Housekeepers are the unsung heroes of the hospitality industry, without a doubt.
They work tirelessly to ensure your hotel stay is comfortable and enjoyable, and some of you are slobs! A lot of guests make housekeeping’s job way harder (and grosser) than necessary. It doesn’t matter that ‘that’s what they’re paid for’ — basic consideration goes a long way. Here are some things my friends who clean hotel rooms say they wish guests wouldn’t do if they can possibly help it.
1. Leaving a trail of crumbs and spills
Nobody’s saying you can’t have a brew or a few biscuits in your room, but leaving a disaster zone of half-eaten crisps and juice spills is a proper headache. It turns a standard 10-minute tidy into a massive deep-clean that eats into the time they need for the rest of their floor. Taking 30 seconds to wipe up a spill or gather your crumbs into a pile shows you actually give a toss about the person coming in after you. It’s the difference between a quick vacuum and having to get the industrial carpet cleaner out because of a sticky patch you ignored.
2. Treating the room like a personal dumping ground
A hotel room shouldn’t look like a fly-tipping site after one night. When you’ve got clothes, toiletries, and bags strewn across every single square inch of the carpet, the housekeeper can’t actually get to the surfaces they’re supposed to clean without playing a game of Twister. You don’t need to be perfectly tidy, but keeping your gear in your suitcase or the wardrobe makes their job 10 times easier. It also means your stuff stays cleaner, too, rather than being trodden on while someone’s trying to empty your bin.
3. Not using the bins provided
It’s a bit baffling when guests leave empty takeaway boxes and bottles on the bedside table when there’s a bin literally two feet away. Every bit of rubbish they have to pick up off the floor or furniture is extra time they haven’t got, and it’s just a bit grim for them to have to handle your leftovers. Putting your tea bags and wrappers where they belong is a small gesture, but it’s one that’s always appreciated by someone on a tight schedule. If the bin is full, just bag it up and leave it next to it rather than creating a mountain of rubbish on the desk.
4. Soaking towels and bathmats unnecessarily
Dumping a soaking wet bathmat or towel on the carpet is a great way to create a musty smell and a slip hazard. If you’re done with them, just chuck them in the bath or the shower tray where the water can actually drain away. It keeps the wet mess in one place and stops the floor from becoming a swamp for the person trying to move around the bathroom to clean the mirrors. Plus, nobody likes picking up a cold, soggy towel that’s been sitting on a dusty floor for 5 hours.
5. Leaving the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on for days
Privacy is fine, but if you keep that sign on the door for three days straight, the room becomes a nightmare to tackle when you finally leave. Housekeepers have a schedule to keep, and a broken routine usually means they’re rushing later on to make up for the backlog. If you’re heading out for the day, take the sign off and let them get in to do their bit, so the mess doesn’t become overwhelming. It also stops management from worrying that something’s actually gone wrong inside the room.
6. Using the bed as a workspace or dining table
Eating a greasy burger or a bowl of pasta in bed is a recipe for disaster. One slip, and you’ve got a stain that’s a nightmare to get out of white linen, and crumbs in the sheets are just unpleasant for everyone involved. There’s usually a desk or a small table in the room for a reason, so it’s best to use it. Keep the food over there, and you’ll save the staff from having to struggle with stubborn grease marks that could’ve been avoided with a bit of common sense.
7. Leaving dirty dishes and glasses everywhere
If you’ve made use of the mini-bar or ordered room service, don’t leave the empties tucked away in random corners of the room or under the bed. Gathering your glasses and plates onto the tray or the main table makes a world of difference when someone’s trying to clear the deck. It stops things from getting smashed accidentally and lets the housekeeper see exactly what needs to go back to the kitchen in one go. It’s much safer for them if they aren’t reaching into dark corners and finding broken glass.
8. Expecting immediate service at all hours
Housekeepers aren’t just sitting around waiting for your specific call; they’ve usually got a massive stack of rooms to get through before the end of their shift. While they’ll always try to help you out, demanding fresh towels or a toothbrush the very second you think of it can really throw a spanner in their workday. A bit of patience goes a long way, especially when they’re likely juggling 20 other things at the same time. If it isn’t a proper emergency, maybe wait until you see them in the corridor or give them a bit of breathing room to finish the floor they’re currently on.
9. Leaving valuables scattered around
You might trust the staff, but leaving your laptop, watch, or a wad of cash sitting out on the desk is just asking for trouble. It’s not that anyone is going to nick your stuff, but it makes the staff nervous about even being in the room. If they have to move your expensive gear to wipe down a surface, there’s always a risk of something getting dropped or misplaced, and that’s a headache nobody needs. Stick your valuables in the safe or keep them tucked away in your bag, so everyone can get on with their day without the extra stress of handling your personal property.
10. Stealing hotel property
It’s a bit of a cliché that everyone takes the little shampoo bottles, but some people take it way too far. Swiping the towels, the dressing gowns, or even the hangers is just theft, plain and simple, and it ends up coming out of the hotel’s bottom line. It’s a massive pain for the housekeeping team because they’re the ones who have to report the missing items and deal with the inventory mess you’ve left behind. Just enjoy the stuff while you’re there and leave it in the room when you head off, so the next guest can actually use them too.
11. Being overly demanding or rude
There’s never an excuse for being rude to the people working to keep your space clean. Whether it’s making unreasonable demands or just being short with them in the corridor, a bad attitude makes a hard job even worse for someone who’s already grafting. These people are professionals doing a proper shift, and treating them with a bit of basic respect is the bare minimum you should be doing. A simple “please” or a quick “thanks” as you pass them in the hall makes a massive difference to their day and costs you absolutely nothing.
12. Leaving the room in a chaotic state upon check-out
Just because you’re leaving doesn’t mean you should leave a total disaster zone behind for someone else to deal with. You don’t need to do a full deep-clean, but stripping the bed and piling the used towels in one spot takes you 2 minutes and saves the housekeeper a mountain of effort. Bagging up your rubbish and making sure there aren’t any hidden “surprises” left under the bed is just common decency. It lets them get the room turned around for the next person without feeling like they’ve walked into a crime scene that needs forensic cleaning.
13. Not reporting any maintenance issues promptly
If the tap is leaking or the telly isn’t working, tell someone as soon as you notice it rather than letting it linger. Don’t just leave it for the housekeeper to find after you’ve already checked out and the next guest is due in 30 minutes. If they discover a broken pipe or a smashed lamp while they’re trying to clean, it can take that room out of action for the whole day, which messes up their entire schedule. Reporting things early means the maintenance team can get in and out, and the housekeeper isn’t left dealing with a problem that should’ve been sorted days ago.
