JFF- Do You Clean up Your Hotel Room Before You Check Out?

I don't consolidate the trash into one can, but I bring all the cans to the bathroom and do the same with the dirty towels & wash clothes & throw away the leftover soaps.

I have worked in service industries enough to know that a little bit of effort from a customer can go a long way in helping to brighten an employee's day.

Yes. I pile all the sheets onto one bed. Collect and take trash out. And will pick up the floor.

I think house cleaning at a hotel can be a very disgusting job. And extremely Thankless. So if I can help make one room easy, I will do that. I also leave a thank you note.

I do the trash bit no matter what. I never know if I randomly toss a receipt or something, so I would rather know I dumped the trash, then risk having someone dig through it.

This is funny. Are you just asking if their are other OCD's out there and to what extent their OCD reaches? I am not OCD but I am not a hotel snob either. I don't clean up but I don't leave the room looking like a slob just stayed there.

Um.....yeah.
Bed made, towels folded & in a pile on the floor, wiped off.

This is O. of the reasons I don't have a cleaning lady--I'd just clean before she came over to clean! LOL

No, J. - you are not alone. I straighten the room to make sure we haven't left anything behind.

I make sure the towels are in a grouping/pile on the bathroom floor.

I don't use the hotel soap, so I don't have to worry about that one.

We usually don't move the furniture, but if we've used the desk, we make sure that it's straightened up...

I try to throw all the trash away and put the towels and stuff into the tub, but I do this while I am looking through everything to make sure that I don't forget anything there... So I have an ulterior motive behind cleaning up. Lol

yes, I straighten up. I don't want it to look like we "partied like a rock star." I dont make the bed, because that's more work for the maid in the long run. The nicest thing to do is make sure all trash in trash cans, and all sheets and towels are in one pile on the floor.

I used to manage a small motel and I can tell you, we definately judged people when the room was left dirty. We didn't even want to go into the smoking rooms. They were always the worst. Sorry smokers, but yall leave your rooms totally disgusting. The things that aggravate the maid and cause her to cuss you is trash everwhere but the trash can. Personal hygiene stuff out - like leaving dirty q-tips on the counter. Old food and beer cans left out laying around.

Yes.

1) I consider it payback for all the times in the military we left hotel rooms needing to be irradiated to be gotten completely clean (enough empty liquor bottles to look like a bar abandoned because of a prohibition raid to START), and don't even get me started on the rest

&

2) It's part of how I make sure we haven't forgotten anything! Lovies like to play hide and seek in hotel rooms. As do important things that you don't need until you're a few hours away and backtracking means losing a whole day of travel time!

Yes, I have a little routine that I go through as we leave the hotel room: shake out towels, put them in the tub (and find wet swim suits and goggles), shake out bedding usually draped onto the floor (grab pjs and small electronics left in bed) pick up bits of trash in corners of the room (unplug chargers left in electrical outlets). The room is neater and we have all our stuff by the time we leave.

Absolutely! I worked in hotels for many years and have seen some atrocious rooms. Housekeepers work so hard and rarely are thanked. Having overseen the housekeeping department for several years, I know that they really appreciate any extra kindness a guest shows. I always combine the garbage, place all towels together in the bathroom, strip the bed sheets off as well as leave a tip. I do know that the housekeepers do not expect this, but they sure do appreciate it!

You are not alone. I am a super clean freak, so I cannot help but tidy up any place before I leave. The practical side of me justifies it because tidying up ensures I do not leave any of my stuff- earrings, glasses, books, etc. at the hotel. Plus I don't want any random strangers thinking I am a slob. ;)

Except for making the bed I wouldn't call it cleaning. It is more of a process to make sure nothing is left behind. Still the room ends up looking pretty tidy when I am done.

I totally clean up. I don't want anyone coming in thinking we are just a bunch of lazy pigs. Plus, it's the best way to know if you are accidentally leaving something behind.

I tidy up the tables at restaurants we eat at too, Jennifer U.!

