My Houseguest Survival Guide

I always think that houseguests are a mixed blessing. On the one hand, I love to see my out of town friends; on the other hand I agree with the old saying that houseguests and fish begin to smell after three days. 

Part of this is, of course, that houseguests don’t know the household rhythms and routines and probably don’t have a clue what drives you, the hostess, batty. For instance, my house is yours but if you take my last teabag and drop of milk on a work morning you are not going to make it out alive. 

With these conflicting thoughts in mind I began to put together a list of what I want to offer my guests to make their stay comfortable and happy, plus the information I can give my guests to make the stay a harmonious one for both parties. 

The first step towards happy houseguests is clean sheets and towels. I use unscented laundry detergent because scented detergents send me running for my inhaler. If you use scented detergents, air out the sheets for a couple of days to get rid of lingering soap smells. 

If you don’t have a guest room, and put your guests up in a fold out sofa or airbed, I suggest giving them a basket or plastic box to store their linens and essentials in during the day. This really reduces clutter and misplaced stuff. If you can clear out a dresser drawer and spare a couple of hangers in your closet this will also go along way to keeping things tidy. 

If you have a guest room, make sure it’s not full of household odds and ends. You don’t want your guests feeling like they’re sleeping in a storage locker! If you have an extra bathrobe and hairdryer it’s nice to make them available. 

I put a pad of paper and a pen by the bed, along with some reading material. This might include a travel guide of things to do in the area, but that’s a subject for another article altogether! A new magazine (not that old magazine that found its way under the bed two years ago during their last stay) a book of funny sayings or a popular paperback can be very helpful if travel is giving your visitor insomnia. If the book is one you can part with, I think it’s a nice gesture to offer it to your friend. If not, there’s a pad and pencil to make a note of the title!