What do you provide.

[Boiling a frog]

Just curious

For instance

Salt and pepper      Yes or No  or do you provide anything else such as cooking oil,mayonnaise

Bin Bags                Yes or No      does that include toilet bin bags

Washing up liquid, Dishwasher powder,Washing powder for clothes,

BBQ charcoal and firelighters.

Plastic glasses for using round the pool

Perhaps other consumables that I have not thought of

[Suandpete]

Salt and pepper; tea coffee (instant and ground) and sugar (just make sure that the containers are over half full).  Coffee machine filters.

Washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets Jif, bleach, floor cleaner, bin bags for kitchen and bathroom; shower cleaner, loo cleaner, air freshener for loo, 3 loo rolls, kitchen roll.

Charcoal and lighter fluid (only ever bought these once, 5 seasons ago - ever since they have been replaced by guests).

Plastic beakers and plates for kids in garden. Haven't so far provided plastic glasses for around pool - but maybe we should.......

Edit:  Forgot the milk, butter, cheese, bread soft drink and wine that are in the welcome pack plus whatever fruit and veg's we have from the potager/orchard.  Try to offer strawberries, tomatoes etc every few days when we have them.

[Clair]

Salt and pepper      Yes

do you provide anything else: oil, vinegar, herbs, a handful of sugar cubes and various herbal teas, kitchen paper and paper napkins, kitchen foil and cling film, coffee filters

Bin Bags                Yes (+ 1 spare for each bin)

does that include toilet bin bags     Yes (we have a little dispenser above the loo)

Washing up liquid                   Yes

Dishwasher powder                 Yes

Washing powder for clothes      No (too many people have allergies)

BBQ charcoal and firelighters     Yes

Plastic glasses for using round the pool      Yes (I find these are used by young children at the table)

loo rolls (1 on + 1 spare), cleaning products

[betoulle]

salt & pepper, bottle of olive oil, pack of butter, bottle of milk, bottle of water, enough tea, coffee, sugar etc to get them through a weekend.(guests often arrive late & stressed etc.....)  That way they don't get worried &/cross when they find they are too late for the supermarket....

kitchen roll (to stop them mopping up with our hand towels)+ loo roll (1 roll/person to get them through the weekend for same reasons as above)

all cleaning products, washing up liquid, soap powder, loo cleaner etc  (septic tank friendly) also scotchbrite, vileda cloth etc to encourage them to clean......

all bin liners including toilet bin bags as otherwise the bins & dustbin get in a horrible mess - also (very important) sanitary disposal bags &/nappy sacks - again to protect septic tank

make up removal pads so less stains on towels (usually.........)

ample supply of citonella candles so less complaints about flies.....+ ordinary candles for power cuts.

replacement light bulbs - that way they get replaced as & when.........nothing worse than finding that they have forgotten to tell you that there are no lights working...

now have tea & coffee making facilities at summer kitchen by pool with paper cups, plates etc & tea,coffee etc provided, to stop gite & B&B guests from carrying cups to pool - again it all makes life easier for us during high season.....if its there & free they'll use it I find.....

All BBQs are gas........but leave lots of cleaning products nearby to encourage cleaning prior to departure

[betoulle]

forgot to say - yes to cling film & kitchen foil etc to keep cooker & microwave clean

[dave21478]

 I seem to be fairly inline with the othere here.

Salt n peppper. A few random herbs, cooking oil, sugar, coffee+filters, kitchen rolll, clingfilm, bog roll (i add 4 each changeover day and thats their lot, its either chinese style or they buy their own after that). Also, a bag of icecubes in the freezer, and a bottle of water in the fridge. Welcome pack is a bottle of local wine, a tin of local pate (maybe 2 of they are a big number) a baguette and anything else I might have to hand like fruit etc. I usually leave half a dozen farm eggs too. I dont do charcoal, but do leave a supply of wood, chopped into small pieces for the bbq. There is a roll of bin-bags for each bin, matches for the fireplace along with old newspaper for lighting, next to the wood. Candles in case of powercut (nothing fancy just tea-light things). Also, fosse-frienly bog cleaner, fairly liquid, scothbrite pads, dishcloths and sponges, as well as a handfull of dishwasher tablets.

The chemical stuff, i buy all the same stuff each time, so can top up bottles if they are running low. As long as its over half-way or enough to see the week through with nrmal use, its fine.