I just think it is good manners. I think you should put all used linens in a pile including sheets. I am a germ freak so I would not want to have to pull sheets that someone else used. all those particles....yuck. I too tidy up the table at restaurants. I commend ya'll for your thoughtfulness.

Yes, I do it too! I just can't help myself. It was nice and clean when we checked in, so the least I can do it straighten up a little. I think the housekeepers work very hard and I don't want to make it any harder on them. I don't make it spotless, but I put all of the towels together, put all trash in the cans and pull the beadsread back up on the bed etc. I will not sleep on one of those bedspreads if you paid me well! Gross! ;)

Im OCD as well and yes Im very guilty of this too =)

Guilty!, i make the beds (sort of) and tidy up the bathroom. Not sure why i do this.

My husband and I do exactly the same as you. I can't bear to leave a disaster behind me!

I don't get quite as thorough as you do, (throwing away the soap, lol), but yes, I do pick up some. Not because I am particularly tidy, either. More because if I don't, something will get left behind.

I pull up the spread on the beds to check for shoes/clothes under the edges of the spread on the floor, to check the wrinkled top side for clothes that may have been tossed there, to check for any "special" pillows or stuffed animals. I put all the miscellaneous trash items (coffee cups, wrappers, drink cups and empty water bottles, etc) in the trash can(s) so that I can see if anyone has left something on a dresser or on top of the TV or the table or whatever.

Staying in hotels and such with small kids on vacations over the years has taught me to check vigilantly: otherwise that "can't live without" precious stuffed animal might be gone forever. Or that new pair of shoes. Or the jacket they didn't need at checkout time, but wore last night b/c it was cold/raining. Or the pillowcase that matches the rest of their bedding at home is gone, along with their personal pillow.

It's just smart to clean up so you can see what you need to.

Yes and no. I make sure all the trash is in the trash can, that all the bottle of shampoo and stuff are thrown away, I usually put all the towels in the same spot.

I certainly don't trash a room, but I also don't make it picture perfect before we leave.

I don't have OCD and I do this every time. It makes me feel like we are not a bunch of pigs.
Yes, it's housekeeping's job to switch out linens and vacuum, I just don't feel like it's their job to pick up after a lot of slobs.
L.

I'm not that bad, I do make sure all the towels (not folded) are in the bathtub and I try to clean up all the trash, but I don't do it in one trash can, I just make sure it's not all over the place. I don't bother to make the beds, because they are just going to unmake them again when we leave. I straighten up the furniture, but that is more to check for small toys and that we aren't leaving anything behind.

Yes I do this too. I worked in the hotel business for over 12 years and I could not imagine leaving my room the way some people do. I make sure all of our trash is put in the waste baskets, towels are in a pile, and the beds are in some kind of order.

Yes I do straighten up. I usually do it while checking that I did not leave
anything behind.

if I'm going to be staying in a hotel, then that means I'm on vacation. I don't clean when I'm on a vacation. Besides, they have to clean before someone else stays there anyway.

Yes. I clean it up. In fact, I clean up any messes we make at any establishment as best as I can. Common courtesy, in my opinion.

Yep, I at least put all of the towels together on the bathroom floor. I make sure that all the trash is in the trash cans. And I make sure to pull the covers of the bed up....

Yes--lol guilty here.

I ALWAYS clean also.. It's my OCD coming out, even at a hotel~

Oh, hell NO!! I leave towels all over, everything a mess and I leave a tip (a really good one if I am on a business trip and can expense it). I prefer to stay at a hotel rather than be a guest at someone's house - it's vacation, I don't want to have to clean up anything. It's what I am paying for.

But, I wish I had you at home, J.!!!

I do the same thing. I put all the towels and rags in the tub. Bag up all the trash and take it out. Look under all the beds, throw the covers back up and put the pillows on it.

For one thing, it keeps us from leaving our stuff or leaving with theirs.

For another, I look at it like I do my kids room. It may be my job to clean, but not clean up after, there's a difference.

