Alright, let's jump right into this dog-sitting situation that Reddit user u/Krirhu is asking users for feedback about. She hired a well-reviewed sitter that she met and really liked. "In both the Word doc I left for her and in the walkthrough of my house, we never discussed my washer and dryer, which are in my garage, so I don't think she even saw them. She never asked about doing laundry at my place, either."
Well, once u/Krirhu was out of town, it seems the pet sitter figured she had open access to the washer and dryer. "I get that needing to pay for laundry sucks, and honestly, I wouldn't mind if she had brought it up with me and did a few loads. However, I have brand-spanking-new machines that are Wi-Fi enabled and that I had set up to ping my phone when a cycle was done, so now I know that in the three days she has been in my home, she has done nine loads of laundry, almost all on the 'bedding' setting, which is water and heat intensive."
Now she is wondering if she should say anything to the pet sitter (who doesn't even know that she's been doing that much laundry). "Am I making a big fuss over nothing, and laundry is just a thing pet sitters are expected to have access to (even at this quantity)? Should I wait to say something until after I'm back home? Should I just let it be and maybe rethink having her back? Please let me know. I've never had Wi-Fi machines before, so maybe I've just lived in peaceful ignorance and this is the norm," she asked.
A lot of readers weren't exactly sure how to take it all. Here are some people's thoughts:
"I cat sat for someone for two weeks a few years ago and stayed in their apartment. They had laundry, and I didn't, and even still, I have zero recollection of doing laundry. I think I almost certainly did a load or two, but yeah, I want to know where *nine* loads of laundry are coming from? What is she washing? That's a lot for one person! How much time is she spending lugging her laundry back and forth vs watching the dogs?"
"Consider this from the sitter's perspective. What is going on in her life that puts her in a situation where she needs to behave this way? That doesn’t mean I think the behavior is justified. I just mention it so that you soften your response. You need to find a way to casually let the sitter know that you know she has done laundry without going overboard. A text like, 'Hey, my app notified me some laundry was run. If the dogs make a mess again, you can just leave the items on top of the laundry machine because we are still having some plumbing work done to make sure the old system is up to snuff.' Short. No pointing fingers. No asking why."
"Say that you just noticed the laundry on your app and were 'wondering if the babies had diarrhea or got sick or something with the large quantity.' Just act cheerful and normal. She will then know you KNOW if she does laundry."
"I'm sure she has no washer and dryer, and getting her laundry done for free was a perk of this assignment she thought she could sneak in. I'd say she will be embarrassed, not do any more, and won't take it out on the babies. On the one hand, I can relate because I've been washer- and dryer-less before, but nine loads is excessive and taking advantage," they added.
"Assuming you have a gas dryer, I'd be very surprised if using your modern washer and dryer for nine loads cost you much more than $10 in utility charges. As for concerns about your plumbing, there is absolutely no way those nine loads of laundry are going to measurably damage or wear out your plumbing. If your home's plumbing is that delicate, you need to fix it."
"It's something to report; I've dog-sat plenty of times and typically use the laundry once, to launder the towels and bedding I used so they wouldn't have to. If it's a long stay, I might do a load of work clothes in the middle of it, and maybe a dog blanket or two if they get soiled. But I would also be communicating that need to the client."
"Some people don’t have access to a washer/dryer at home or the immediate funds for a laundromat, where it’s usually $3.75 a wash and $0.75 a dry for a normal load or two. I do my laundry once a week, including my sheets and my comforter, and it’s always three or four loads each time, especially with warm-weather clothing. Nine loads does seem excessive for such a short amount of time, so I’d just mention that you got notifications about the nine complete cycles."
"I personally wouldn't say anything to the current sitter about it. In the grand scheme of things, it's not going to impact you. Is it weird to do that much laundry without asking? Yes. But the sitter is probably desperate/embarrassed about it, so try to be kind and don't hold it against her. As long as your dogs are being taken care of well, it's water off a duck's back."
After reading all of these suggestions, u/Krirhu sent this text to the dog sitter: "Oops, I forgot to mention I've had some plumbing issues recently sorted out, so please be on the lookout for backups or leaks." She also told the sitter that the laundry is available to her, but requested that it be kept at three or four loads total. Below is the OP's complete update after she got home:
"Because comments still seem to be trickling in...I am home now, my pets are safe and healthy and don't seem distressed, so I'm happy that they were well taken care of. My house, not so much. Thankfully, it is mild and no damage was done that I can tell, but my back door was left unlocked when no one was home, and the door from my house into the garage was left open, which could have hurt my cat, as there are chemicals, etc., out there, and she knew he shouldn't be in the garage. I discovered that she'd clearly been using my car, and now have a low tire warning, but at least she filled the tank up. The lint trap of my dryer was never emptied, and after 14 loads through the week, the buildup was significant, to the point where I need to clean out the vent. I'm lucky the machine wasn't damaged or there wasn't a fire. There was a massive amount of loose food and trash in my recycling bin, so I got to spend some time scooping mashed potatoes out of the bottom of the bin.
"That's not a complete list of the weird and disappointing things I discovered, but the rest is fairly mundane in comparison. Oh, and out of all that laundry? None of it was the guest bedsheets or the towels, so that theory was unfortunately wrong. She has ignored my texts and calls asking to speak to her. I haven't written a review yet because I felt it was only fair to talk and understand her perspective, but the fact that she is ignoring me tells me she knows she overstepped appropriate behavior," she concluded in the Reddit thread.
Now we’re curious, what do you think? Is doing laundry something most dog sitters assume they can do? Should it be considered an extra amenity? What are the boundaries here, and how should expectations like this be communicated up front? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Note: Some comments have been edited for length and/or clarity.