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?

In answer to your question, Emo: um, because you're on holiday!

'I don't go a week without hoovering or sweeping at home so why would I want to on holiday?

Surely part of a self catering holiday cottage is that you look after the place?'

Not IMO. It's paying more for space so that I have access to a kitchen and it's detached. It costs more than a Premier Inn, where I have none of these things. It's to not trash the place. I make sure I book ones with cleaning included in the price because I don't go on holiday to hoover and strip beds.

I'm not at home. I'm on holiday. I paid to hire space to avoid having to buy all meals out, and paid for cleaning of it (beyond loading dishwasher, taking food out of fridge, emptying bids). It's a treat. I don't behave as I behave at home as I am on holiday.

If my dc are playing on a carpet, I like to think it's been hoovered fairly recently

Also there are 3 of us with long thick hair that gets everywhere

Not cleaning for a week just feels grotty

I'm on holiday and still cooking so don't mind running a Hoover around -it takes 5 mins

'If my dc are playing on a carpet, I like to think it's been hoovered fairly recently'

It has been. By the cleaner who came in after the last guests left.

If I don't sweep or hoover several times a day when staying anywhere with DD you can't actually see the floor for crumbs.

'If I don't sweep or hoover several times a day when staying anywhere with DD you can't actually see the floor for crumbs.'

Mine are a bit older and we don't have that worry. Plus, when we do go self-catering, we're usually out all day.

Yes,,us too..she is uber messy

My PIL got blacklisted from a cottage in the Lake District because they didn't clean properly before leaving. When they pushed for details it turned out the owner (who also cleaned it) knew they hadn't used floor cleaning product or the furniture polish.

They weren't overly bothered as she'd let herself in twice while they were there - once to deliver a frying pan as she thought they needed one and then two days later to collect said frying pan when she realised it was the next-door cottage that needed one. MIL reckons she was just checking up on the place as the people next door said she'd let herself in there a couple of times as well.

We used to go to a lovely cottage in the highlands where the owner said if the cottage didn't look 'lived in' after check out she'd consider they'd done something wrong (they owned several activity places in the village so if folks would rather be at home cleaning they'd missed something).

Liaste - i reckon the cleaner secretly put that 'pamphlet' in there so they had to do fuck all! I also wonder if the price of that let was similar/on par with others locally that don't expect all that cleaning? As if it is they are charging you for a cleaning service and expecting you to do it too.

With the 10-4 cleaning timetable. They aren't cleaning 10-4 are they? they probably have an hour max turnaround and do 5-6 cottages in that time. It just means they can do it between that time in the order that suits them.

I'm not at home. I'm on holiday. I paid to hire space to avoid having to buy all meals out, and paid for cleaning of it (beyond loading dishwasher, taking food out of fridge, emptying bids). It's a treat. I don't behave as I behave at home as I am on holiday.

Exactly this. And the only multi-page binders there had better be filled with information about things to do in the vicinity and restaurant menus, not pages and pages of rules.

For a two bed two bath apartment, an exit clean takes around 4-5 hours, a 3 bed 5-6 hours

"With the 10-4 cleaning timetable. They aren't cleaning 10-4 are they? they probably have an hour max turnaround and do 5-6 cottages in that time. It just means they can do it between that time in the order that suits them."

Again, a big assumption. And, again, not the holiday makers problem.

We paid a £100 returnable deposit for our cottage, so we'll see if our cleaning efforts passed muster . I had an unfortunate incident with the sofa though. I was sitting on it on the first evening minding my own business when there was a terrible "clunk" and my seat suddenly gave way a couple of inches . I am on the chubby side but probably weigh less than the average adult human so I sincerely hope it wasn't my fault!

Costacoffee - I like the sound of your holiday apartments. They are in Portugal aren't they?

4-5 hours for 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, one reception room, a dining room and a kitchen? No way. I used be a cleaner and that would take 1-2 hours max - especially as there wouldn't be any personal effects to put away and work around. I know lots of people who holiday let and they do not pay a cleaner for 4-5 hours. Even the 4 bed 3 bathroom house i know of only takes 2-3 hours.

I take 3 hours to clean my 5 bedroom 3 bathroom house and that includes putting loads of toys and laundry away.

I didn't say it was Bibbity. Just what my experience is in answer to those saying what are they doing between 10-4? I still don't think you should do any cleaning. It's up to them what their arrangements are for this.

It does take that long if it's cleaned thoroughly. You might be lucky if you don't have to clean the oven but it certainly takes more than just a couple of hours.

Yes they are

It definitely takes that long if it's done properly - holiday let cleaning is to a different standard than normal domestic cleaning.

All the cutlery and crockery is taken out and inspected and the cupboards, drawers and shelves cleaned thoroughly, Windows and patio doors, beds changed, obviously, bathrooms and kitchen cleaned top to bottom, including things like the fridge door seals and the racks/shelves inside, all floors hoovered and mopped, rugs taken out and beaten then hoovered, sofa cushions taken off and hoovered underneath them, balconies/terraces swept and mopped, rubbish bagged and taken to communal bins

I often accompany the maids as they work - and this doesn't include washing and ironing the sheets and towels which is done off-site

I agree Costa, different from cleaning at home.

I've been doing this for around 15 years, in a variety of apartments with different layouts, modern and older style, and it always works out about the same - unless we've had real mingers in - thankfully that only happens once or twice a season

Our maids also do a mid week clean and towel change - another 1-2 hours

I remember my DM used to get up at silly o'clock on the last day and scrub and clean and polish as if getting ready for military inspection. Bugger that, it's supposed to be a holiday.

I leave everything tidy, washing up done and put away (or final dishwasher load running), beds stripped (if they ask for it, though I find that a pain), towels in the bath, bins emptied and all our food removed. I don't do more than that. Basically, I leave it ready to be cleaned - they don't need to tidy before cleaning.

MrsKoala, I just don't believe you.
Costa is right. HC cleaning is very different from home cleaning. And if it's not, I don't want to stay there.
On Friday it took me from just after 10 till 2.45 to clean my HC. And that didn't include any laundry, but I gave myself half an hour for lunch.

I would empty the bins, put things back in the right place, put dishwasher on, clean the loos, wipe surfaces and a quick hoover.

Our holiday rental property is 5 bedrooms with 3 bathrooms and a cloakroom. It takes the cleaners hours to clean it and change all the beds to the correct configuration for the next guests. I expect it to be nothing less than immaculate for my guests. I don’t expect anyone to clean when they are there but they can if they want to.