No - but I don't leave it a disaster either.

I partially do. I can't help myself. It's really silly. I also tidy the table at restaurants after we eat. My husband gets on me every time. He says that is part of the reason we go out in the first place so I don't have to do anything. I try to stop once I notice the insanity, lol.

You can come to my house and go through my paperwork if you want to! The rest of the house is fine! But the paperwork...

I digress. Yes, I clean up after getting all packed up. I send the guys out of the room with everything but my pocketbook, and I throw all the towels and washcloths in the tub, the wrappers in the trash (if they aren't already there) and open all the drawers. I don't close them anymore, after leaving a drawerful of them in a hotel this past summer, including a brand new bathing suit! (I got them all back, whew!) I leave a tip and a note saying thank you.

Part of "cleaning up" is making sure that I haven't left anything behind, so it's not OCD on my part.

Dawn

I put all our trash in one trashcan. I don't leave junk on the counters and throw out all the bits of soap that no one else will want. If the bathroom got wet, I wipe it up and put the towels in the bathtub. It's not just to be nice to the cleaner (who doesn't need a slip hazard) but to give the room a last once-over so I don't miss anything. If DD has used a blanket on the floor to sleep on, I toss it back on the bed. We didn't fold up the portacrib, though. We just left it off to the side.

I've actually been known to remake a bed or two.
I throw all the towels in the bathtub.
All trash in one container
Soap in the garbage.
And I wipe down the sink.

It's not silly at all, I always tidy up our "personal mess". I think it's common courtesy, no one should have to clean up after my family's vacation clutter. I think housekeeping is there to clean the big stuff, change beds etc. We also leave a tip for the them especially if we're staying for a few days.
We own a vacation rental and almost everyone cleans up their own messy stuff especially if they have kids.

Oh yeah, I am not the best housekeeper, but when it comes to hotel rooms I will make sure everything is picked up & do a general once over. It's like when you clean your house for other people, but your normal day to day house is not that well kept. I think it's an embarrassment thing, really.

We tidy the room also. There is a maid but she's NOT my maid is our way of thinking.

I don't go crazy but I try and make sure the trash is all in the garbage can when I double check nothing is left behind.

Yes, to make sure I didn't miss anything AND because I cleaned rooms for 6 years and always appreciated when people picked up.

yes
I think that gathering recyclables on tabletops should not be combined
with the other trash.

hahahaha....my husband gets so upset with me for doing exactly the same thing...I can't stand to leave a mess for someome else to clean up. I think its respectful to leave it tidy for the cleaners they must see some pretty horrible rooms and I always imagine how nice it must be for them to see someone who actually realises how much work it takes so part of it is done. I also make the bed...know this my husband can't understand because they have to pull the covers off and change it...he gets so annoyed when we are in a hurry to leave and I am running around tidying up the hotel room. I guess once a neat freak always a neat freak...just go with it...there are many benefits of being OCD about having things tidy...we live in a lovely tidy home :)

I don't take it as far as you but I don't want people thinking we are disrespectful. I don't necessarily make the beds but I straighten them. I also leave our dirty towels in a pile.

No, but we leave generous tips daily basis especially check out day.

I make sure my/our trash is in the trash cans & our stuff is picked up/nothing left behind. If there's a table w/chairs & I/we move one or two, we push it back to the table or back in the general area but I don't bother w/throwing the soap away, that's their job. We throw the covers back up on the bed, mainly to ck & make sure there's nothing hiding under there that we might leave behind but we don't "make" the bed, that's their job. I'm sure the maids appreciate our efforts in at least throwing the trash in the trash cans & we pile the towels together if we remember & wipe the wetness from around the sink (I do that mainly for me coz I don't like to drag my hand or arm accidentally thru splash water). When my hubby is with me, he hangs his towels up to 'dry' (I find that just plain weird in a hotel room but oh well) so we sometimes forget to take those down. I'm sure they appreciate your efforts & I would say it's a personal choice to clean up after oneself or not but I at least try to pick up in a reasonable manner.

