That is so NOT the protocol that is being advocated by the French tourist boards in a 14 page detailed instruction booklet.
At least a week between bookings.
Clear distinction between cleaning - done first - and disinfection over the same surfaces afterwards.
Training of cleaners and appropriate clothing
Every single item in the kitchen put through a hot dishwasher wash - I couldn’t do that in less than two days, even with our stripped down cutlery/crockery etc
Strict protocol with bedding - left for 2-3 days and then on highest wash.
And so on, and so on … no way is it just “a bit more cleaning”
Not least, the gite owners are putting the cleaner’s health at risk AND putting their next guests’ health at risk. Yes, they might get away with it, but what if they don’t?
I’m with Stella on this, stay well clear!
Yes I usually do the cleaning myself but have just employed 2 cleaners so one is always available. Will be leaving gaps between bookings as well.
Keep it simple but do it well.
We are having many people wanting to book but we are offering to take bookings for next year on a temporary basis, with no deposit, just to see how things play out.
We do not want folk from UK here at the moment and if we took all the bookings we would be full week on week.
Do you have a link to the booklet, or the name of it so we can track it down. We are presently using the W.H.O. guidelines. We are charging slightly more for a clean that we were but two of our English owners have objected on the grounds that a) everyone is just over-reacting about the whole thing and b) my guests don’t expect all that extra stuff to be done, just do a standard turnround.
The best guidance is the link on this thread - the ADN one.
We have given our clients an instruction sheet, that so far they seem happy with. So sheets and towels placed in a big washing bag, things like books and CD that they’ve used in final 3 days of their stay placed in a basket, requesting hand-washing before putting away crockery and cutlery and hot not eco cycle on dishwasher, open windows etc before they leave. Beyond that it’s a choice, and people who have wanted to cancel have been given full refunds instantly.
This is my English translation of the ADN booklet…
Hi Tim, too tired to find it at the moment - but there has been a discussion about not entering the property for 3 days then cleaning and leaving the property for 3 days afterwards. On another forum I follow several gite owners are leaving a week between bookings in order to make sure they can clean adequately. Maybe it’s not in a protocol - in which case sorry for misleading - but just a view that only by doing so can we do a thorough job for our guests and also keep ourselves and our cleaners safe.
Not the same as a gîte, but there was a baptism yesterday and the church will not be entered for 3 days (and then it will be cleaned in the usual way and left ready for the next … whatever.)
seems to take 2 cleaners four hrs each in normal times
we have very large rooms all ensuite,
I imagine that I could add at least 2 hrs more
But we are closed until next year
Blimey! 8 hours! How many bedrooms for heaven’s sake as I can normally do 200m2 house with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, living rooms, kitchen etc etc plus garden basics in 4 hours. And with extra disinfecting it’s now taking 6 hours.
Without going into any detail we are currently locked in battle with two clients over the cleaning protocols and disappointingly neither of them have grasped that these procedures are there to protect their guests (and us). If we can’t resolve things in the next couple of days then we will have no choice other than to walk away.
I think the challenge at the moment Jane is that it is not a “normal” clean between guests. For example, I would not normally put every single item from the kitchen into the dishwasher between each guest, which is what the protocol requires. I would normally check every glass, plate, item of cutlery etc and wash those that had smears or marks. Now, I need to do everything. And there’s no way I’m bringing anything into our house to wash it - everything stays in the cottage and gets cleaned there.
Also beds, not just a normal change of duvet cover/sheet/pillow case, but stripped down to mattress. Mattress hoovered (not ideal I know) mattress protectors changed and washed. Pillow protectors changed and washed.
I suppose if you are bringing the dirty linen out of the cottage and washing it elsewhere then that saves time, but as I say, I’m not bringing potentially contaminated items into our house. What gets contaminated in the cottage stays in the cottage and gets cleaned in the cottage.
Sorry to hear you are having problems Tim. I’m appalled at their selfishness. They are putting your and their guests lives at risk (and yes, I do mean lives!)
By the way, by last night we’d had ten enquiries, mostly for the week of 8-15 august. I’ve decided next year I’m only going to accept 2 week bookings in July and August. Unfortunately I took the first enquirer who only wanted a week, whereas later on I had those wanting two weeks.
yes 8 hrs and 4 bedrooms but 2 are suites and cleaned with anti bac wip es etc normally.
Maybe my cleaners take too long
I found that the kitchen can be a mess especially the fridges need to be de cheeses and all the unused food taken away
the laundry is a separate matter and the garden and the pool
In the current scenario Barbara I’m asking our guests to take EVERYTHING they bring into the cottage away with them at the end, or into the bin. No food left in the fridge, no half used shampoo bottles, no books for the next guest, no tourist leaflets, etc - all of those are contamination risks.
It’s very easy for remote “landlords” to say what they think needs to be done, got some friends in exactly the same situation. Just the threat of walking away would leave most of them shitting themselves.
We got our changeover done no problem, can’t get all the laundry done in the gite w/m, but never mind . Fortunately not got any double changeovers and a 3 week August booking, all French.
No, it’s not normal which is why it’s taking at least half as long again, changeover days are rather tiring anyway so will be fun this year.
We are changing the whole bed, so duvet/pillows/mattress protectors etc get put in black bags, and three days later we air them for rest of week in time for next guests. Guests strip the sheets, pillow cases and protectors and put in another bag, again left for three days before being washed. Faster that way.
We are asking guests to use the hot wash cycle on dishwasher, and wash their hands before putting crockery etc away. I ask if they have done this. My view is that if all guests know what the cleaning regime is then their choice whether to trust it, or wash everything again themselves. We provide gloves and masks and cleaning materials.
They have to trust us that we had done things correctly, so not much different to trusting the previous guests. People have to accept that just by going on holiday they are exposing themselves to greater risk, and we will do what we can to protect them. But can give no 100% guarantees.
. Fortunately not got any double changeovers and a 3 week August booking, all French.
which is why it’s taking at least half as long again, changeover days are rather tiring anyway so will be fun this year. 