The past two weeks our house has been full of couchsurfers. There hasn’t been a single day with less than two people staying, One day, we had ten people and a hat-destroying dog in the house.
Flickr photo by DaveAustria.com
Did I feel overwhelmed, overworked or the need to run screaming from my deeply invaded personal space? Quite the opposite. As I looked around our place, teeming with people, I noticed little considerate and respectful habits of our guests that made all the difference between unpleasant and the crazy fun chaos that has characterized the last weeks.
- Wash Dishes – Aracely and Jason of Two Backpackers spent over a week with us. They washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen every day. I didn’t ask them to do it. They just did. Believe me, this is something every host notices and appreciates more than you can imagine. (And if I haven’t said it before, thank you both!)
- Clean Up After Yourself - This is a no brainer. Don’t leave your dirty dishes on the table, toothpaste on the counter or puddles of water on the floor. No one is perfect, and of course, you might forget or leave a mess. But one little thing won’t matter if your general habit is to leave things neat and clean.
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