To think you shouldn't have to spring clean a holiday cottage?

[Takemetomiami]

Staying in a cottage booked through one of the large companies. I use a lot of air bnb and it's standard to leave the place as you found it which I always do.

In a holiday place booked through a company I clean the sink/loo, rinse bath, make sure fridge and bins emptied, wipe down kitchen surfaces. I assume they have professional cleaners coming in who will do a thorough job.

This morning got email from the holiday company with a long list of jobs including stripping beds, mopping through, cleaning shower, basically "leave it spotless". Is that now expected?

Exh refused to reply to / contest the woman’s unreasonable review which also really annoyed me!

Why do some owners just do their best to make you feel unwelcome/uncomfortable when staying in their places?
Like the ones with little laminated ‘polite notices’ everywhere? Urgh.
One such note on a switch said ‘This is the air con but you won’t be needing it’. That went straight on it was boiling.

We stayed in an apartment in Jersey (we were downstairs, owners upstairs). We had to thoroughly clean the place before we left, and stand their like naughty school kids whilst the owners inspected our work.
They also set a rule that we had to open all blinds/curtains each morning. We caught them several times just staring at us through the windows. Never booked with them again. Was not relaxing at all.

@thereisonlyoneofme

It is because of Covid I have been requested to do the same

No, it's because the owners are tight fisted CFers.

This is exactly why I only ever stay in hotels!

I always strip beds, stack up used towels, make sure work surfaces and hob are spotless, give bath, loo and sink a good going over and make sure bins are empty. That's it - I've never had negative feedback or any issues.

I don't mind stripping the beds but there's no way I'm doing the rest of it, I'm on holiday!

Definitely not.
I don’t mind stripping beds, and I’ll leave the place tidy, any washing up put away, wipe round washbasins and worktops, etc., but no way will I do a major clean.

Especially not when they want you out at 9 or 10 am!

That’s what they pay cleaners for, and if they’re too tight to pay them, they shouldn’t be holiday letting.

IMO they are taking the piss.

I've never been asked to do that level of cleaning. There's often been instructions about bins, particularly if they need to go out for a collection day but other than that I'd just leave it tidy and surfaces wiped down. I'd strip the beds even if they didn't ask you to as I think it's a 2min job if everyone does their own bed that helps the cleaner.

I feel like I've been really lucky with the many holiday lets I've stayed in from these stories - never arrived in one that was less than immaculate, and never had to do more than leave it tidy and presentable as I left.

I pay someone to clean my own house, am buggered if I'm cleaning anyone else's, particularly before 9AM with current Covid rules!

We did have to do the bagging laundry thing in the gorgeous cottage we were in last week, and they asked us to fill any remaining space in the dishwasher with unused stuff, as they are cleaning everything between guests - but that's Covid related so fine. Would never normally strip beds.

@thereisonlyoneofme

It is because of Covid I have been requested to do the same

Surely because of Covid there's even more reason for them to be sending professional cleaners in to make sure it's done properly?!?

I'd be fine with stripping the beds and leaving it tidy but not the rest. I don't do that in my own home, I pay a cleaner to to do it. It wouldn't be a holiday if I had to do more work than I do at home!

The last place we booked had similar rules, the full chalet was to be cleaned, hoovered and beds stripped and laundry taken to a shed thing ready for the ‘cleaner’

Judging by the condition parts of it were in when we went there, they relied on the customers doing the bulk of the cleaning.
Won’t be going back there!?

I hope they then don't also charge for a cleaner. I've been charge for a cleaner on air bnb when you first book the place

We are staying in one in May where the departure time is 9am (because of covid)

We would normally try to make it as clean as possible before leaving but there's no chance if we have to leave by 9am.

The extra time is for them to clean to a covid safe standard so they can do the bits we normally would

I'd reply saying the message must have been intended for someone else as I am a customer not the cleaner.

I'd leave the place presentable but would not be 'spotless'.

I usually make sure that :

• All washing up is done and put away or in the dishwasher being washed .
• Bins emptied and outside as per whatever instructions have been provided
• kitchen surfaces clear and wiped down
• furniture and stuff in in rooms returned to where they where when we arrived ( eg books, games , chairs, clothes horse , beach stuff etc)
• fridge and food cupboards emptied and any food packed or binned etc
• Beds stripped sometimes, sometimes not
• Dirty towels in a heap in the bathroom
• Quickly sweep kitchen floor and any visible bits off hard floors

What I don't do
Mop or vacuum.(except.for spills of course)
Clean bathroom ( other than usual quick daily wipe)
Dust / clean and surfaces (except kitchen ones or if there were spills, particular marks etc that stand out or that we caused .)

We stayed in a house like this on a hen do a few years ago.

The organiser thought it best to spring this on us when we were all nursing hangovers

Picture the scene-a house full of angry, hungover women stripping beds and cleaning bathrooms

Had a holiday cottage last September and we were asked to strip the bed and put all towels in a massive laundry bag due to covid which is fair enough. I wouldn't expect to hoover or mop but I do expect to wipe down sides, wash up etc, just the basics, I can't bare the thought of people thinking I'm a mucky moo!

Maybe they can get you to clean the oven and defrost the freezer while you're at it?

Why can't cleaners strip beds in holiday cottages but are perfectly OK to strip far more in one day in a hotel?!

We often go to France and I hate the cleaning regime and managed to find somewhere last year (not that we ended up going of course........) which didn't make us. They charge such outrageous amounts for the cleaning if you don't do it (120 Euros for a portakabin on a holiday park......) that you really don't have an alternative.

Last summer, because of covid, all the cleaning equipment was locked away in a cupboard so I had to strip beds and dump sheets and towels in the bath but that was it. It was annoying not to be able to sweep the floor during the week but I accepted it.

I have been told by this year's cottage that they have removed all local info, games and DVDs because of Covid so if they've done that, I'm assuming they aren't expecting me to clean either as I don't think Covid steers clear of mops and vacuum cleaners.

Incidentally, given the virtually zero transmission rate of covid on surfaces, they really just need to open all the windows during the extended space between guests to make a place covid-safe.

Any place that asks visitors to arrive later and leave earlier should not be asking them to also do cleaning. I'd cancel.

Running cottages, I would say about 40% leave it as clean and as they found it (I love these people!) 50% leave it perfectly acceptable (dishwasher running, rubbish actually in the bins etc and 10% of people are fucking minging!!
I wish more people would leave the toilets clean not envy

make sure work surfaces and hob are spotless, give bath, loo and sink a good going over

Why? The cleaner/s will do that regardless of whether you've done it or not. They have a set procedure they need to follow.

I assume the bed stripping thing is more so they know what has and hasn't been used.