ve come across in Asia

MySilentLions · 03/01/2026 18:21

Bulldog01 · 03/01/2026 16:56

Not Christmas.But I really needed to mention,when my Husband and I got married,we held the wedding party at our flat.My mother & step farther stayed the night of our wedding :0(

In the morning they asked if I wanted to keep any left overs from the wedding food & drink.I said no, take the lot,they did!

I was shocked that they would be so petty.They took the glasses,which belonged to them anyway.But pretty much took all the food & drink! & Cut a huge chunk of wedding cake to take with them.

I will never forget that day almost 42 years ago! Truly awful way to treat the Bride & Groom!

Eh? They asked, you said take it, they did. How the fuck are they in the wrong for doing what you said?

hollytheheroic · 03/01/2026 18:23

I love this type of thread as they always bring out the batshit behaviour of the posters too. Nothing so queer as folk 🤣

Hollyleaves · 03/01/2026 18:25

Gabitule · 03/01/2026 18:06

I’d find this so annoying. If I was you I’d send a message: ‘by the way, I meant to ask, what did you think of my new Clinique make-up remover?’ to let her know that you’ve noticed. If she denies it, I would make it clear that I know it was her, and lightheartedly pretend to be amused that she’s denying it

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I would text - hey Sarah you didn’t use my brand new Clinique stuff I got for Christmas did you? I’ve just opened it and there is a trench all over it so it’s been used. I was going to return it as I didn’t like it but it seems used? If you have used it - can you let me know? If you haven’t I’m going to also let them know I arrived uses. Thanks

Loobyloolovesandypandy · 03/01/2026 18:32

HoppityBun · 01/01/2026 19:25

What sort of mistake could that possibly be? They thought they were unscrewing something else? They were sleep walking? They thought it was haunted and were doing you a favour?

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😂😂😂 beat me to it!

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 03/01/2026 18:33

SwirlyGates · 02/01/2026 15:09

Who provides flannels for guests? They are considered personal items (you don't get them in hotels) and not everyone uses one. I haven't used one in about 50 years.

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You do get flannels in many many hotels!

Why wouldn't you?