Two problems: Cleaning advice please

Agencies and other headaches, keys and cleaners, running costs and contracts...in short, all the things we spend so much of our time doing behind the scenes.<br>
GillianF
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Two problems: Cleaning advice please

Post by GillianF »

I noted on another section that I was dreading the arrival of some guests who had been a PITA since their first contact. They arrived (early) and from that moment continued to be a PITA. They have now left and their PITA-ness continues.

There is a large brown stain on a duvet cover, through to the duvet, sheet, mattress cover and mattress. I have e-mailed to ask what the stain might be to know how best to tackle it and "to avoid the cost of replacement" added to focus their minds. I wait to hear. I'm fairly confident my laundry lady who is very competent will deal with the linen and duvet but what do I do about the mattress? Any advice or thoughts.

Pillowcases on the same bed and a large white bath towel had blue stains which I have also asked about.

And ……………….. grease, fat stains on the paving slabs around the barbeque. How best to clean these?

Thank goodness these are the last guests and I didn't have to deal with all this on a changeover ………………….


P.S. We don't have a steam cleaner so looking for low tech solutions!
Drax
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Post by Drax »

Hi Gillian,
With regard to the brown stain on the mattress I would assume a worst case scenario and that it is probably human faeces. Without being over dramatic this is a potential serious health hazard because of the risk of contracting HIV/Hep B or C from the human bodily fluids on the mattress and duvet.
Because of this I would dispose of these items forthwith and replace them with new ones.
Also when handling these soiled items please wear disposable gloves and if possible a mask. Hygiene is all important when dealing with body fluids.
Keep your powder dry.
Dusty
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Post by Dusty »

Hi Gillian, how awful, my heart goes out to you, we all get these type of guests from time to time and they make our lives a misery, don't let them spoil it for the rest of your guests though.

I do hope that Drax isn't right as to the cause of the stain, I would have thought that if it was faeces you would have been able to smell it, hopefully some less drastic measure will sort it out.

As for the grease around the BBQ some water and washing up liquid should resolve it, dry using the washing up liquid neat at firs, working it in with a brush and then rinse with warm water.

I hope you get things sorted.
GillianF
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Post by GillianF »

Drax: I think it unlikely to be faeces and whilst I take your point about taking care I agree with Dusty and that I would have smelt it. Also, the bed was still made and I was there within an hour of their departure and the stain etc. was all dry. I doubt they would have slept in the bed with old faeces. It is also in a corner where faeces would not be likely to be. I am inclined that it is tea or coffee or may a fizzy drink. Until I know what it is from the guest I feel inclined to wait.

Dusty: I'll give the washing up liquid a go - I did wonder if that might do it!
farley
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Post by farley »

Vanish Foam Carpet +Upholsters Cleaner is very good.
In the past we have had a guest leave us with a urine and vomit stained mattress , pretty dreadful so I do appreciate your upset.
We always have waterproof mattress protectors covered by another padded one. This does save the mattress from damage, as long as guests leave them on of course!
Hope everything cleans up ok for you.
GillianF
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Post by GillianF »

Update: No word from Mr. Guest yet as to the nature of the stains.

But, I have taken the duvet cover and sheet to my laundry lady and she thinks it is tea or coffee. She has applied her tea/coffee stain remover product and while we waited there was a slight improvement. So, when she has laundered the sheet and duvet cover and is happy I will give her the duvet and mattress cover to launder. She will give me a bottle of the stain remover and has given me advice as to how to deal with the mattress. I'll have a bill for those things separately to send to Mr. Guest as justification for deduction from his damages deposit. My theory is that a cup of tea/coffee was spilt on the duvet cover and soaked through and 'puddled' on the mattress. So, it didn't look too bad on the duvet cover and sheet and Mr. Guest did/thought no more about it but didn't realise the hidden consequences.

I still wait to hear about the blue stains on the towels but have soaked one pillowcase and hand towel with just a small stain to test. Vanish removed the stain from the towel but a drop of bleach was needed on the pillowcase. I'm not sure the same procedure will remove the heavier/larger stains from the top (patterned) pillowcase and bath towel but will wait and see.

The only blessing in all this is that I haven't got the time pressure of incoming guests and Mr. Guest will just have to wait for what remains of his damages deposit to be returned.

Further cleaning in the house has revealed receipts, sweetie wrappers, plastic toys and endless litter in the house, under beds, in the garden, around and in the pool …………..
Ecosse
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Post by Ecosse »

If you're unable to get the mattress stain out with the stain remover, you could try bleach spray - I've had success with (some) mattress stains with bleach... it also has the added benefit of killing off any pathogens.
la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

If you use hydrogen peroxide (30%, no less) which you can buy in a pharmacie that works for mattress stains. Good luck!
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

Hydrogen peroxide =Eau Oxygenée in French.
GillianF
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Post by GillianF »

Thanks everyone. Mrs. Guest has waded in and denied all knowledge of the stain on the bedding and suggested that if the 'house rules' did not prohibit washing linen and towels I wouldn't be having to deal with this problem!
SPJ
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Post by SPJ »

GillianF wrote:Thanks everyone. Mrs. Guest has waded in and denied all knowledge of the stain on the bedding and suggested that if the 'house rules' did not prohibit washing linen and towels I wouldn't be having to deal with this problem!
How does that make sense? If she denies all knowledge of it, then she wouldn't have been washing it anyway - house rules or no house rules!
GillianF
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Post by GillianF »

Agree, it makes no sense. But, in her list of 'complaints' and 'advice' she says that the pool was so cold they turned blue. I'm not sure what we can do about such a thing after the hottest Summer on record with temperatures in the high 30s and low 40s most days through July and August but I will try and turn the sun up for the next guests.

Mrs. Guest fails to mention the garden chair they broke, pool skimmer flap floating in the pool, missing cutlery, dirty and greasy barbeque and endless litter found under beds, in the garden, around the pool and just everywhere.

The 'complaint' about the pool being too cold rather suggests everything else she says is nonsense too.
Fleur
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Post by Fleur »

Keep their damage deposit.....ALL OF IT!

And itemise your list so that she's aware of the mess and extra work involved.
Fleur
GillianF
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Post by GillianF »

I'm very tempted!

My plan of action at the moment is to collect the linen from the laundry service tomorrow and see how the sheet and duvet cover have come up. I will then give them the duvet, mattress cover and badly stained towel and collect the cleaning agent for the mattress. I'll try and clean the mattress according to the instructions and cleaner they give me. When I collect the duvet etc. on Friday I'll know what the long lasting, if any, staining there is.

Then, I will return the damages deposit less postage for forgotten items I had to post and a deduction for the cleaning of the duvet, mattress cover and towel.

I'm going to take the rest of it on the chin and not engage in a war of words. If Mr. or Mrs. Guest come back with threats or complaints I will list the broken, lost items and their late payment etc. etc.
SPJ
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Post by SPJ »

GillianF wrote: But, in her list of 'complaints' and 'advice' she says that the pool was so cold they turned blue. I'm not sure what we can do about such a thing after the hottest Summer on record with temperatures in the high 30s and low 40s most days through July and August but I will try and turn the sun up for the next guests
The 'complaint' about the pool being too cold rather suggests everything else she says is nonsense too.
How ridiculous! Our pool got so warm it broke the thermometer! It stuck at 40+ and never came back down again.
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