You're partly alone :) We certainly don't trash the place, but we leave the trash in whatever trash can they landed in to begin with. I follow posted directions about towels and washcloths; they sometimes ask that you put dirty ones on the floor. Otherwise, we leave them hanging. I'm not sure why furniture would need straightening. We don't make beds, but leave them fairly neat. I try to leave it as I would want it found for minimum work if I were the housekeeper. I'm probably more like you than not, but you seem to be overdoing maybe a little...certainly nothing to worry about.

Not alone at all! I lay all of the towels over the bathtub, throw away the soap and take the garbage bags out and tie them up. I don't make the beds... I figured that's just one more step for them to clean up if I do that. It helps me to see if I've missed anything, but I also just plain can't stand leaving it a wreck for some reason...

One of my mottos is "don't make anyone's job harder than it has to be". They may get paid to do, but that doesn't matter to me.

I don't go that far, but I do straighten, mostly because I use it as a way to make sure I am getting all of my belongings. I throw the covers on the bed, but don't actually make it. That way I don't end up getting my belongings mixed with the covers while I'm trying to pack. I do throw away loose trash, but the room is by no means spotless. Towels, rags, etc. go in the bathtub. As far as soaps and such, I leave them where I last used them.

My husband and I have had many an argument on this fact. But, after 12 years, I think he has finally figured out I'm not backing down on it. lol

I straighten up, too. These people don't make enough for me to feel comfortable leaving a huge mess. But then I usually leave a tip, too.

I clean up... can't help myself. Plus it sets a good example. I don't make the bed or anything like that, but I do try to be respectful. If I was staying at someone's house I'd clean up, so why not at a hotel?

Well, I don't do the housekeeper's job for him/her, but I do make sure that the room is suitable for them to be able to do their job efficiently... garbage tossed, towels all in a pile in the bathroom, etc. You are paying for the service, but no need to make the job more difficult!

Yup, I rather have them CLEAN the room than spend time doing busy work.

I TRY not to think about what happens when other people use the room but lets say I clean the room as soon as I walk in. I travel with Scrubbing Bubbles wipes and Oust. I HAVE to clean otherwise I'll be grossed out the entire time. At least I have YET to bring my black light with me....ewwwwww!

Love the question---yes, I also do those things and make sure all the sheets and pillows are neatly piled up on beds. Dump out any extra coffee in the pot and rinse it out....
Cleaning rooms every day has to have big drawbacks and I do what I can to make their job a little easier.

I didn't clean much it before I had my son. The room would still be kinda neat. But now my little toddler makes the room look like it's been hit by a tornado or something. I know it will be cleaned before the next guest but I don;t feel like leaving the room in that condition.So I clean up a bit for few minutes picking up things my son would have thrown all around the room.

wowza 54 answers so far! I do this for a different reason that OCD. I want to be sure I did not leave anything behind!

Updated

wowza 54 answers so far! I do this for a different reason that OCD. I want to be sure I did not leave anything behind!

Guilty! although I don't make the bed I make sure everything is neat, picked up, thrown away etc. I know people who work in the service industry and you wouldn't believe how some people leave their rooms, it's awful!

That is too funny. I do this too. I figure they have enough work with others being so sloppy. I do pull the bedding down so they will change it. I have stayed in motels that I questioned if they even changed the bedding. In those cases I have called and asked them to drop off fresh sheets and changed them myself.

We always gathered the towels and the extra sheets for the rollaway together and such this way we dont forget anything and its just easier on the person cleaning up the room

I wouldn't say I clean- but I definitely straighten up a little bit. I don't think that I do it for those who are coming in behind me as much as it is my way to double check to make sure i have everything we came in with.

Yes we do. My parents do too.

yes I do my best to pick it up and make it a little easier for the house keeper!

Yes. I don't go to the extreme but I do leave all trash in 1 area, all towels in 1 area, straighten up the beds to make sure we've left nothing on the floor, etc.