how clean do you leave a self catering holiday property

[Foxylass]

Just that really, how much cleaning do you do on a self catering holiday and how do you leave the property when you go?
Do you expect it is ok to not clean up - cos you've paid....? Or do you do your best to tidy up?

[MrsSchadenfreude]

We stayed in one place in France (British owner), who told us we had to clean the flat and leave it "spotless" as he refused to pay for cleaners between lets. It was the filthiest place I've ever stayed - crockery had been put away filthy, fridge full of mouldy food, thick dust everywhere and dust bunnies under the beds. There was no hoover and no cleaning materials at all, so quite how he expected people to clean it was beyond me. The gutters overflowed into the apartment while we were there and instead of paying someone to sort it out, he told us to get a big stick and clear them ourselves. He also hung onto the deposit for weeks after we left, and I had to email him repeatedly to get it back. Left a negative review on the holiday cottage website, which got removed after a few days. Apparently the website doesn't do negative reviews!

[purplefizz26]

No chance in hell am I cleaning or stripping beds on holiday, you're all daft!

Everything back where it belongs, that's it.

[ASqueakingInTheShrubbery]

Kitchen clean but not "cleaned" - would wipe up our toast crumbs but wouldn't eg clean under the microwave. Washing up done and put away. Beds stripped. If there was jam or ketchup in the fridge when we arrived I'd replace it if finished, but if it was completely bare wouldn't leave stuff. Most of the holiday cottages I've been to do have a collection of oddments from previous guests, which is often handy. Beds stripped or whatever instructions say. Towels hanging up unless otherwise instructed, so they don't go musty if they're not taken out and washed for a couple of days. I'd Hoover if/where we'd made a mess, so would do living room/kitchen, but not just for the sake of freshening up, so probably not bedrooms.

[PlaymobilPirate]

Bugger that - holiday let's are really expensive - you're making a wedge op, get a cleaner!

[Katebushey]

I won't strip the beds or hoover etc. Dishwasher on and rubbish removed. I have had a couple of holiday cottages which have left folders full of instructions, including watering the outdoor plants and cleaning the oven.
No, I am on holiday and paying 2k a week (in one place), I am not cleaning any more than that.

[Somerville]

Loads of you vacuum and mop holiday houses?!
I wouldn't dream of doing any more than leaving it tidy behind us. Part of the considerable fee is for professional cleaning.

OP you expect people to clean your cottages? I hope that's made clear up front. Some people would like that they get a cheaper price in exchange for having to do their own cleaning. I wouldn't - I'd rather pay more and not have to spend the final evening cleaning (because there is never enough time in the morning).

[Katebushey]

Jam on the bedding etc- that will be washed anyway though?
I have been on the holiday home owners forum and some of them speak about their customers in a dreadful way.
I was messaged privately on here a few years ago when there was a huge argument on here about holiday homes, really abusive .

[Katebushey]

How can you avoid setting the dishwasher off just as you leave? Every place that I have stayed in demands that you leave by 10am having cleaned, emptied rubbish and fed multiple children before a long journey home.

Do owners expect that you wait for the dishwasher to run through everything used in the morning before leaving?

[purplefizz26]

How about just washing dishes in the sink?

[ShotgunNotDoingThePans]

No need to be cleaning people. Enjoy every last minute of your holiday.

[Katebushey]

How about not?

[Katebushey]

Exactly, it's a holiday.

[OutOfOffice]

Please don't leave dishwashers running, the cleaners don't have time to empty it and put everything away. Just wash up in the sink and put them back in the cupboards.

[Katebushey]

Maybe there should be a bigger allowance made for changeover or more cleaners employed?

[AndNoneForGretchenWieners]

We wash up, wipe the sides down, sweep up crumbs etc, give a quick once over with the vac. But we do that as we go along too. I don't strip the beds unless we have taken our own bedding (in a caravan for example). Rarely use a dishwasher as we don't have one at home so are used to washing up in the bowl.

[Blu]

It depends.

I have stayed in places (less commercial, very isolated) where there is no cleaning between lets, and have obviously done a full and complete clean. So stressful when you are packing up for a long drive home and an early departure.

For places that will be cleaned anyway: all dishes and pots washed and put away, all food detritus cleaned up, everything tidy and where it should be. I wouldn't hoover or mop but there would be no big messes anywhere.

[stonecircle]

I've never stayed anywhere where the cleaners haven't arrived as we've been trying to get out of the door. Frankly I'd rather stay somewhere that had been professionally cleaned than cleaned by the previous occupants.

The place we stayed at Xmas included £50 for cleaning in the overall cost and we were told by the owners not to worry too much about how we left it - within reason obviously! I would never leave dirty crockery or anything unpleasant and would probably hoover during our stay anyway. But am amazed at the lengths some people go to, when cleaners will be coming in any way!

We stayed in a beautiful villa in Greece a few years ago and the owners arrived as we were finishing up. Insisted I stop tidying and DH stopped washing up as we were still on holiday and they would do it!

[Somerville]

A dishwasher cycle doesn't fit into a 5 hour changeover slot?! Of course it does!

[Quartz2208]

Clean and tidy so that the cleaners can come in and clean. So will wash up and leave things in their place but not a deep clean as I would expect it to have professional cleaners come in after.

I would not leave it like you have had it left

[bibbitybobbityyhat]

I love these threads!

We make sure the toilets are respectable, the fridge empty, the bins empty and the washing up done.

Pmsl at people hoovering, mopping and stripping beds.

[Seeline]

I don't think I have ever stayed anywhere that leaves any form of cleaning materials other than a vacuum that doesn't really work, and a mop/broom.
I wipe things down, try and hoover, and leave bedding/towels as requested. I refuse to buy actual cleaning stuff - so assume I have done all that is required if nothing else is available.

[Wallywobbles]

We ask for beds to stripped and used towels to be put in bags (or baths) provided for this. Washing up done or in washing machine and machine on. The rest is best done by us as we would do it anyway even if you've done it.

In tight turn around times stripping the linens is a big timesaver. Some owners prefer you leave the linens so stains can be seen and dealt with before it's to late.

[OutOfOffice]

Cleaners won't spend 5 hours doing a changeover, they have other properties to service as well.

[Wallywobbles]

For clarification one of our properties sleeps 12 and can be a 9 hour + turn around. Lots of windows to clean nasty sticky finger prints off. We also accept dogs in that one.

[Crumbs1]

I would leave as found. Beds stripped and piled with towels for laundry. Dishwasher on. Hoovered. Loos in hygienic state.