This Woman Hired A New Dog Sitter, And While She Was Away, She Kept Getting Notifications That The Sitter Was Doing A Ridiculous Amount Of Laundry
Ah, Reddit. A site full of people who may or may not be assholes, and just a really, really fun place to find info and endless amounts of interesting info.
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So today's Reddit discussion involves two completely unrelated topics coming together as one: laundry and pet sitting.
In Reddit's corner for dog lover discussions, our original poster (OP) — user u/Krirhu — shared their story: "I bought a house just far enough away that previous pet-sitting options wouldn't work, so I found a well-reviewed sitter on Rover who I met with 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."
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And, if it wasn't already obvious, the OP's new pet sitter started taking big advantage of the free 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."
She added, "This feels like a frankly insane amount of laundry, and it bugs me that she brought that much with her and never discussed it with me at all. It also makes me really anxious because this is a 70-year-old home, and I needed the plumbers to make several improvements to get everything functional, and the whole system is now under a whole load of stress without me there."
Now the OP is, in my opinion, rightfully peeved. "The dilemma I have is, do I say anything? I'd imagine she has no idea I am aware of all the 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 concluded.
A lot of people had different approaches to this situation...
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User u/redmammaw said to play dumb. "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.
Other users, like u/HopefulTangerine21, said to leave it alone while she was gone and report the sitter to Rover when she returned. "It's something to report to Rover; 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."
On the other hand, some people said to address the situation immediately, head-on. "I would just be honest/up-front and ask..."
And while some people thought the OP's thoughts were valid, they did have some things to point out. "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."
That's when others also came in to defend the pet sitter.
"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."
"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."
All in all, people told the OP to consider this a lesson about what things should be discussed beforehand. "It will be a nonissue then. 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," said u/bull0143.
After reading all of these suggestions, the OP ended up making a decision to send the dog sitter this text: "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.
OK, this brings us to the lingering thoughts we still have: WHAT ARE YOUR OPINIONS ABOUT THIS? Is laundry an extra amenity that most dog sitters assume they have access to? What are the boundaries, and how should things like this be discussed? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Note: Some comments have been edited for length and/or clarity.
