I just gave the sofa covers and some other fabrics a good thorough wash. boy getting the tiht fitting covers out was back breaking work! I’m thinking putting little signs around the house to remind them not to eat at the living area, be careful when draggimg their leavy luggagea across my wood flooring etc. will this be considered overly intrusive?
Be selective. Pick your battles. Are those things clear on the house rules?
I’m tempted by this too, but have to shrug it off, I don’t want to appear bossy, and just hope that people can use some common sense. Being selective is the best advice I’ve gotten here about too many signs. Some are crucial, but some just have to be let go.
EDIT:
I’m also wanting to leaves signs “HOW to”. I let these go as well.
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those are in the house rules, but judging by the stains and dents in the flooring, safe to say few guests read them.
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Do you meet and greet?
sometimes I do. but when the guest checks in morning or midday, I just request them to self check in. those guests where I meet and greet seems to be more respectful of the place, although I haven’t hosted long enough. if I meet them , I’ll mention things like turn off the ac, don’t walk around with shoes in house etc
Absolutely! If a guest wants to do early self check in, why not arrange to meet them later in the day to ‘show them how things work’.
I have labelled the closets with what’s inside (extra linens, cleaning, etc) and I have a few signs with the wi fi, post house rules on the fridge, instructions on how to use Roku by tv, gray towels for makeup plus I remind guest in a letter on kitchen table of my main concerns. (Ie: hanging up wet towels, putting luggage on luggage racks.)
Some guests actually thank me in their reviews for being so detailed oriented and organized, a few find it irritating, and about 1/4 just ignore my wishes.
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That’s about the right percentages…
Too many signs will be ignored.
Giving guests personal walk-through (whether on arrival or a couple hours later) is the best way to get folks to do things ‘your way’. Especially if you have ‘sensitive issues’ like fancy wooden floors unprotected by throw rugs, or wanting people to leave shoes at the door where this is not the norm for most guests.
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We have a sign for the Wi-Fi and one for instructions on the weird coffee maker but that is about all. We stayed at a place once that had signs on everything, even telling us what light switches were which. It drove us crazy and we make jokes about to this day. I felt like I was being mothered and smothered.
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I could very easily become that host. Must control the tendency to mother and smother!
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My position is that a using a few signs to help the guest have a better stay is OK. I would feel that I was being scolded if everywhere I turned was a sign saying “Don’t do this” or “You must do that” .
We have to label the light switches at our place (vacation home). The electrician must have been drunk - the location of switches don’t make any sense. For instance, the switch for the ceiling fan at the front entry is at the back of the house next to the dining table. The switch for the pantry light is behind a wall cabinet in the kitchen that swings out. It’s so bad my husband and I need the labels when we go there!
We have a few signs (most neatly printed in a nice font inside clear acrylic stands) around the house on things that we hope are helpful: a one-pager on the refrigerator with a few really important things including house rules, WiFi info and phone numbers; on top of the safes to remind them to get their passports out early on the day they leave, in the bathroom about why we have radios in there (long story!). in the TV room on how to use the TV system/the channel listing.
Oh, and a “NO WATER” label on the side of the espresso maker where the beans go - people kept pouring water in that side and jamming up the grinder. That’s our only “Don’t” sign in the entire house (except a few of the house rules).
Our home is almost 4000 square feet, so you don’t have the impression that there are signs everywhere.
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Everyone has different opinions which is fine but for the record…
I prefer to be treated as an adult so therefore I treat my guests like adults. Signs smack to me of school and I am not six years old. If there’s a terribly complicated piece of equipment that only its inventor understands, or a reminder of the wifi password or similar then that’s fine. But personally I’d be insulted if I thought that my host had to remind me to act like a civilised human being.
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We have some that we still aren’t sure what work or not too. Even the prior owner couldn’t tell me!
The ones with the house that we stayed at were so silly though. The topper was the kitchen one. You walked into the kitchen, turned on the light instinctively because it was right by the door. The label for it said (hahah, drum roll please!) “For this room”. 
fair point. but unfortunately we all have differing levels of civility. I always leave my hosts house neat and tidy, but I’ve had guests who didn’t have the decency to clean up after they made an absolute mess of the microwave.
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I have a couple in picture frames." Please turn the bbq exhaust off when you have finished." (the neighbour goes nuts about the noise).
Instructions for how to use the spa.
I have three framed signs:
One by the front door - “What Makes a 5-Star Stay” (to encourage positive reviews)
One on the bathroom counter - “do not use white towels to remove makeup/guest will be charged $10 for stained towels”
One in the kitchen (Departure Instructions)
I have a few labels on things that need them - one on the door with instructions for locking it, a couple on windows that shouldn’t be opened, etc.
I also have some Q codes in my house manual to link to instructions for the coffee maker, pack and play and air conditioner. Guests can scan the codes with their smartphones to access pdf files or videos. Someday I’ll get around to creating a welcome video that guests can access that way as well.
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They think they have paid you enough to clean it. They probably have not! How can you let them know it’s house sharing, not an hotel?
I think it comes down to ones upbringing and maybe some cultural factors as well. but I’ve read on this forum that every country had clean and unclean guests so I surmise it’s not so much of culture but more of upbringing.
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I feel like this is a learning curve every host goes through. In the first year of hosting it felt like I tried to address each complaint or thing that annoyed me with a house rule or sign.
Now I just have a sign at the front door telling them to NOT allow the cat in, one upstairs about what to do with dishes, and another about the HVAC system. I let go of the one about removing shoes and coffee options/how to use the Keurig.
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