Hosting can be so much fun. Sharing delightful dinner party conversation with all your loved ones under one roof is such a joy. Until it’s not. The downside of hosting guests often rears its ugly head once the front door closes and you discover the ‘joys’ they’ve left behind.
Whether it’s overnighters or a simple dinner party, guests can create a lot of mess. Mess that not only annoys, but even disgusts the hosts left to deal with it. And while you may think you yourself are a perfect angel, they might think otherwise.
To make sure none of us are that dreaded rude guest, and to make sure we continue to get those party invitations, I asked the Good Housekeeping office their top bad guest-habits. The things that make their toes curl and their blood boil when guests come round. Think of it as a what-not-to-do list — as well as a handy guide to make sure you’re on the best guest list.
Not making the bed
Top of the list for all of us in the office was the bed. When it comes to overnight guests, one of the most common bad habits is not making the bed. Leaving the sheets all dishevelled makes hosts feel like housekeeping in their own home. You wouldn’t leave your own bed unmade (at least I hope you wouldn’t), so why are you doing so in your friend’s or family’s home?
Always make sure to straighten up the bed in the morning, leave it how you found it, and yes, if it’s a multiple-night stay, you should be doing it every day – this isn’t a hotel. Here’s a tip if you really want bonus perfect houseguest points: on your last morning, strip the bed before you leave and fold the linens. I’ve done this and had guests do it for me, and it makes such a difference for the hosts.
Not rinsing out the bath / shower
This one came straight from our news & features director Hattie Garlick, and I fear from her tone it may have come from recent personal experience. ‘Always, always, always rinse the bath after use. Stray hairs or grubby rims are wholly unacceptable,’ says Hattie, and I couldn’t agree more.
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The shower is a key spot for bad guest habits, but it’s easily forgotten about. There’s nothing more disgusting then, as a host, returning to your bathroom to find someone else’s grime clinging to the sides. Nobody should have to clean up that kind of mess unless it’s their own. And the fix is so simple. Before hopping out, take two seconds and use the shower head to give the area a rinse. Even if you think you’ve left nothing behind, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Leaving the loo in disarray
This was top of my list personally. Whether it’s an overnight guest or a dinner party, the bathroom always seems to take a battering, despite it also always being a place hosts often prioritise cleaning before guests arrive. Top bad habits in the bathroom include: crumpling up and discarding hand towels, using too much loo roll, dirtying the sink with toothpaste splatter or soap scum, god forbid leaving ‘something’ behind in the loo and my personal top pet peeve: leaving the seat up.
Again, the golden rule is to leave it how you found it (if not better). Just be clean and considerate when making your way around the bathroom. Refolding towels, wiping surfaces and using common sense. And for the love of god, put the lid down!
Being careless with clean bedding
One I have experienced, and been grossed out by, firsthand, is certain overnight guests’ lack of care when it comes to clean bedding. I had a guest apply and sleep in their fake tan when they were staying with me once – needless to say that laundry the next day was an orangey bloodbath. And the same goes for makeup; leaving any kind of stain on the clean bedding your host lovingly laid out for you is not only rude but super grubby. It paints a picture of you as an unhygienic and inconsiderate guest. At the end of the day those are your host’s personal bed sheets, so treat their possessions with some respect.
Wet, crumpled towels
Towels came up often in our discussion on bad guest etiquette. From people using the host’s own towel (gross!) to leaving fake tan stains on them, please look out for how you treat the towels you are given. Emphasis on the towels you were given.
But the most common habit seen was guests using towels and then simply chucking them on the floor, leaving wet, crumpled messes for their hosts to clean up – so rude! Towels should always be left hanging up – you know, how you would at your own home. Or you can fold them up and pop them back on your bed as a sign of politeness – just make it clear they’ve been used so hosts know to wash them.
Stealing slippers
Another one that I’ve been personally peeved by is guests using your slippers. I once had someone staying with me who would actually go into my bedroom to find my slippers so she could wear them. The thought behind those actions still baffles me. And no, she never asked permission.
I suppose in some households, slippers may be a somewhat communal item, but as someone who’s firmly not in this camp (in fact, the idea of someone putting their sweaty paws into my slippers still makes my skin crawl), I’d avoid it. You can always ask to borrow items, but do so within reason, and next time, pack your own!
Leaving half-drunk drinks everywhere
A super-common one, and one that we may not think about when we ourselves are guests, but one that definitely drives us mad when hosting is the constant parade of drinking glasses. Yes, when having guests over there’s usually a celebration of some kind, and with this tends to come plenty of beverages, and therefore plenty of glasses. But so often guests will start a drink, put it down and forget all about it. leaving hosts with both a scavenger hunt and a long list of washing-up.
So just try to keep more of a tab on the unnecessary washing-up you’re creating. Keep a hold of your glass and reuse it where you can – a small thing to make life easier for your host once you depart. If you’re staying for longer than a party and want to be a real swot, stick it in the dishwasher or give it a quick wash up – your host will love you. That’s the appropriate and helpful version of making yourself at home.
Hiding spills
We get it, accidents happen. But the worst thing a guest can do is to pretend like they didn’t. More often than you’d like to think, many of my colleagues mentioned beginning the post-host cleanup only to find mysterious unclaimed stains have magically appeared on the carpet.
If you spill something or an accident occurs, just own up to it. It’s disrespectful to hide these things, and not only is owning up straight away the moral thing to do, coming from a household advice writer – it’s essential for a better chance at getting the stain out! And while it may seem like you’re helping, trying to sort it out yourself without alerting the host is also a bad idea. Chances are the owner has the right kind of cleaning products to deal with the situation, whereas your well-intentioned panic blotting could make things worse.
Raiding the fridge
Why is it that when some people become houseguests they seem to think everything in the home is up for grabs. From leaving all the lights on to adjusting the heating, some people really forget they’re not in a hotel. And one of the rudest things someone can help themselves to is the fridge.
You may have an incredibly generous host, one that informs you ‘what’s mine is yours’ –but remember this isn’t a given for all stays. You should always ask before tucking into their snacks or fizzy drinks supply. Honestly, even if they say it’s fine, personally I’d always check. It saves you the embarrassment of ruining their dinner plans by snacking on some seemingly unassuming cheese.
Feet on furniture
Of course, as a host you want your guests to feel comfortable in your home, but some take that as a cue to get a little too cosy. Feet on the sofa – sometimes still in shoes – is a surprisingly common one. Even socks or bare feet can feel a bit much, especially on freshly cleaned or light-coloured furniture. It’s the kind of thing hosts will politely ignore in the moment… then immediately comment on once you’ve left. Get comfy, but be respectful.
Shoes on the carpet
I would like to think that asking ‘Shoes off or on?’ is one of the first things you ask a host upon entering their home, but I’ve since heard anecdotes that would suggest otherwise. While some people may not be concerned, you have to ask – and again, use your common sense.
If the home is immaculately carpeted with white fluffy rugs, maybe slip off your mucky trainers. A golden rule I always grew up with was that if you’re going upstairs, it’s shoes off – whereas downstairs is more of a case-by-case basis.
