The Never-Ending Spin Cycle

It was booked as a peaceful two-night stay—a toddler, two adults, and not a single red flag in sight. But by checkout, the house had witnessed something so domestic, even the appliances were begging for PTO.

They looked like the dream guests. Young couple. Sweet toddler. Two-night stay. No pre-trip questions, no early check-in nudges, no hint of chaos. They showed up right on time with two overnight bags and a surprisingly polite aura.

I remember relaxing—finally, a break from surprise emotional support iguanas or 3 a.m. thermostat degree updates.

We don’t monitor laundry cycles. We’re not that intense. But if we did, this booking would be studied in laundry textbooks.

Day 1: Suspiciously Normal

Motion alerts came through like clockwork. Cooler in one hand, squirmy toddler in the other. A few driveway twirls. The front door opened and closed like it had manners.

Nothing weird. I sipped my tea. I may have even smiled.

Day 2: Welcome to Sudsville

Checkout day. Cleaner rolls in, upbeat as usual. Until the laundry room.

“Hey…”She doesn’t usually start texts like that. That pause meant something was off.

“You running a hotel now? Because I think our guests just opened a dry-cleaning franchise.”

I didn’t even get a chance to reply before she dropped the photo evidence.

The washer looked exhausted—mid-cycle, overstuffed, and bubbling with regret.

The dryer? Still tumbling like it was trying to forget what it had seen. To cover their tracks, they tossed in our towels—sacrificial scapegoats for the final spin.

The room? A crime scene.

Dryer sheets everywhere. On the floor, stuck to the wall, clinging to the ceiling fan like it was trying to escape.

One was perfectly pressed into the window screen like a modern art piece titled Fresher Air.

They even left an empty bottle of Tide, sitting like a souvenir. And a pair of damp socks curled up in the lint trap, as if to say, “We surrender.”

My Theory? This Wasn’t a Vacation. It Was Laundry Day.

They brought bags of dirty clothes and a dream. They came. They washed. They conquered.

I estimate 7 loads, minimum. Maybe more. At one point, I opened the motion log just to see if the house was vibrating.

Host Response: Silent But Strategic

I didn’t message them. What’s there to say? “Hope your jeans made it through the final rinse”?

Instead, I made quiet moves:

✔️ House manual got an update: “Light laundry use only during short stays.”

✔️ New sign above the washer: “Spin Responsibly.” Simple. Haunting.

✔️ Pre-stay message now includes a cheerful reminder that laundry isn’t meant for deep spring cleaning.

✔️ Airbnb flagged: “Enthusiastic use of laundry room. No damage—but impressive volume.”

Final Thought

Some guests book for the peace and quiet. Others come to steam clean their entire wardrobe before checkout.

If you're tired of writing the same awkward reminders or cleaning up after surprise sock marathons, let us help.

Our PMS Setup Package gives you the tools to stop chaos before it starts—with guest email templates, house rules that don’t sound like legal disclaimers, and a system that handles repetitive messaging so you don’t have to.

Want help setting clear boundaries without sounding like a laundry cop?

We build your messaging to match your voice—firm, friendly, and just the right amount of “please don’t bring a laundromat to my living room.”

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