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10 House Guest Etiquette Rules to Follow

Reader's Digest | Reader's Digest

By Lauren Diamond

Mind your manners and you'll get an invite back.

Be clear about your arrival and departure dates

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Make sure you go over the dates of your visit with the host in advance, and be sure
to respect their schedule. Clear it with your host first if you want to bring anyone
else (a date, children, your dog, etc.).

Bring a gift

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Bringing a gift for your host is proper guest etiquette, but you don’t have to spend
a ton of money. Try something that you and your host can enjoy together, like a
bottle of wine or a box of cookies from your favorite hometown bakery. Or bring
something their vacation home needs, like a cozy blanket for a ski home or festive
towels for a beach house. Want to go the homemade route? Consider one of these
thoughtful mason jar gifts.

Ask about house rules

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Don’t be afraid to clarify traditions that may differ from home to home. Should
you take your shoes off when you get inside the house? Should you leave the door
locked when you leave? Which dishes can you put in the dishwasher?

Conserve towels and linens

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To avoid making your host do more laundry than necessary, stick to using one
towel a week. If you know you’ll be going to the beach every day and you’re not
sure how many towels your host has at their disposal, pack at least one beach
towel of your own.

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Always offer to help

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You can offer to set the table, cook, wash the dishes, fix something around the
house, take the dog for a walk, fold laundry, buy groceries, or run to the liquor
store. Even if your host refuses the gesture to be polite, it’s the thought that
counts. Tasks you should do automatically: clearing your dishes after you’ve
finished eating or filling up the tank if you borrow the car. Here's how using good
manners can change your life.

Bring your own toiletries

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Bring soap, shampoo, and toothpaste from home. You’ll ensure that you have your
favorite products and you won’t need to mooch off your host.

Respect common areas

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Be especially careful to clean up after yourself in the kitchen, put down the toilet
seat, turn the lights off when you leave a room, and close drawers and cabinets
after you open them. There’s nothing worse than having to constantly clean up
after your guests, so these small acts will show that you’re considerate of your
host’s space.

Keep the guest room tidy

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Your host put effort into making a nice living space for you, so it’s best to keep it
that way. Make the bed when you get up in the morning, and keep your clothes
either in your suitcase or put away in drawers.

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Leave the house as neat as possible

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On your last day, check the bedroom and bathroom for your belongings. Then,
after clearing it with the host, strip the bed before you leave. Wipe down the
counters of the bathroom, make sure all used towels are in the laundry, and all
borrowed items returned.

Leave a gift and a thank-you note

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The gift can be as simple as sending a bouquet of flowers from a local florist or
online service. Make sure you include a handwritten note detailing your thanks.
This is the trick to writing an amazing thank-you note.

And your life's about to get more interesting.

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