Cleaning holiday homes

[Familyshopper]

I don’t know if it’s me but I’ve been on a few self catering holidays in the past but have to say I mainly stay in hotels but with all this lockdown we’ve been itching to get away for some time out of the house, I was following a holiday park page on Facebook that i have stayed at previously & I was considering using again & then I saw this rant ....

🤮 At Home- Do people really put unwashed dirty pots back in cupboards?🤮

🤮Leave the microwave splattered with food?🤮

🤮Leave spilled milk all in the bottom of the fridge?🤮

🤮 Leave Cereal and toast crust in the bed sheets?🤮

🤦‍♀️ Today has been a long day - I wish I was sat in bar 49 with a cocktail or 20 🤦‍♀️

Is it just me or does anyone else get the feeling that nobody wants to do anything you pay a lot to stay in these units & subsequently the cleaner also gets paid & i recall my last time using these the holiday home wasn’t what I would call spotless is it to much to ask for them to actually clean these days 🤷‍♀️

I rent out a static caravan and my cleaners are excellent - we often get complimented on cleanliness. I'm not sure they'd check the cupboards for unwashed dishes however - you do have to assume people will do something for themselves.

I don't understand who was doing the ranting - was it a guest or was it the company?

YABU.

You shouldn't be expected to do a professional valet of the entire property, but to suggest the things you've listed are a reasonable way to leave a property is frankly disgusting.

I don't understand why anyone who spilt milk or food wouldn't just clean it up straight away....

The company

I always clean before we leave self catering and would feel ashamed if I left it as described by op. The cleaners have a hard enough job to do without dealing with customers who just are entitled slobs.

I always aim to leave a place as close to the condition it was when I arrived as I can. I would certainly never leave dirty pots or dishes around and would clean up any spillages. I can’t guarantee I would wipe clean the microwave, but would certainly not leave food in the bed sheets!

Of course you don't leave that sort of mess for others to clean up. It's disgusting

I own holiday rental properties and the only thing on that list which really makes me angry is guests who make some half hearted attempt at washing up but end up putting dirty/unclean pots/plates back in the cupboard. I'd much prefer it was left dirty in the sink!

Everything else is just part of the job.

I sometimes help a friend 'turn' her holiday cottages. She wears rubber gloves to changes the sheets due to the things she finds.
She prefers dog owners because they leave the properties cleaner than other people do.

We always leave them how we found them other than hoovering (because there’s not always a hoover there), wouldn’t dream of leaving dirty plates and pans in the cupboards.

We stayed in caravan at Devon cliffs a few years ago and someone (probably a small child) had pissed on the sofa 🤢, the site was so busy and I ended up buying cleaning products and cleaning it myself rather than complaining. It was pretty grim but it didn’t ruin our holiday. I’m not sure how the cleaners didn’t notice it.

I agree with all except the first one OP. It is quite grim to put dirty dishes back in the cupboards. But the rest all seem part and parcel of cleaning a holiday let, particularly when the occupants are likely having to leave at 9am due to covid cleaning requirements.

It's a bit like a local restaurant owner who has spent the last 9 months or so issuing weekly email diatribes about the issues caused by lockdown and confusing reopening plans ( Scotland) . Sure she has a point, but as a paying customer it puts me off going back.

Not sure why it matters if someone leaves crumbs in the bed. Surely the bedsheets are getting changed between guests?!

I think trusting guests to clean dishes for the next guests is niave, what's their incentive? I just stayed in a really expensive national trust cottage and despite all extra Covid cleaning there were some manky plates in the cupboard...it was galling for £300 a night.

I've cleaned 5 star properties for a few years and it's essentially deep clean every time. Didn't expect the guests to clean really, but would hope they'll do their own dishes, not hide all sorts of crap in silly places. Literally had to check every crevice as have found all sorts of rubbish or broken glass put in backs of cupboards, under sofa etc. Bagging up their own rubbish is basic courtesy.
Saying that i was well paid and they will have arrived to a spotless property

In my job I had to empty all cupboards to clean them and clean fridge cooker etc everything anyway tho. There's some home owners who expect the world in 2 hours and are surprised when complaints mount up

I also think telling guests to leave cottages.as they found them is silly, better to say leave your dirty dishes in the sink or dishwasher. At least this avoids a last minute rinse.it and bung it in the cupboard scenario.

I ended up buying cleaning products and cleaning it myself rather than complaining. It was pretty grim but it didn’t ruin our holiday

I really can't imaging reacting like this myself, as I would be concerned that they would expect we had caused it.

More likely to let people know then go out for day or meal while it was sorted.

That would also not spoil my holiday.

Trying to clean it up and it subsequently being found and blamed on us really might take the gloss off my holiday.

So you think it’s normal to put dirty pots back in the cupboard?

If I’m paying £1.5-£2k a week for a holiday let I don’t expect to clean it before I leave. Yes tidy and I wouldn’t put dirty pots in the cupboard but I’m not cleaning the microwave (unless I made a big mess) or the bathrooms etc, sod that. Pretty sure that not cleaning is part of the joy of going away!

God vile no & that’s not something I would do however if I were to rent out somewhere I’d check that sort of thing but as far as splatters in a microwave Wtf & being expected to dust throughout before stay is a bit much (what I had to previously do)

Everything on that list is the bare minimum a person should do if they’re staying somewhere. Are you genuinely saying you’d leave a microwave caked in your food and toast crusts in the bed?!

I would leave a holiday house "cleaner ready", but I don't expect to leave it spotless

I expect to be able to leave a holiday home I've rented in reasonable order but not "cleaned." We're paying a premium already, surely a proper paid cleaner should be included in that fee.

When you ask holidaymakers to do the cleaning for you, that's how you end up with dirty dishes back in cupboards etc.