to only do the washing up/put dishwasher on and no other cleaning on departing our holiday cottage?

[bibbitybobbityyhat]

Oh and empty bins?

Just having a week away in a not inexpensive cottage. Have to be out by 10 on the last day, am planning to leave nothing dirty lying around (apart from sheets, obvs) but shan't be doing any actual cleaning either.

That's not unreasonable is it?

This cottage has three sofas with cream covers and throws over the top. I am not planning to straighten the throws or plump up the cushions, no way.

However, I do think it is gross to expect anyone to clean a dirty toilet after you.

Roffling at the idea of stripping the beds! This is supposed to be a holiday.

I do what is asked. But I also check before I book to be sure that what is asked is minimal. I don't go on holiday to clean.

You should strip the beds surely?

I strip the beds, load and put on the dishwasher and clean anything that would obviously mark me as a slattern, but I'd expect a clean to be included in the price to be honest.

No-one's ever asked me to strip the beds. In every welcome file in every property we've ever stayed in the most that has been asked is the bins emptied into the outside waste & recycling, towels left in a pile somewhere usually bath or shower, and dishwasher on.

I don't pay premium prices for a few days away to do housework. That's what the cleaners are paid for.

we always clean the places we stay before we leave them, why would you not leave them as you found them?

why would you not leave them as you found them?

Because I have paid to have someone else do that.

'You should strip the beds surely?'

No. I'm a paying customer, not a houseguest. I don't go on holiday to clean.

No thats not unreasonable! Unless you have made an incredible mess covering everything in mud or something or have been there a month or more and so stuff is really dirty. But just for a week or a couple of weeks then yeah just the washing up, they have cleaners to come and clean. Its a holiday!!

Shazzarooney999 i think you probably waste your time because the cleaner will just come and re clean everything you have cleaned because they probably have some kind of list of jobs they are supposed to do.

I strip the bed if its asked of us. And leave the dishes clean or in the dishwasher. Buggered if I'm cleaning any loos or vacuuming though. I do enough of that at home.

Shazza because you have paid someone to do that.
It's like paying to go out for a meal and clearing your table and doing the washing up for the rrestaurant staff - bonkers

We always take our dog with us to holiday cottages so will always do a Hoover and sweep up before we leave to make sure there is no dog hair left behind. I make sure all plates etc have been washed, dried and put away. Wipe down all of the surfaces and strip beds.

It doesn't take long on exit morning to make the place presentable.

Lynda I also used to be a chambermaid and I always strip the beds in hotels and put all the cups in the sink to soak. I used to bloody love it when I went in a room and someone had taken the bedding off.

I don't leave the dishwasher running, I make sure it's all done and put away before we leave. I will usually get the kids to stick all used towels in the bath. Sometimes you're asked to strip beds and I'm happy to do that too.

I don't clean, but then we never make that much mess. If we had made muddy footprints or spilt ketchup on the surfaces that would be wiped up right away, just as we would at home.

Holiday property owner; the cost of the cleaner is definitely included in the price! We rent through an agency amd can't remember what they ask for in terms of state in which to leave things, but it's definitely not 'leave things as you found them.' As others have said - it's a holiday!
Definitely no need to strip beds, hoover or clean anything.

Of course, that doesn't mean pebble dash the loo or spray red wine ariund the living room .

I strip beds for the same reason as Lynda.

We left one on Saturday, I put away the dishwasher washing and washed by hand the last couple of bits, cleaned loos and bath, hoovered all the rooms and stripped beds. It's privately rented by an older couple, not sure if they had a cleaner or not but it was left for us in that condition so I left it in that condition. I got the impression she does the cleaning herself and hate idea of old lady cleaning up after my messy kids even if technically it is part of the money. It didn't take me long and she texted me after we'd gone to thank me

I look after several holiday lets in the Algarve. I'd rather people didn't strip the beds as it's easier to see if there are any marks that need stain treatment

I don't expect anyone to clean, Hoover, scrub toilets, just pack up your stuff, leave the keys on the table and get to the airport - it's unlikely you'd do it to our maid's standard, so she'll just do it again and you'll have wasted the last couple of hours of your holiday

Our maid also goes in every 3/4 days to clean and change the towels, and changes the beds every week, so there's really no need to stress out over it

I used to clean a holiday cottage for a bit of extra cash. I didn't expect anything to be cleaned at all. No one ever left it in a complete state but it was mainly used by older couple or families, no wild parties happening there.

I would go round with the hoover whether it looked clean or not. I'd properly clean the bathroom and kitchen if it looked spotless or not - I was paid to clean it and clean it I did! It didn't bother me either way if it had been done already.

It was nice if I didn't have to scrub at things like the cooker, also if the beds were already stripped, but all it meant was that I was able to leave half an hour sooner at most. I certainly wouldn't have reported anything other than serious damage to the owners, no one would be blacklisted for not wiping the loo!

That said there was no cleaning policy. We didn't ask guests to clean so we didn't expect it (not even the washing up or the bins). I always just considered it as part of the job. I say unless explicitly stated otherwise, enjoy your break and don't clean anything!

I also used to be a chambermaid and I always strip bedding wherever we stay!

We always clean properly, do the beds and put everything away. My friend owns the cottage we stay in every summer and I know she cleans it herself (for a start getting a professional cleaner into the back of beyond would be difficult and pricey). Her parents ran the business before her and they also expected leaving guests to clean. I don't think it needs to be amazingly spotless but acceptable. It is also astonishing how many people don't do the bare minimum and leave cottages in a complete state. Over the years they have had dirty dishes, filthy bathrooms, dirty sheets, muddy footprints on the windowsills, numerous breakages and so on.

I empty bins and put the dishwasher on. There is never enough time to empty it.

I will strip the beds if asked but wouldn't do it routinely.

I cannot understand why some people clean before they leave - it's not helping anyone!

I always strip beds, leave towels in the bath, make sure the loo is clean, empty the fridge and the bins, make sure all washing up is done/in the dishwasher and all the kitchen surfaces are wiped and quickly sweep the kitchen floor. That's it.