What is the one cleaning thing

I hate doing dishes at other people's homes!!! I feel judged, which is stupid. I'd be happy to do them if the hostess isn't in the room.

Loading someone else's dishwasher can be kinda scary--no one does it the same way.

Pre-rinse or not?
Which way do the dishes face?
Utensils pointing up or down?
Can the plastic things "really" go in the dishwasher?
Turn on the dishwasher every day or just when "full"?
Heated dry or no heat?

Just so many things to get wrong!!!

I offer but it is always turned down ... thankfully   

I will dry dishes if asked ...

If I am staying at a relatives, I will help with the dishes. I will also straighten up the room or area I am staying in. I won't clean the toilet and I don't expect my guests to do so.

I would do anything if I was staying. Happy to wash your dishes if you cook me dinner.

One time when I was very young a family member was in the hospital. I volunteered to stay at my sister-in-law's house and watch the kids who were all asleep while everyone went to the hospital. While they were gone I got bored and cleaned her family room and kitchen from top to bottom and put away all of the clutter that had accumulated while she was running to the hospital. I honestly did it to help her out and because I like to stay busy.

She was NOT happy with me and especially when her husband went on and on about how great the rooms looked. Lesson learned. What I did for fun and to help her was not taken that way. I have never presumed to clean anyone's anything ever again.

I don't think there's anything that I wouldn't do if my host needed my help. Perhaps not clean something that is actively infested with pests like bedbugs, spiders, etc.? I'd leave that to the pros.



I was always told to mix them up so the utensils will avoid nesting.

I will not scoop a litter box that has been neglected. If it really needs attention, I'll just dump it and put fresh litter in. We keep our litter box "current" so I don't mind doing ours. But someone's neglected litter box? No.

I would not dust. That is something that can wait for when the hostess has time. I'll wash dishes, load dishwashers, dry dishes and put them on the counter if I can't figure out where they go. I'll scrub toilets, scrub bathtubs, vacuum, sweep, and change sheets. There have been times when I have done these things as a guest, because that means the hostess has more time to spend with us.

Yeah I guess that makes sense, but I've never had a problem with them nesting and not getting clean. I like that it makes it so much quicker to put away if all the spoons are together etc.

Whenever people are over and it is clean-up time, I will let them know I will do it later. If they insist on helping and getting it done, then I load the dishwasher as they hand me dishes!

Works great! I get help and also get to load the dishwasher MY way! LOL!

 If I'm a guest in someone's home, I try to always leave things better than I found them whenever possible.

And this. Except when I'm at my SIL's house. Then I sit. Every time there was/is a family gathering at someone else's house and they are there, they do nothing. NOTHING. Not even bring their dirty paper plates to the trash! When MIL was alive she liked to have all of us come to her for holidays, etc. for the convenience factor and I get that. She was older, didn't like driving at night, had health problems, etc. So fine, we would go. After dinner, DH and I would step up and help MIL out as much as possible to clear away dishes and clean up (especially after SIL's kids who are still VERY messy even as teenagers) so MIL would have less to do. SIL, BIL and both their kids would sit there and watch just like they were sitting in a restaurant!   So now any time we go to their house for anything (which is infrequent), we are happy to return the favor and just sit there while they wait on us. We don't allow our kid to be a pig though, dropping food and crumbs all over the floor or the furniture the way their kids still do.

If invited to dinner, I would offer to help wash the dishes and clean up the table.

If visiting for a week or more, I mostly would just pick up after myself and make the bed. I would offer to help clean but I wouldn't take it upon myself to clean (unless I was staying for an extended period of time for some reason).

I would clean anything they wanted help with.

I really don't have any one thing I won't do.  In fact, I'll do anything I can to assist a person nice enough to make me a meal.

I always wash or dry the dishes so that they can put them away. I don't know where their stuff goes. Unless I'm at mom's then I can put away. I don't know what I wouldn't help with, it's nice to offer your assistance.

If you were staying for a few days I'd help with general household duties if needed. We stayed at my aunt's every year and pitch in if needed. Can't really think of what I would do.