Holiday cottage departure exit

[BitzerMalonie]

Leaving a lovely place today, instructions are to leave the place as we found it.
Previous places have said remove bedding and leave towels on the floor.
There is a washing machine but no drier so unable to leave as we found it as in clean bedding and towels as they would not be dry.
Do I strip beds or leave bedding on as we found it?
Obviously owners would need to launder so it is helpful if bedding is removed for them?
AIBU to think instructions should be clear!

I would assume clean , tidy, bins emptied and pots done. I’d only do bedding if it specified

Don't strip the beds. I think they mean leave it clean and tidy. Maybe in the past it has been a hassle if people strip the beds and muddle things up so they prefer doing it.

We always strip bed and fold the bedding and leave at the end of the bed. We leave the kitchen absolutely clean and tidy, put away dishes etc, empty bin and put the rubbish in appropriate place. Sweep floor. Generally remove traces of our presence.

Agree with the above but we always strip beds because it helps us to make sure we've not left anything behind (2 children = odd things in beds 😂). Also put used towels in a pile in the bathroom.
Holiday let owners generally expect there to have been life going on in their properties, but it's just respectful to leave things clean and tidy.

I always clean everywhere and empty bins etc but I think it’s the presence of the washing machine which is adding extra complications to my clean and tidy exit plan!

I’d leave the bedding on unless asked to strip the beds. They just mean leave it clean and tidy with everything where you found it. Goodness knows they charge enough to cover cleaning/laundry!

We have a timeshare and they specifically ask

to not strip the beds and
leave towels in the bath
so they can check them over

but to leave everything else clean and tidy and stacked in dishwasher
but they will turn on when they come in.

As a host of a self catering property I like the towels in the bath and the bed linen left on the bed - makes it easier to stop stains that need treating.
Ideally washing up done and put away, but in the dish washer is okay.
Please don’t leave your dirty dishes everywhere and discarded food on the floor.

I always choose places with a washing machine,have done for years. Never is it expected that it's used by guests to launder the bedding or towels at the end of the stay. For departure day I do:

Put all towels in the bath
Take out the rubbish
Return furniture and accessories to where I found them
Wipe surfaces and pick up big bits off the floor
All dishes etc in the dishwasher and set it going

That's served me well in general.

I ask my guests to : empty the inside bins into the bins outside, put the used linens in the bath, to put things back where they found them (playing hunt the cutlery on changeover isn’t fun) and empty fridges ect and to put the dishes in the dishwasher.
I absolutely don’t want them to do the washing- I want to be able to see and treat any stains first!
Nor is it necessary to mop floors (unless you have spilt something) as you won’t do it to my standard and I’m only going to do it again.

The washing machine will be there for people wanting to wash their clothes on longer stays, it's not there specifically to make guests wash their sheets. The hosts will no doubt take your dirty sheets and launder them at home and turn up with freshly laundered and pressed sheets after you've checked out. I guarantee if you took it upon yourself to put a load on upon departure, you would be making their lives more difficult 100%. Just leave it as clean and tidy and you would expect to find it.

We stripped beds lockdown years 2020 and 2021 but haven’t since, we put used towels either in bath or floor, empty all bins, we do hoover as we have a dog, but usually the hoovers left are rubbish. We sometimes put dishwasher on full and leave it for cleaners to put away, but no we don’t strip beds, we leave it clean, but the cleaners would still need to do cleaning to get it up to a professional standard.

I leave it ready for cleaning. So rubbish emptied according to instructions, floor swept, pots washed, following instructions about bed linen and towels, if any. But I wouldn't expect to have to act as a cleaner for the next guests.

I would make the beds as you found them

We have the same instructions and won’t be stripping beds or washing towels. The washing pods left for our use do not smell like the bedding and towels here so I know they use an outside laundry company!

The property should look exactly as you found it, except used cutlery / plates in a switched on dishwasher. Used towels in the bath / shower. Duvets on beds turned half back. Any decorative pillows & throws neatly folded. Rubbish in bins with bags tied at the top. Any recycling in the designated container. Kitchen sides wiped (as you would your own home - no crumbs). No nasty surprises left in the toilet.

No matter the instructions, this is my ‘standard’ I leave cottages to and I always get good feedback. I’m not washing & cleaning a place I’ve paid a cleaning fee for, that’s the owners cost of business. Don’t like it, message me & I won’t return.

We are in a cottage now. I'll be using the washing machine at some point as we are going on for a second week elsewhere and I didn't want to pack for the full fortnight. Doesn't make any difference to the bedding.

There's nothing in the book aboit stripping so although I usually would I think I might not this time.

As there seem to be a few owners on the thread already can I put in a plea to not add in those pointless cushions and throws on the beds? They come off and got stashed on top of the wardrobe on the first day and are just an annoyance. What are they for?

They probably have a laundry service. Strip the beds if you like or leave. I’ve stayed in places where they’ve specifically said strip the beds so I have and if it’s not mentioned I have if we’ve had time. I wouldn’t put them in the washing machine….that leaves them with wet sheets to dry if they usually use a laundry service.

We rented numerous properties with washing machines whilst travelling through Europe by train. We never once stripped the beds or washed the towels prior to leaving. We got 5* reviews for all on our Airbnb account. We chose places with a washing machine as we were travelling for 6 weeks with only a small backpack each, so needed to do OUR laundry.

I am going to stay at a B&B it says bedding and towels in the bath.

If no specific instructions we just strip the beds and leave it in separate piles, used towels in the bath, quick sweep or hoover to pick up obvious crumbs etc, quick wipe over surfaces and everything moved back to where it was.

Sometimes there are specific instructions such as placing bedding in big bags provided.

The cleaners just need a clear run at the house todo their thing.

Thanks all.
I left the beds made, cushions back on and towels left on the bathroom floor.
Everything else tidier than when we arrived as I quite like hoovering so pulled everything out to do underneath, which it seemed hadn’t been done in a while.
Cleaning company van turned up one minute after we left, we left on time but had stopped at the end of the drive to sat nav our route.

I'd never fold dirty sheets. Makes more work for the cleaner, who has to unfold them anyway to check for stains.

It would never ever occur to me to clean a holiday cottage, that’s mad. They’ll clean it anyway, and you’re on holiday!

I strip beds if asked to but I think that’s a bit of a cheek to be honest.

We always strip the beds and leave in a pile with the towels etc , load the dishwasher and put it on before we vacate and make sure bins are all emptied