AIBU to give my neighbours living room and kitchen a quick clean.

[Casschops]

My lovely neighbours have gone away on their holidays they don't have much money although work reaaaaally hard and juggle their childcare of their 10 year old son. They have gone to stay in annex of their relations home so have an absolute minmum on their holiday, a friend even drove them their as they struggle with money so much. Im feeding their cat. I saw the man chucking their vacum cleaner in the bin the other week and he was laughing saying they can't afford a new one ATM. The cat has been sick on the floor and flicked cat litter everywhere which I have cleaned up but I can tell that for some weeks they have swept the carpet and floor and there is a thin layer of cat hair and bits in corner of the rooms. It lools like it needs a good vacum the cat has also been walking on woŕktops in the kitchen and there are footprints on things generally lookin a bit hairy and in need of a good wipe as are the windowledges where he sits.
Would they think it odd if I gave everything a wipe down in kitchen and living room as well as mopped the kitchen floor and vacuumed the carpet. I just want them to come home to a nice fresh house or is this intrusive? I am absolutely not looking for people's judgement about levels of tidiness but would it be nice to give things a quick once over or just too much? We say hi on the street and chat but have never socialized with them just to give an idea of our relationship.
Thanks for any input.

Its a really nice gesture, and you can blame the cat puke for why you hoovered. I'd be delighted if someone volunteered to hoover and map in my house!

I'd clean up. I've looked after peoples' cats before now and cleaned up after them without thinking about it and no one ever complained. I work on the basis that I'd prefer to come home to somewhere clean and tidy and without cat litter and footprints on the work surfaces, so why wouldn't they?

The family have been away and probably won't even remember what state the place was in when they left. I'd cut a few flowers from the garden and bung them in a vase, put some milk in the fridge and a loaf on the table and leave them a note welcoming them home. If they take offence you can tell them the cat was sick and made a mess and you didn't want them to come home to a bad smell. I say hurrah for the Marias of the world! Nothing worse than coming home from holiday to mess.

If I trusted someone enough to watch my cats, I personally be very happy if they hoovered for me! I wouldn’t see it as a judgement on my cleanliness but more, I’ve been away for a week and not been upkeeping the house and it gets a bit grimy. I’d love to come home to a fresh house!

Leave a note saying 🐈 had been a bit sick and made a mess then walked it over the sides so you've flicked the hoover round and given everything a quick wipe down.

Don't do anything that they clearly don't do themselves

I would do it without a thought and just say you did a quick clean doe to the cat being sick and making a mess with the cat litter. I consider wiping sides, cleaning bowls, sweeping litter a general part of cat sitting though.

I think that’s a great idea to blame the cat!

Dunno, I think if the cat has never vacuumed before it seems a bit unbelievable that it would start now.

I've done it. When feeding my friends cat I vacuumed the whole house the day before they came home, and cleaned the kitchen so that it was nice and fresh for them (the cat had shed all over the upstairs too). She was very appreciative.

I also bought some bread and milk for them to come home to so that they didn't need to think about it.

I think if you're there to look after the cat, it's not unreasonable to clear up the mess that the cat has made. Presumably they would have cleaned up after the cat as they went along had they been home, so would hope to return to a clean house if they left it that way.

Yes do it. Hoover and mop the floor and blame it on the cat shedding, puking etc. I have a feeling they will be grateful esp as their hoover is broken and they know that you know.

I don’t get why you have to leave a note? As someone has said I really doubt that they’ll be thinking “ooh, I left that tuft of car hair just there, where‘s it gone?” A note does look judgemental and virtue signaling: “look at this kind deed I did” whereas just making the house orderly and cleaning up cat-related mess in the way you describe could be part of looking after the cat and I doubt they’ll notice except to think how nice and fresh it seems.

I do agree with lola sorry. I’d be really embarrassed.

I think anything you can blame on clearing up after the cat is fine but
I would be mortified at anything else.

Wipe surfaces, clean up litter and vomit (obviously 😂😂) and I would also hoover "because I couldn't just clean the bit where Cat was sick and I had the hoover out anyway"

Tell them you spilt a drink of something and the cat walked in it and walked it all over the place. So you’re sorry if it’s a mess but you tried your best to clean it up......

No way!!!
So intrusive. Of course you mean it kindly but please don’t do it.

I’d be mortified if someone felt the need to do this in my house.

However...how much is a sweeping brush? A couple of quid? Better than nothing. I’d never leave my house in that state if I knew someone was coming in to feed the cat!

I’m just saying, no vacuum doesn’t = scruffy.

We all work hard and juggle childcare!

I would do it and I'd appreciate if someone did it for me too. Certainly wouldn't expect it but I would love it especially coming home from a holiday.

Absolutely not. You were asked to feed the cat not be a cleaner.

If its simply a hoover and a wipe down, then yes. But dont get into tidying up or moving stuff or putting things away

I think it’s perfectly reasonable to clean any cat related mess as you are there to look after the cat and I agree with a pp to just say when they return that the cat was sick and walked through it so you cleaned up .

I’d do it for very close friends or family but I wouldn’t dream of it for neighbours I didn’t know well. They might well see it as the judgement it so clearly is.

Absolutely not. You will be drawing attention to the fact you think their house isn't clean enough. It's a kind thought but no.

I can't believe anyone thinks it's OK to clean the neighbour's house, other than deal with the obviously recent cat litter and puke!

I'd be furious and very embarrassed if my neighbour thought that my house was in need of cleaning. Everyone's standards are different and you need to respect that, OP.

What a kind neighbour you are, Casschops! I'd be delighted to have someone clean up while I was away. Surely they wouldn't be offended, or embarrassed, if you said It was because the cat had been sick and overturned the litter tray. Go with your good instincts.

Go for it, I'd be over the moon if you cleaned up and I came back to kitchen not covered in cat food.

@OhCaptain not they have a sweeping brush and dust pan and brush which clearly they use regularly. Its just cat hair has gathered and only a hoover would shift it. They are not scruffy at all and kictchen was clearly clean prior to leaving.

Blaming the cat is a good option and I'd perhaps message if you had their number as a precursor "cat has made a bit of a mess. Do you mind if I give a quick hoover to clean it up?".

Saying that, I absolutely hate it when people come into my house and clean for me. I took my MILs key off her after she kept doing it without being asked.