To think that you offer your housesitters decent standards?

[Dutch1e]

Originally added this as a comment on another thread but don't want to hijack.

We're housesitting/catsitting for a family in our community. I'm fine with mess but feel disappointed that the home is truly dirty dirty.

The sink was blocked when we arrived. Drano didn't work so we pulled the plumbing apart. Found ten years worth of cooking oil in the pipes. The Fat Sausage was as big as my arm and the smell was delightful when we dug it out with a spoon.

The couch smelled so bad that I gagged (I have a strong stomach). Oddly all the covers zipped off so after we washed them it was fine. It's not like a fixed couch that is impossible to clean.

The sheets were fresh for us and that's lovely. The duvets and pillows were rank. Again, with a soak in bleach and a good hot wash they came out much better.

Every drawer in the kitchen was coated with gunk and the oven is still a work in progress.

There's more but you get the picture. And I think this is genuinely the clean version of their house.

We're Airbnb hosts and we have housesitters ourselves. Our home is simple but very clean when new people arrive.

AIBU to think it's not very kind to hand over an unhygenic environment and perhaps they need a word to the wise? Or should I just shut my mouth and drift away?

Ive been in a similar situation ( had to replace the pillows though!) ....I chose to drift away and count it as a lesson learnt.

i'd be more worried about if they are coping as a family if their sink was unusable than judging them like a cunt, but perhaps thats just me.

Yeah, you're right. The OP should have spent her time organising social services intervention for when they return from their overseas trip. Maybe a free cleaner. Instead of expecting a functional kitchen to feed her own child.

What a cunt she is.

OP to answer your original question, it depends who they are to you, and it depends whether you want to remain friendly with them. They had to have known at least that their sink wouldn't drain so they'll notice that it does now. I don't think there's any way to get around saying something.

I'd probably go the route of a "debrief" report, like a report card with notes of anything you did and/or didn't do like:

June 5 - Washed couch cushions with , tumble dry
- Separated drain, cleared blockage
- Fed cat 1 x _
- Changed litter tray. Disposed of in
June 6 - Washed duvet and pillows with __, air dry
- Fed cat 1 x
June 7 - Shampooed carpets with , hours drying
- Fed cat 1 x _
- Changed litter tray. Disposed of in _
June 8 - Changed light globe in main bedroom

You can word it like you are making sure they know what you did, just in case there's any issues or allergic reactions to products. With the drain you could also make it seem like you were surprised about the fat, had no idea it did that, you'd be checking your own drains when you got home etc etc.

Who said anything about social services? If i went to stay in a friends house and it was in such a state they had no useable sink, then i'd be asking my friend if they were ok, if there was something I could do to help, rather than bitching about them on mumsnet.
I think thats fairly cunty behaviour, yes.

Just feed the fucking cats. That's all they want you to do. Just feed the fucking cats. You don't have to live there. Feed the cats and leave.
That's fair do's. The cats are probably as happy as Larry so long as they get fed.

Hoik up your voluminous judgey pants and feed the bastard cats.

They're not the OP's personal friends. They're people she basically has a business arrangement with.

Anyway, they can get themselves overseas for a holiday, but aren't 'coping' enough to unblock a sink? Righto.

@GreenCarnation - the OP is HOUSEsitting, not just catsitting. She's also got her kids there too.... so no, she can't just leave!

Grim.

You didn't happen to take a photo of the fat sausage as big as your arm, did you? I'd love to see that.

You sound lovely op - let me know next time you want to catsit (I will clean before we go!)

Anytime we have had catsitters we have left the place clean for them - would never let it get that dirty in the first place as we live there

I think it's hard to sometimes see the place you live in with fresh eyes - you get blind to the mess (and dirt to some extent). Mess i can live around quite easily but dirt is something else entirely. I feel for you OP!! Could you maybe say that you've had the plumber in (ooer missus) and replenished a few cleaning supplies and would they mind reimbursing you?

When we bought our last place I didn't expect the previous owners to be such filthy scummers they'd happily let their 6m old crawl around a floor littered with mousr droppings (gag). (For the record we did get an end of tenancy deep clean before we moved in).

I can actually just see the mn post in a couple of weeks: "AIBU to ask my housesitters if they think i live in squalor? Just got back from my hols and the place is sparkling clean and they haven't said a thing!"

CaoNiMartacus I took a few photos, yes. Doesn't feel right to share them with anyone except the homeowners though (and maybe not even them - Only took the snaps in case they need to show a plumber later or something. I won't mention the pics unless they specifically ask about the fixed sink).

Thanks everyone for the opinions. I can't really say nothing as it's obvious we've done some stuff around the house.

I think I'll just state the obvious in the handover report "we deep cleaned everything we used" and leave it at that.

They are the ones who should be worrying about whether you'd be offended by their mucky house. They're not and there's no reason for you to worry about offending them.