Mid-stay clean?

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>
CostaBlanca
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Post by CostaBlanca »

Hi,

I have just seen this interesting topic and I too wondered how other people handled linen change, etc. I make up the beds with fresh linen, replace all the towels but generally do no cleaning. I am considering whether a towel change is actually required when the washing machine is available. Although, sometimes the towels look a sorry mess after 1 week´s use, I am wondering whether the clients would bother to launder them at all and make subsequent cleaning more difficult. Maybe I should have resurected the infamous towel thread! The larger villa rental companies around here generally include a quick clean along with the linen change. Some even have daily cleaning!

I find that generally holiday makers are rather untidy and I have no inclination to tidy and fold clothes that often litter the floor, bed and tops of furniture. It doesn´t really bother me at all. Recent guests did not use the wardrobes at all and laid all their clothers on top of dressing table, their cases, etc. However they took good care of the kitchen which is much more important to me.

Cheers,
from a hot and steamy Costa Blanca
Maria
Marion
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Post by Marion »

I do not offer a mid booking linen/ towel change or cleaning regardless of how long the rental is for. I think that if there is a washing machine they will usually wash the towels themselves. In fact, I have even had some guests wash them at the end of the stay and leave them clean!

Of course, I am renting out apartments so it is probably not such a big deal to wash a couple of towels as needed.
No need to go far to shop 'til you drop - just go next door to Chanel. http://rueparadis.monsite.wanadoo.fr/
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

so far, nearly all of my bookings have just been for 1 week. I had one for 10 days, and I offered them a linen change at extra cost which they accepted. I have a 2 week booking next month, but they haven't taken me up on the offer.
Guest3
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Post by Guest3 »

We offer a linen change with a 2 week booking (at no extra cost), we replace the bathroom hand towels, kitchen towels and do a quick clean of the bathrooms.

I usually confirm to guests on arrival the day and time of the linen change and request they remove all clothing off the beds.

With so much competition now with villa/apartment rentals on the Costa del Sol, we dare not charge for linen change or not do one at all (even though we provide a washing machine).
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enid
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Post by enid »

We change all bed linen and towels (but not pool towels) and the kitchen towel and tea towels. I put a powder down the toilet for the fosse septique and that's all. I have asked guests about this and the general concensus was that if I did a mid stay clean they would feel that they had to tidy up! They like the linen change. I prefer to do the towels too as 2 weeks of use (presuming they didn't wash them) can make them harder to get clean.

Just got out of the pool - it's boiling hot and I'm talking about towels again - all's well with the world :D
Vally
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Post by Vally »

I leave plenty of towels/tea towels for a week offer a change on a 2 week stay ...never taken up!!!!If it was for longer I would insist on a change and a clean, they can make enough mess in 2 weeks heaven knows what they could do in 3!!
This weeks leavers were the best in 3 years , washed and folded everything they had used as well as leaving it spotless and needless to say were very nice people.
Sarah
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Post by Sarah »

We always give clean bedlinen, towels, tea towels and bath mats every Saturday and always offer the choice of changing it themselves or having us come in and do the change. So far everyone has opted to change the beds themselves.

With regard to a clean, we have ummed and ahhed about this many times. Our experience so far has been that our 2 week bookings have left the property in a better state than our 1 weekers and so a mid-stay clean would have made no difference. We currently have people in for 3 weeks and I was on the verge of offering a clean but didn't ,firstly because they wanted to change the beds themselves which I thought maybe indicative of them not wanting us in there and secondly because I noticed that Madame had washed all the rugs herself and is constantly cleaning.

Personally when we've rented houses, I've found having a cleaner come in a bit of a nuisance, I'd rather have a blitz at the end ourselves than have to move all our stuff and tidy up perhaps at inconvenient times.

My view is that it's best to play it by ear. I've decided that if a group accept the bed change then that may well be the time to offer a clean as I can do them both at the same time.

Another option would be to include in the house notes that for stays of 2 weeks or more, a mid-stay clean is available on request and then wait for the guests to approach you.

Sarah
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Mouse
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Post by Mouse »

We do a thorough clean, supply towels-tea towels etc & make up beds for arrival day. Mid week, we then clean the bathrooms, brush, generally tidy and mop the kitchen (2 hours max) and change the towels & bath mats. I didn't do this the first year but the state some of them were in I decided it was easier to provide fresh.
If guests then stay a second week they get a complete change of towels, bedding etc at the end of the first week and the kitchen and bathrooms are cleaned...there is also a general tidy and a brush and mop of all rooms.

I always leave a note advising when the cleaning is due and ask for all rooms to be made available. I also give them the option of re-arranging the time to suit them.

We offer additional cleaning at an extra charge.

Whilst guests might find it intrusive - I see it as a service to them and a help to me as I can stop anything in its tracks (for example if I know someone has been smoking), I can also gauge if any damage has been done already.

Mouse
x
Marg
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Post by Marg »

If guests are staying for 1 week we change the bed linen and towels once. If they are staying for 2 weeks then we usually change the linen and towels twice - roughly every 5 days.
My cleaning lady has suggested that for the towels we leave them a note that if they want them changed then they leave them in the bath as I think there are times when she goes to change the towels and finds some of them haven't been used - we provide a hand, bath and bath sheet each.
Re cleaning: she just does a quick clean of the bathrooms but nothing else.
I seem to remember when we rented a villa in Florida many years ago that we didn't have any change of bedclothes and towels and that was for a 2 week stay!
Vally
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Post by Vally »

I think self-catering abroad must be very different to self catering in GB. Cleaning during the stay surely would be serviced accommodation...seems you go in during the stay but expect it to be left " as they found it" at the end...general statement not directed at any particular posts :oops:
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

When we rented French gites, we didn't have any linen or towel change druing our two week stay. We paid extra for the linen in the first place, but only one set was provided. There was a washing machine, and I did have to wash the towels and linen, esp as it was so hot when we were there. I have decided it wouldbe best to supply a change of linen and towels for a 2 week stay only, unless it is requested otherwise.
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Ju
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Post by Ju »

Vally wrote:I think self-catering abroad must be very different to self catering in GB. Cleaning during the stay surely would be serviced accommodation...seems you go in during the stay but expect it to be left " as they found it" at the end...general statement not directed at any particular posts :oops:
I don't think it is a matter of Uk vs abroad, I think it is just a matter of the definition of "self-catering". The trouble is that it covers everything from your most basic chalet/mobile home right up to the most luxurious villa. On the chearper end of the scale people chose to self cater often due to the cost, where as on the more expensive end it is not because people can't afford a hotel, it is because they want the privacy / flexiblity that self catering offers. That doesn't necessily mean they want to make their own beds or do their own cleaning. We offer every service we can to make our guests chose to holiday with us rather than going to a hotel. I'm not sure it means that we aren't self catering though.

Ju
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