Overnight guests.

[Callaird]

If you have visitors overnight, what do you expect from them in regards to bedding?

I mean in the spare room.

I'm house/pet sitting this weekend, have been here a few nights, I'm leaving this afternoon. I washed and pegged out the washing, the dog was barking and running away from the sheets billowing in the wind and I posted a video to Facebook.

I've been told that I shouldn't have washed the bedding, that it's rude to use the (empty) washing machine in someone else's home!

I'm living in someone else's home! Using every available facility if I need it (fridge, dishwasher, oven and bathroom) surely washing the bedding the bedding you've dirtied is a nice thing?

FWIW - if I have guests, the least I expect is for them to strip the bed and bring bedding (and towels) down and leave it by the machine. However, if they don't, I wouldn't pull them up on it!!

[findingmyfeet12]

Agree Puppy.

It's not as though the sheets will be used again anyway so what difference does it make if they are on the bed or not.

Do people only have one set of sheets per bed and insist on all beds being made up at all times?

[TarkaTheOtter]

I'd rather the bed was always made up in the spare room so as to stop the duvet and pillows from getting dusty. I always change sheets before visitors but not necessarily immediately afterwards. Other wise I'd end up doing twice the amount of washing as I think guests should have fresh sheets on that day.

[molyholy]

I would never expect an overnight guest to strip the bed. It would make me feel uncomfortable tbh. The last thing I would want a guest to think when they woke up was 'oh I must get these sheets clean'

[TarkaTheOtter]

Not that I would complain to the guest I they did strip the bed - it just wouldn't be saving me any work.

[maddening]

I'd say it is rude to get narky with someone who has done you a favour whilst doing another favour!

[diddl]

"But even if she hadn't, it isn't illegal to shove sheets in a laundry basket until another time"

No, but for me it just fills up the laundry basket. The sheets might as well stay on the bed out of the way!

"I'd say it's rude to get narky with someone who has done you a favour whilst doing you a favour!"

The person who commented about using the machine isn't the person that OP has done the favour for!

[eggyface]

nowt wrong with stripping the bed. or indeed with leaving it. OP's thoughtful washing was clearly absolutely fine. Can't get at all worked up about someone using my washing machine!

I quite like it when a nice,clean,short -staying guest leaves the sheets on, tbh, as then DH or I can hop into the bed without needing to change it, if we have a horrific night with baby the following night. I don't tend to mind using sheets a friend has used for one night only, and in fact think it's a bit eco unfriendly to wash them. Unless it's a big sweaty grandad or shagging couple.... I would of course change them if anyone other than me/DH was going to use the bed!

[PuppyMonkey]

Squash the dirty sheets right down diddl, that's my laundry basket technique.

[whois]

Not rude at all to use the washing machine!

Def don't expect (or really want) guests to stip the bed but don't think it's in any way a bad thing. Certainly wouldn't expect guests to wash their own bedding but if I had someone staying while I was away I would probably be very surprised but thankful as its one less thing to do.

[FeelingSmurfy]

Wouldn't expect it but would really appreciate it if they did!

[Inertia]

I think what you did was thoughtful, because you actually completed the job and got the clean, dry sheets out of the way.

If I'm a guest, I always check what the host would prefer before stripping beds.

In our house, I prefer guests to leave the bedding on so that I can strip it and wash it when there isn't a backlog of other washing to clear first- I wash the guest bedding and towels as a self-contained load- so if the sheets are still on the bed then they are out of the way. Also , I find that guests sometimes strip the bedding that doesn't get washed every single times, such as mattress and pillow protectors, which then generates more work.

[HardcoreInternetFriend]

eggyface - totally! The last person to stay in our spare room was my sister, she made the bed up again nicely afterwards and it's stayed like that, I will use the bed occasionally and won't wash the bedding again until the next guest is due to arrive. I am a bit of a slattern though.

[DoJo]

I prefer guests not to strip the bed as my son plays 'beds' in the spare room and I would rather there were sheets and covers on it when he plays, then I change them when guests come next time. It wouldn't annoy me as such if someone stripped the bed, but I would rather they didn't. (This is in response to the OP saying that she expects guests to strip the bed as a minimum, BTW, not to the rude FB comments about her thoughtfulness in washing the sheets herself.)

[Roussette]

Tarka don't tell me you wash sheets/duvet cover on the day someone arrives, even if the bedding is clean?

If so, goodness me, I wouldn't dream of doing that. Sheets are clean whenever you changed them surely... why the need?

I don't care what anyone does - strip the bed, don't strip the bed, turn it back, make it again. Whatever anyone does, I wash the bedding when it suits me and if that means the bed is unmade for a few days, so what... life's too short to worry about that. Eventually, clean sheets are put on and that's it till the next person stays and sleeps in them. Then repeat!

[CadleCrap]

I think those of us who would prefer the bed not stripped were thinking about being actual hosts. The OP doesn't have a host and she did a nice thing. And no one has said they were annoyed/narked/rude about having the bed stripped, just that they preferred it not to be.

[Gabilan]

"Some of the comments on Facebook are just rude!!"

Time for a bit of pruning of your FB friends list ?

I would be quite glad that you had washed the sheets on a good drying day. However, I'm quite happy for guests not to strip the bed. I tend to think it's all part of them being guests. Also, I know what programme I want sheets washed on and I like the machine to be full. It's a preference though, I certainly don't think it's rude to use the washing machine when you've been house sitting!

[seaweed123]

I always change the sheets on the day a guest arrives, so prefer to leave the sheets on the bed when they leave until the next guests are staying. (I have cats, so wouldn't want guests sleeping on sheets/pillows that the cats might have napped on) If they strip the bed that's fine, but it means I'll end up washing sheets on one has slept on, which seems wasteful.

[Wideopenspace]

OP, if you'd like to come and do my laundry, I wouldn't mind a bit!

[Feminine]

As a teen,when l stayed with my Dad and step mother, my Dad always expected me to strip the bed we started in and put it in the machine. We= me and my sister.
This was actually, quite mentally damaging at the time.
Today, l am a 43 year old woman. I'd be delighted to have an extra job done for me.

[Feminine]

*stayed in

[Optimist1]

You did exactly the right thing, OP - it would be such a shame to miss the opportunity of a Good Drying Day! Very little effort on your part, huge benefit to the family you've been house-sitting for and not at all rude to use their washing machine.

[cariadlet]

I think it was thoughtful to strip the bed as it was a good drying day and it will save the family you are sitting for a job. Certainly not rude to use the washing machine.

It does seem a bit strange to expect guests to strip a bed. I've never done it myself and nor have any guests we've had.

Actually, I would really rather they didn't - our bedding is always clean, but the actual mattress is stained as dd often likes to sleep in the double bed in the spare room and she was quite old when she finally stopped bedwetting. We haven't replaced it yet (too wary after going for dry months only to have another accident) and would be absolutely mortified for a guest to see it.

[PeppermintCrayon]

I want the bedding left on so my cat doesn't play shred the duvet.

It would piss me right off if you put laundry on as you wouldn't do it right.

[cardibach]

seaweed -shut the spare room door. No cat problems!
cariad -get a mattress cover.
Problems solved :)
I don't expect, but don't mind, bed stripping by guests. I just leave the stripped bedding in the spare room until I'm ready to wash it, or squash it down hard in the laundry basket if they bring it out as well as stripping it.

[Marcelinewhyareyousomean]

I'd hate a guest/ sitter to post a video my house/ garden on fb.

I'd rather guests didn't strip the bed. I always put fresh sheets on the bed but don't always do it straight away.