Anything else depends on the attitude test. If they moan like spoilt children, they can kiss my fat hairy behind and buy their own, but if they are decent, im usualy amenable to buying various suggested items.

The odd crate of beers/bottle of pastis/box of cornettos doesnt cost much in the grand scheme of things, and goes a long way to saying thankyou to guests who have been particularly nice.

 

[Jo Taylor]

Salt and pepper      No, no foodstuffs whatsoever - the agency we use actually instruct that any opened jars / packets etc. should be removed. I do, however, ask people if they'd like us to get anything in for them, and when they arrive I ask whether they have everything they need - teabags, coffee, milk etc.. And give them a nice bottle of wine.
Bin Bags Yes, plenty. Along with instructions that all rubbish be left securely tied inside said bags.Also a couple of boxes for bottles / recyclable plastic.
does that include toilet bin bags Yes, plenty, and sanitary disposal bags. I don't want to handle other people's rubbish or other things [+o(].
Washing up liquid Yes.
Dishwasher powder No, no dishwasher. But I would if I did.
Washing powder for clothes No, too many preferences and allergies.
BBQ charcoal and firelighters Yes
Plastic glasses for using round the pool No pool, but I usually leave some plastic glasses in there for garden use.

Perhaps other consumables that I have not thought of
Copious quantities of cleaning materials - it's to be encouraged!
Lots of loo rolls - don't want imported Kleenex Velvet down my fosse.
Foil & cling film & kitchen roll.
Light bulbs, matches, candles, a torch.
A couple of shopping bags now that most supermarkets don't supply them free.

[Callie]

Almost identical list to Jo Taylor !

[nimportequoi]

I used to clear out all oil, vinegar, sugar, flour etc. but provide all of this now and have had nothing but positive feedback from guests, especially those who have stayed in places where none of this is provided. People don't want to fork out for a full bottle of these things for a week or two on holiday.

[Owens88]

>I used to clear out all oil, vinegar, sugar, flour etc. but provide all of this now and have had nothing but positive feedback from guests, especially those who have stayed in places where none of this is provided. People don't want to fork out for a full bottle of these things for a week or two on holiday.

 

We have one small cupboard with condiments and such things. Our welcome notes explain that they are 'as is' for anybody to top-up or add-to and for anybody and everybody to kick something out when advisable. I do warn against 'open ' packets as these attact ants.

This seems to work well and makes it easier for the cooking to be 'richer'.

 

John

[odile]

nimportequoi and owen,   as a guest I really do appreciate it if basics are there- As you say it'a such a waste to buy bottles of oil, vinegar and lots of herbs, spices-

When we go, we always leave CLEAN things behind for others to use. Wouldn;t it be a good idea to provide plastic containers for left over packets of rice, coffee, pasta, flour, etc.

Wherever we go, I always take a pepper mill with us as we are addicts!

[odile]

... and of course if herbs like rosemary, tarragon, thyme, etc, are planted in the garden - it's wonderful to be able to pluck a few for dinner

[Cendrillon]

[quote user="odile"]nimportequoi and owen,   as a guest I really do appreciate it if basics are there- As you say it'a such a waste to buy bottles of oil, vinegar and lots of herbs, spices-

When we go, we always leave CLEAN things behind for others to use. Wouldn;t it be a good idea to provide plastic containers for left over packets of rice, coffee, pasta, flour, etc.

Wherever we go, I always take a pepper mill with us as we are addicts!

[/quote]

Odile and the others, I agree.

We let out our second home so most of the basic items listed above are there for our guests to use. We ask them to replenish stocks as and when they get used up. We  leave a few tins of food in the cupboard and often when we return we find guests have left goodies for us as well. There are plenty of herbs in the garden.

IMO Plastic containers are a must for storage,  if for no other reason than just to keep the mice and ants away.

I always make sure there's a good supply of cleaning stuff , as someone else said it doesn't hurt to give the guests a little encouragement when it comes to cleaning. I would be loathed to have to go out and buy all the cleaning materials when on holiday.

[Owens88]

Yep

 

There are plastic containers. And alos there are some tinned goods (usually some fish in a sauce).

 

As regards the general cleaning stuff and lightbulbs/bog rolls --- I took all that as a necessity.

 

John

[Moorejw]

Ditto to most of the above, plus each of our gites has a herb garden, strawberries and a cherry tree, so that those who holiday at the right time get to 'pick their own'. At the mo we have two hens who lay their eggs nearly every day on one gite terrace, and that is also very popular but difficult to orchestrate!!