to expect dishwasher tablets?

[foxychox]

We had a week in an AirBNB last week. It was a seaside chalet, but very well equipped and included a dishwasher. When the keys were handed over I was advised on how to use the washer and dryer if I needed them so my expectation was that all appliances were for use. Over the first couple of days we used dishes and stacked the dishwasher, when it was full I hunted around but no dishwasher tablets to be found. Salt and rinse aid, yes but not tablets. Washing up liquid, washing liquid and fabric conditioner all evident. From then on we washed dishes as we used them (even though there was a only a very well used scourer available) but left the dishwasher as was - all items had been rinsed prior to putting in so no smell etc.
When we left I messaged the owner to say we had a great stay and had stacked the DW but as there were no tablets had not put it on. Her response was that she expected that we should wash all the dishes by hand prior to leaving.
AIBU in that if there is a dishwasher we should be able to use it? And that the property should include detergent for this? I have another AirBNB stay coming up in a couple of months so need to be prepared to take my own if this is not the norm (it has been for the other 2 that we have done)....

@Mustreadabook

It is normal in holiday cottages it seems, to have to get your own soap and washing liquid and dishwasher tablets. It seems so mean. And I wonder what happens to all the half empty bottles left by the last guests!

Does it really matter? We're talking about less than a fiver's worth of cleaning products here, who cares? Cottages are self catering, so you expect to provide your own consumables. Anything that's available for use is a small bonus.

A significant percentage of people who rent holiday cottages probably also have a dishwasher at home and arrive by car. It will be no bother at all to them to either bring supplies with them, or buy some and either take the rest home or leave them for the next guests.

Or if people don't have a dishwasher, they'll either just wash up by hand, or if they want to use the dishwasher, they'll probably be more than happy to buy a small pack from the nearest shop, or get some for a pound or two from a cheap shop if they don't want to spend a lot.

And I wonder what happens to all the half empty bottles left by the last guests!

We take anything we’ve bought home. I imagine most people do.

Not if there's a dishwasher in the property. What the fuck else is it for? Decoration?

Dish washing all the crap people who cant be bothered to do their own either by hand or because they can't work out how to purchase some tabs.

• the OP DID wash up by hand, everything from after she discovered there were no dishwasher tabs. 'all the crap' was one load. Which she DID run, just without a tab.

• why do you say she couldn't 'work out how to purchase' them? (I mean, I know; you're being snitty.) But it's a bit of a silly thing to say. People don't necessarily want to pay a cleaning fee and then have to spend money and holiday time buying dishwasher tabs.

And for the record, yes ive stayed in rentals. Cleaning charges are most definitely not universal... Maybe a thought when booking. That's quite patronising. And irrelevant in this case as Airbnb charges one.

I'm with you, OP. If a dishwasher is provided, then I expect dishwasher detergent to be provided too, just as I expect sheets on the bed, lightbulbs in the lamps, and towels/loo roll/ soap in the bathroom. They are all basic items necessary for the use and enjoyment of the property. Who wants to be hand-washing all the breakfast things just before leaving on the last day, along with packing and tidying? I expect to be able to pop them in the dishwasher, switch it on and go!

@Blossomtoes

And I wonder what happens to all the half empty bottles left by the last guests!

We take anything we’ve bought home. I imagine most people do.

Yes, I do too.

“People don't necessarily want to pay a cleaning fee and then have to spend money and holiday time buying dishwasher tabs.”

What’s the cleaning fee got to do with it? That covers end of stay type cleaning - laundering of sheets, the cleaner mopping the floors, bleating the toilet etc. Washing your used dishes is not cleaning, it’s part of the “catering” part of self catering. Unless they say they provide dishwashing products it’s on you to provide them yourself.

I'm glad you've accepted the AIBu verdict!

I am mainly confused as to why you didn't just buy a pack of dishwasher tablets/powder. Most small shops would sell something you could have used.

I think I'd have expected there to be some tablets tbh. We did a cottage holiday acoupke of years ago, stayed Thursday to Monday, there were4 tablets therefor us to use.
It's good you ran a hot wash, I'm sure as you rinsed them they were clean enough.
We took some persil but hadn't thought that we'd need dishwasher tablets.

Like other posters, when we went away to self catering places, we either took some dishwasher tablets and washing tablets, or bought them there.

And I certainly wouldn't have left a dishwasher full of dirty dishes - that was very unreasonable of you, I’m afraid, @foxychox.

They all seemed to get rid of staples (dish soap, tablets, salt, pepper) during the first Covid outbreak to prevent contact points.

Likely they've yet to bring them back for the same reason.

Oh just seen everything else was in place, they probably just forgot to throw some in then.

I stayed in an Airbnb last week and dishwasher tablets were supplied - but then so we're a lot of other things that I wouldn't normally expect (and no, it wasn't the owner renting out their own home whilst they were away - it was a self contained annexe to their home.)
The departure instructions were to load the dishwasher and press Start, so we were clearly meant to use it.

I always take the basics with me on self catering holidays though as even if things are supplied there isn't usually enough for a week and I don't want to buy household goods whilst I'm away.

Geez, the lack of common sense on here is astounding at times. Shop, tablets, stick in dishwasher. Not difficult.

What’s the cleaning fee got to do with it? That covers end of stay type cleaning - laundering of sheets, the cleaner mopping the floors, bleating the toilet etc. Washing your used dishes is not cleaning, it’s part of the “catering” part of self catering. Unless they say they provide dishwashing products it’s on you to provide them yourself.

