Should I clean friend's house?

Clean the areas you are using, that would be normal housesitting anyway

It sounds a bit grotty! I might hoover and dust to help asthma but I would certainly not clean her kitchen cupboards. Surfaces and taps, possibly. Was her house always dirty? I wonder if her eyesight has deteriorated. I don't see things as sharply as I used to.

I think your comment about her eyesight may be a big part of it, Grandmabatty. She's spoken recently about being on a waiting list for cataract surgery. Both eyes need doing, apparently. In which case, she won't notice that I've cleaned the place, will she?

It's very strange, I normally do as little cleaning as I can get away with but I'm sitting here itching to get going with the bicarb and lemon.

I would certainly clean the rooms I was using, I wouldn’t clean inside cupboards, but if the crockery or cutlery, cooking utensils were dirty I would wash them as well.

I couldn’t stay for 10 days in a dirty house without cleaning it.

I think it's easier to see dirt in other people's houses - we get used to our own! I'm not great at cleaning my own, but when visiting daughter, I would get an urge to clean, which I try to resist, as it would look like criticism.
In your case, since you're staying there, I would clean enough to feel comfortable.

Im with Violetsky, but vacumn and dust if conditions are affecting your breathing/ wheezing.

After Mum had her cataracts done she said she realised how grubby her house was!

I’d clean. Whenever I go on a self-catering holiday I always clean when I leave, so you’d simply be doing the same thing, only a little earlier. (It’s a bit different when the place was clean to start with I know.) Ten days is too long to cope with the discomfort caused by pet-hair allergies.

Agree with VS

I would clean but not mention it when she came back, this happened to my friend whilst waiting for cataract surgery she was mortified when she could see how bad things had become.

Not without her say-so. Or at least very discreetly.
A friend and I did exactly that for an older friend who was in hospital after a heart attack.
We thought she would be pleased, she was mortified tgat we had deemed it necessary.
Maybe do it now and hope it has reverted to its original condition by the time she gets back?

Thank you. I'm going to start now. I think I need to begin with a marathon hoovering and dusting sessions. Unless I can get rid of as much pet hair and dust as possible I'm not sure I'll be able to cope here for 10 days. I have doors and windows open in the hope of getting fresh air in, but that's just stirring up the dust. I'm going to concentrate on my bedroom, the living room and the hall and stairs, which are carpeted and I think have a lot of dust and hair embedded. Obviously I won't go into her room or her study. I don't know if I'll be able to shift much of the furniture on my own but I just got down and looked under my bed and there's a thick blanket of fluff wafting around. No wonder I'm wheezing.

I suspect I sound as if I'm really fussy and a bit of clean freak but I'm honestly not. This is beyond ordinary everyday levels of dust and fluff.

Can you take the dog to your home and dog sit there?

If you clean her home, you are risking to offend her

Well done Margot no need to mention anything about it when she gets home. At least you might stop wheezing.

Definitely clean the bits you’re using. Sorry but too bad if she is offended !!

I remember a friend telling me that her mother had said after she had cataract surgery "why didn't you tell me the house was so dirty" so that would obviously be a factor plus she has obviously let things slide during covid . I would do the as much as you need to do for your own peace of mind if she takes offence it's her loss she will have to find another dog sitter next time. But I bet she either doesn't say anything or apologises for letting things slide so much.

Your health comes before her feelings. Get rid of all the dust and thoroughly air the place. It's not acceptable that the house is so dirty that you are wheezing and sneezing. Asthma is a serious condition.
I would just clean some crockery and cutlery for your own use not the whole lot.
Only clean what you have to.

As the others have said. Clean the bits you need to, to make it habitable for you while you're there. If she mentions it, be honest. 'The dust set my asthma/allergies off.'

I agree. with AGA, just clean what you need to use. The dust and pet dander is a serious health hazard so perhaps point this out when your friend gets home.
Definitely do not spring clean the whole property though, that's not your responsibility, just make the place safe for the duration of your stay.

Yes, go ahead and clean whatever you deem necessary and desirable. Good on you (but sorry you've found it necessary). Please don't mention a word of it to her when she gets back.

I thnk you notice other people's dirt more
I would do whatever you feel comfortable with. I wouldn't be offended if you cleaned my house, I'd be over the moon

I agree, do what you need to by getting rid of the dust and fluff in the rooms you’re using and just clean up after yourself in the kitchen and bathroom. And don’t mention it.

I would definitely hoover and get rid of as much dog hair and dust as I could. I would also clean the kitchen doors, worktops and sticky bits but not inside the cupboards. Also the bathroom. I couldn't stay in a dirty house for ten days without cleaning it to some extent.

I agree with other posters that if the lady has vision problems she may not be able to see the state her home is in. It must smell pretty bad though with all that fur around.

I like to think my eyesight isn't too bad and I only wear reading glasses. However, when I have them on when I am not actually reading, I can see the crumbs, cobwebs and dust that I was blissfully unaware of without them on.

I'd clean it.
If her eyesight isn't great she probably won't notice, and I wouldn't mention it.