Self catering accomodation - cleaning.

A friend of a friend rents out a holiday cottage and had to get the plumbers out recently because people had blocked the toilet by flushing face masks down it. What is wrong with people?

on site

But most people to be fair leave it pretty reasonable.
I agree Rosalyn probably as high as 90%. We lived in site so possibly that made them more inclined to leave it clean?

My son has a holiday cottage. Some people leave it spotless and others leave overflowing garbage bins, dog poo bags everywhere (there is a bin for them clearly labelled) and sand and dirt on every surface.
But most people to be fair leave it pretty reasonable.

The separate charge is a tricky one for the owner. We offered it on the day before departure because we wanted to do the proper deep clean ourselves anyway. I was surprised how many took it up. I'm not sure I would have wanted a cleaner around while I was still on holiday but I guess it meant the guests could go out or spend the day round the pool with no worries.

We have rented the same seaside apartment for several years. We always pay a separate cleaning charge so we don’t have to do anything . I don’t want to clean on holiday. We do have to take our own bedding and towels so make up beds when we arrived but apart from taking the rubbish out when we leave that’s it.

Thank you GrandmaKT

That sounds like the right idea GrandmaKT that way you know everything has been done properly.

I have a holiday cottage in the Lake District.
I would never expect guests to go to such lengths as mopping the floor or cleaning the bath. We are asking guests to strip the beds at the moment.
The cottage has to be cleaned (and now sanitised) between guests and the cleaner will do this anyway irrespective of how clean the previous guest left it.
It is taking a lot longer to clean the house between guests (all crockery and cutlery has to be put through the dishwasher, everything cleaned and sanitised). I am paying my cleaner a lot more to do a thorough job (and I'm happy to do it as she does a great job and I want my guests to be safe), so I'd say relax, enjoy your holiday, and so long as you leave the place in a tidy state, leave the cleaning to the cleaner!

I always leave a property as i found it.
Me and dh have a static caravan which we rent out basically to cover the site fees.
We supply all cleaning products especially anti bacterials due to covid.
And around 40% of people leave it nice and clean,however the others have left it a right mess.
Thankfully we have a cleaner to go in if we are not going in.
I found it strange that we have had a mop and bucket go missing especially as they didn`t clean before leaving/net curtains ripped and cutlery/crockery go missing.

I’ve never stayed in self catering, unless it was part of a hotel complex, where cleaners are in most days, but in a cottage or similar I would strip beds and empty bins, and wouldn’t leave dishes or cutlery, but wouldn’t expect to deep clean, as the owners would ( hopefully) be doing it again!

In serviced apartments I always make the bed, because I like the space. Often it seems that the housekeeper demands that beds are made a certain way, so it’s not unusual to come in and find the bed made again. I remember telling a colleague I did this, to be met with, “ How very working class”!

I would expect a cleaner to be included in the price, and I would willingly pay extra for one. Some years ago we had a holiday villa in Spain; while there we were told we had to clean it before we left; what really infuriated me were the inadequate cleaning materials, dirty dusters and cloths and empty cans of polish etc. The two letting agents came and supervised us while we did it, and told us we would feature on a 'black list ' if it wasn't cleaned properly: floors mopped, windows cleaned, paths swept etc. We asked the holiday company once back in Britain why we hadn't been properly notified of what was expected, to discover that local cleaners were included in the price; these men were claiming the money and pocketing it.

We stayed in a cottage in Scotland for 2 weeks in September. The owners had bought extra duvets, pillows and cushions so that they could have a rest for a week between guests. We had to take our own bed linen and towels, strip the beds on departure and put duvets etc in laundry bags to rest. Crockery and cutlery were newly washed in the dishwasher when we arrived and we had to reload and start the dishwasher off when we left. There was sanitiser in the kitchen and bathroom. We left everything clean and tidy but someone comes in to do enhanced cleaning and use a fogging machine before the next guests arrive. It all felt very safe.

I always clean up after us when we leave but no deep cleaning.

MayBee Food , especially rice, pips and eggshell often clog up the holes in the the spray arm. One place we stayed in had loads of lemon pips in it! As I said , I have often had to clean it and it’s quite tricky .

We often stay in self catering accommodation, but there is always a cleaning fee added to the bill. I am happy to strip beds if asked, and wouldn't leave anything dirty, but the cleaning fee is as the name suggests, and I pay it so that I don't have to mop floors and hoover, clean windows etc.

Advice coming from Germany is that opening doors and windows is as effective as disinfecting things. I’m sure that all this disinfectant everywhere can’t be good for people. Trains are going to be running with their windows open which sounds like a good idea.

The bed stripping is to do with reducing the possible spread of covid. The bed linen and towels has to be placed in special bags and is removed from the property before cleaning commences. All this minimises the possibility of dispersing viruses into the air.
Apparently mattresses, pillows, duvets, throws, cushions etc. are sprayed with disinfectant. We took our own pillows.

I always assume the hire price includes the cost of cleaning. I always leave the place tidy but I certainly don't deep clean or even strip the beds. I don't understand why anyone would do that.

I do as vegans rock says. We have been to the same cottage 4 times and the owners are fine with that.
I’ve never been asked to do any more cleaning by them.

I won't bore you with my whirlwind routine vegansrock but we ate out on the last evening so fridge was emptied and cleaned, crockery and cutlery all back in place because we didn't have breakfast on day of departure. Bed, bathroom, hoover, mop, plump up sofa cushions.
Where we stayed this week had a brilliant Everhot which required no cleaning!

Same here- but surely what is expected should be clear at the time of renting- in the info given.

I didn’t know you had to clean the spray arm of a dishwasher.

If you have to vacate at 9 am who has time to clean a whole cottage? we always clear the fridge, clean hob and ovens, put breakfast things in dishwasher and leave running, empty bins, leave everything tidy etc but expect the cleaners to do the thorough clean as that’s what we pay for.

Phew ! After reading the first two posts I was beginning to feel like a proper slut! Thank goodness lots of other people are of the same mind as I am.If someone is being paid to come in and clean before the next clients what’s the point of it being done twice. I suppose that most of us do not realise that some people would leave a property in a disgusting state.