New to this and I've just taken my first 2 week booking.
I live 40 something miles away or an hours drive.
What would be the best thing to do here:
Provide spare bedding & towels for them to change themselves if they want to for the second week.
Do or offer nothing at all.
Insist that the cottage is cleaned and the bedding & towels are changed for the second week.
Multi Week Bookings - Cleaning, Bedding & Towels etc
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akwe-xavante
- Posts: 306
- Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 3:19 pm
- Location: East Yorkshire
Hi welcome aboard
Not too far from us used to work at the bank in Hornsea on relief staff in the summer lovely seaside town.
Back to the question I always insist when guest books that a mid week clean and linen change is part of the deal ,I would be on worry mode if I left it for 2 weeks but that's just me. :DD
Forgot to say as they have paid full price for 2 weeks they have in effect paid for aclean etc,as nemo says you have to play it by ear as to what the guests want don't want to loose a booking.
Promise of another cake usually does the trick.
Not too far from us used to work at the bank in Hornsea on relief staff in the summer lovely seaside town.
Back to the question I always insist when guest books that a mid week clean and linen change is part of the deal ,I would be on worry mode if I left it for 2 weeks but that's just me. :DD
Forgot to say as they have paid full price for 2 weeks they have in effect paid for aclean etc,as nemo says you have to play it by ear as to what the guests want don't want to loose a booking.
Promise of another cake usually does the trick.
Last edited by bessie on Mon Sep 07, 2015 1:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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PW in Polemi
- Posts: 1781
- Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:23 am
- Location: A village in Paphos, Cyprus
We leave clean bedding & towels for any stays of 8 or more nights - it's self catering, and there is a washing machine (plus soap) provided too. We're reasonably priced, so would have to increase prices to cover a mid-stay clean, and that would take us over a psychological price barrier.
Dogs have masters. Cats have slaves!
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akwe-xavante
- Posts: 306
- Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 3:19 pm
- Location: East Yorkshire
My initial concern I think is that if bedding and towels are not changed half way through the 2 week booking they may become heavily soiled and therefore harder to clean afterwards.
I'm thinking seriously about insisting that I change bedding and towels only but not clean unless its bad kind of thing. This way I get to clean the bedding & towels straight away.
If I leave a second set of bedding and towels for them to use / change half way through, the first set is left sat somewhere!!! and i'll have two full sets of bedding etc to do at the end of the 2 week booking. That's a lot of linen and towels.
I'm thinking seriously about insisting that I change bedding and towels only but not clean unless its bad kind of thing. This way I get to clean the bedding & towels straight away.
If I leave a second set of bedding and towels for them to use / change half way through, the first set is left sat somewhere!!! and i'll have two full sets of bedding etc to do at the end of the 2 week booking. That's a lot of linen and towels.
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PW in Polemi
- Posts: 1781
- Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:23 am
- Location: A village in Paphos, Cyprus
The thing with a mid stay clean is that some people prefer privacy - and even though they may be messy during their holiday, they generally leave the place in a reasonable state.
I've just had to wash white cotton sheets that one particular guest used for the whole 2 weeks, ignoring the clean set I'd left out - I wouldn't normally worry about this because some guests like to do their own washing, but these sheets certainly looked as though they'd been used for the full 2 weeks, in a heat wave
. I sprayed my usual stain remover, put my normal detergent in the drawer dispenser, half a cup of bicarbonate of soda in the drum with the sheets, white vinegar in the drawer dispenser instead of fabric conditioner and set it to a 60C wash. I was not completely happy after the first wash, so ran the sheets though a second wash, with extra bicarb. Success! 
That was unusual. Generally, a quick spray of stain remover over any suspect areas (sun or body lotion being great yellowing culprits) and a 60C wash is all that is necessary.
Reading your posts again, I think you are now leaning towards collecting the dirty linen at the end of week 1 and either leaving them the clean replacements or remaking the bed/s yourself. A mid stay clean could be difficult - they will have left their own belongings strewn around the place and for your own sake (accusations of damage, etc), it's best not to clean in their absence - yet difficult to clean if they are following you around! Perhaps a simple handover at a pre-arranged time is your answer?
I've just had to wash white cotton sheets that one particular guest used for the whole 2 weeks, ignoring the clean set I'd left out - I wouldn't normally worry about this because some guests like to do their own washing, but these sheets certainly looked as though they'd been used for the full 2 weeks, in a heat wave
. I sprayed my usual stain remover, put my normal detergent in the drawer dispenser, half a cup of bicarbonate of soda in the drum with the sheets, white vinegar in the drawer dispenser instead of fabric conditioner and set it to a 60C wash. I was not completely happy after the first wash, so ran the sheets though a second wash, with extra bicarb. Success! That was unusual. Generally, a quick spray of stain remover over any suspect areas (sun or body lotion being great yellowing culprits) and a 60C wash is all that is necessary.
Reading your posts again, I think you are now leaning towards collecting the dirty linen at the end of week 1 and either leaving them the clean replacements or remaking the bed/s yourself. A mid stay clean could be difficult - they will have left their own belongings strewn around the place and for your own sake (accusations of damage, etc), it's best not to clean in their absence - yet difficult to clean if they are following you around! Perhaps a simple handover at a pre-arranged time is your answer?
Dogs have masters. Cats have slaves!
I'd certainly offer a bedlinen change and a mini clean, but accept whatever the guests prefers. Some want the whole thing doing, others just a linen change, others just want clean linen left and dirty collected. Go with their decision, it's their holiday, so they get to choose. A mini clean doesn't move possessions, just bathroom, kitchen sink etc and perhaps a quick hoover if needed.