• Most places IME provide cleaning consumables. Certainly if there's a dishwasher.
• Cleaning fees are often so high that they jolly well SHOULD include cleaning consumables.
• 'self-catering' is not a synonym for 'kit out the whole place like it's your own.' Where does it end? Should you bring lightbulbs?

And all those expressing puzzlement at why the OP couldn't figure out how/find the common sense to buy tabs – she says they didn't go shopping at all. Plus, as I'm sure you do all actually realise, she is no doubt capable of buying them, she just didn't want to/see why she should when there's a dishwasher there and she was being charged plenty for the stay already.

Another one here who always takes a few tablets with us, along with a dishcloth, tea towel and bin liners.
But last week we stayed somewhere where yes, they provided the tablets, but the dishwasher itself was hopeless and everything came out as grubby as when it went in so we ended up having to hand wash everything. It was a right pain.

As someone who doesn't have a dishwasher at home it would not occur to me that a holiday let wouldn't include the dishwasher tablets if there is a dishwasher, in the same way I would expect loo roll in the bathrooms and soap at the sinks as standard.

Self catering shouldn't mean I have to pack up my entire cleaning cupboard - I would expect either washing up liquid/sponges/cloths/teatowels or dishwasher tabs to be provided for crockery to be cleaned adequately. If I turned up and there were no dishwasher tabs but there was washing up liquid and clean sponges I would happily hand wash, but if neither is provided then that is a failure of the accommodation provider, not the guest.

It shouldn't be left to the guests to have to buy supplies to keep the place sanitary - you can get either option in bulk and then just leave a few for every booking at a cost of pennies per guest (eg you can get scourers in packs of 10/20 and dishcloths in packs of 10 for about £1 in most supermarkets, leave a couple of scourers and a couple of cloths for each set of guests and have a refillable bottle of washing up liquid for the grand cost of about 25p per booking) If you're charging £100+ per night and can't provide £2 worth of consumable cleaning supplies then something is going wrong.

Laundry is different as everyone has different needs wrt skin sensitivities/allergies etc so I would not expect laundry stuff to be provided as standard, though would be pleasantly surprised if there was some basic stuff available in case I'd forgotten, especially for those 7-14 day stays that might require some washing to be done (swim stuff/towels etc) but not enough to justify buying a whole pack of pods/box of powder if you forget to bring anything with you.

We have an Airbnb, when we started it we used to supply everything, but quickly realised that many guests assume anything not nailed down is theirs to take home, entire cleaning sprays, laundry liquid, entire bags of DW tabs, large family sized hand soap dispensers and hand creams from bathroom sinks, so now we leave exactly 7 DW tabs, measily individual little soap bars and no lovely handcream in bathrooms. Anyway, off point, but I think the owners should leave enough DW tabs for the stay it costs hardly anything and makes your guests stay much easier but in the event DW tabs werent there you don't just leave dirty dishes, new guests are probably arriving just a few hours after you leave at this time of year, seems like an odd decision.

It really annoys me when Airbnb hosts don't leave tablets.
Whilst I always take my own, previous guests often don't and simply use the dishwasher regardless, meaning most of the kitchen items are grubby!

“self-catering' is not a synonym for 'kit out the whole place like it's your own.' Where does it end? Should you bring lightbulbs?“

No, obviously not, don’t be bloody ridiculous. Apart from anything else fittings aren’t standard and you’d probably need to bring your own ladder too. But also a lightbulb although technically consumable is going to cover dozens of stays and several years. Once you have used your dishwasher tab it’s gone. So I regard self catering as “provide your own short term consumable items” - tissues, dishwasher tablets, bin bags, toilet paper, shampoo, soap, food etc unless told otherwise. If anything is provided that’s a bonus. Perfectly normal in the cottages/lodges/caravans I’ve stayed at.

As for “cleaning fees are so high they jolly well should” - I think Tesco charges too much for their groceries but I’m not expecting them to chuck in a free side of salmon and some steaks with my shop because it was jolly well expensive enough!

Most places I've stayed didn't supply any. Some supplied 1 or 2 in a welcome pack with the idea that you would need to buy any more yourself which is fair enough.

Although the ones I buy are from home bargains and £1.99 for a massive box so if I were host I'd just provide them. Just annoying having to remember to take them or buy more when there. I HATE doing dishes!

But also a lightbulb although technically consumable is going to cover dozens of stays and several years. You might be unlucky and it blows while you're there... so if you haven't got one with you a) you're a bit stuck and b) according to some people on here you are a housework slattern and/or your mindreading abilities are failing.

I regard self catering as “provide your own short term consumable items” - tissues, dishwasher tablets, bin bags, toilet paper, shampoo, soap, food etc

I'd never expect tissues They're not comparable to things you'll definitely need like dishwasher tablets and toilet paper.

As for “cleaning fees are so high they jolly well should” - I think Tesco charges too much for their groceries but I’m not expecting them to chuck in a free side of salmon and some steaks with my shop because it was jolly well expensive enough!
Not directly comparable, are they? You don't do a Tesco shop expecting extra food; you do book a place to live in and run as a household for a period of time, and you expect the cost of it to cover basics. Especially if there is a dishwasher in the place.

All the Air bnbs we've stayed in have supplied dishwasher tablets.
I used to take some with us but don't bother now.
But if there weren't any I would go and buy some.

I can see why they wouldn't leave a huge pack out, but one or two would be reasonable. If you don't have a dishwasher at home why would you think to buy a small pack of tablets?

YAVVVU to leave dirty dishes in the dishwasher!!!!!