New Year’s Eve Guests: Too Messy or Just Normal?
Hi all, second post in a few days - I guess when it rains, it pours. I’m a new host (about a year and a half) and would really appreciate your advice.
I hosted a New Year’s Eve group of seven (two families with small kids). My regular cleaner is out of the country due to family emergency, so her son, who sometimes helps her clean, subbed in. He arrived and immediately sent photos saying the house looked terrible. I clean myself sometimes to stay on top of the property, and from what I can see, there’s no damage and to me the mess seems consistent with a group of seven.
A few notes:
* They didn’t run the dishwasher. To me, this isn’t a big deal - we ask guests to run it so cleaners can empty it, so leaving dishes there isn’t unusual. I let him know he could run a 60-minute quick cycle.
* One bunk bed mattress was taken down, likely for a child’s safety. To me, it would have been nice if they put it back, but it’s not a huge issue.
* He said it was too much to take the trash and recycling off the property in one trip because he has a tiny car, and that the amount was unreasonable. To me, it seems normal for a party of seven, but this is serious - we have bears, so leaving food in the house is a real safety issue.
I told him to leave the cleaning for me when I return next week and focus on getting the trash out, even if multiple trips. He said he promised his mom he would clean everything, so he’s continuing even though it will take longer. I’ll likely just pay him more than the usual cleaning fee since it’s more work hours than normal.
His mother (who I love and think is phenomenal) has written from Switzerland saying it’s the worst they’ve ever seen. This surprised me.
Based on the photos (which I’ll upload), would you consider this a problematic guest? If so, should I request additional cleaning fees and/or leave a lower review? One clarification - in the photo with dishes next to the sink, they are not dirty. They were washed by hand and left to dry, which we often see.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