This is the sort of forum question which leads to umpteen answers. Surely it depends on the type of property, how 'posh' it is & what you are charging per week/person?
What's right for a luxury let with indoor pool, spa and goodness knows what else isn't going to be the same as for a budget studio in Barcelona or a family farmhouse let in rural France.
For me the only constant is that when the guests arrive the place is CLEAN and appropriately equipped in accordance with the letting contract.
If you're going to bother with mid-stay cleans & fresh linen you need to think about these & cost them in from the start.
None of our clients (south-west France, fair-priced mid-range properties) offer either fresh bedding or cleaning on a 2 week let - every house has a washing machine.
Any requests for cleaning or linen are dealt with as appropriate, by me as local manager if nec liaising with the owner.
What's right for a luxury let with indoor pool, spa and goodness knows what else isn't going to be the same as for a budget studio in Barcelona or a family farmhouse let in rural France.
For me the only constant is that when the guests arrive the place is CLEAN and appropriately equipped in accordance with the letting contract.
If you're going to bother with mid-stay cleans & fresh linen you need to think about these & cost them in from the start.
None of our clients (south-west France, fair-priced mid-range properties) offer either fresh bedding or cleaning on a 2 week let - every house has a washing machine.
Any requests for cleaning or linen are dealt with as appropriate, by me as local manager if nec liaising with the owner.
If all your clients offer a discount for 2 week stays (to take into account the fact that there won't be a linen change/clean half-way through), then that makes sense. If however, the 2 week stay is twice that of the 1 week stay then the cost of the mid-stay clean has already been costed in.Circé wrote: If you're going to bother with mid-stay cleans & fresh linen you need to think about these & cost them in from the start.
None of our clients (south-west France, fair-priced mid-range properties) offer either fresh bedding or cleaning on a 2 week let - every house has a washing machine.
I am not so sure about that! I have had to on several occasions go into a property mid-stay with a plumber or some other workman for something that has cropped up during someone's stay and you would be amazed how cluttered a place can become, making it quite impossible to clean a bathroom or kitchen WITHOUT moving possessions. And hoovering!!!.......clothes, shoes, technical devices strewn across the floor by otherwise by really nice, apparently organised people.Nemo wrote: A mini clean doesn't move possessions, just bathroom, kitchen sink etc and perhaps a quick hoover if needed.
In practice it can mean more money in the pocket for the owner as he's not paying for a one-week changeover clean!newtimber wrote: If all your clients offer a discount for 2 week stays (to take into account the fact that there won't be a linen change/clean half-way through), then that makes sense. If however, the 2 week stay is twice that of the 1 week stay then the cost of the mid-stay clean has already been costed in.
I tend to do something in between.
I tell the guests that the cleaner will arrive to collect used bedding and towels and drop off clean at.......(day and time agreed with guests).
That way I don't have to worry about the linen being too grubby when they finish their holiday, but the guests have the privacy they usually want with self catering and there is no one going into the Main part of the cottage (transfer can be done by guests leaving used linen in kitchen).
I offer a discount on a two week booking, but not the full costs of a changeover - just what the cleaning element costs me minus the washing of the linen. If the guests want a mid stay clean as well then no discount.
I agree it is pretty much play by ear and ask what people want.
I tell the guests that the cleaner will arrive to collect used bedding and towels and drop off clean at.......(day and time agreed with guests).
That way I don't have to worry about the linen being too grubby when they finish their holiday, but the guests have the privacy they usually want with self catering and there is no one going into the Main part of the cottage (transfer can be done by guests leaving used linen in kitchen).
I offer a discount on a two week booking, but not the full costs of a changeover - just what the cleaning element costs me minus the washing of the linen. If the guests want a mid stay clean as well then no discount.
I agree it is pretty much play by ear and ask what people want.
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akwe-xavante
- Posts: 306
- Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 3:19 pm
- Location: East Yorkshire
Thank you to all who have offered ideas, suggestions and so on.
Thank you
Having pondered over this issue and also spoken to the letting agent I've decided to do the following.........
Leave a second set of Linen and towels out for them to use if they want too. Not ask them if they want a clean half way through and not ask them if they want the sheets etc changing for them.
But accept that if they ask for things to be done half way through the booking for them then I will have to negotiate with them what they want.
I'll have to insist that they are present and that their belongings are not all over the place etc.
Otherwise I'll just have to accept that i'll have either two full sets of linen and towels to wash or one set that may have to be washed twice or more.
Thank you
Having pondered over this issue and also spoken to the letting agent I've decided to do the following.........
Leave a second set of Linen and towels out for them to use if they want too. Not ask them if they want a clean half way through and not ask them if they want the sheets etc changing for them.
But accept that if they ask for things to be done half way through the booking for them then I will have to negotiate with them what they want.
I'll have to insist that they are present and that their belongings are not all over the place etc.
Otherwise I'll just have to accept that i'll have either two full sets of linen and towels to wash or one set that may have to be washed twice or more.
If you have somewhere to leave spare linen then I think that's a great solution. Our linen cupboard is locked away from guests and I'd worry that if I left spare linen lying around, it might get dirty even if they didn't use it. So I just put this message in the pre-arrival info:
"For stays in excess of 7 nights, a bed linen and towel change is available at no extra charge. If you would like to take advantage of this, please let me know, either before or during your stay, so that we can arrange a mutually convenient time with the cleaning company."
So far, I've had 4 stays of 13-14 nights and no-one has taken me up on it!
"For stays in excess of 7 nights, a bed linen and towel change is available at no extra charge. If you would like to take advantage of this, please let me know, either before or during your stay, so that we can arrange a mutually convenient time with the cleaning company."
So far, I've had 4 stays of 13-14 nights and no-one has taken me up on it!