When you are staying overnight as a guest with anyone, you want to be courteous and respectful. There are some basic etiquette rules that must be followed if you expect to ever be invited back. If you are not gracious and take their generosity for granted, you can really come out looking like a jerk. Here are some tips to ensure that never happens:
Bring a Gift
Whether you are blowing through town and a friend is nice enough to let you crash on his or her couch or staying for a few days in their guest room, be thankful. They are saving you the money you would spend on a hotel room. Something like a simple bottle of wine or a picture frame are both good ideas and they are inexpensive. Showing up with just a suitcase might be construed as rude or discourteous. Break open that wallet and bring something to say thanks.
Their Home, Their Rules
Keep in mind that you are in their home and you should take their lead. What you normally do at home is irrelevant. For example, if your host goes to bed early, you should do the same. Blaring a television or having lots of lights on when your host is trying to sleep is a quick way to lose a friend. You also need to be aware of when your host gets up and consider how many bathrooms they have. Spending an hour in your best friend’s bathroom while they suffer outside the door is not a good way to get invited back again. You do not want to be sleeping on their couch until noon so get up when they do. You should also let your hosts get ready first in the morning. You can shower and get cleaned up after.
Replace What You Use
If you are using their hygiene products, food or anything else, replace it before leaving town. At least be kind enough to ask if you can have certain things. You can also opt to bring things with you and then share these with the family. This is a better option if you do not have time to run to the store before leaving.
Clean Up After Yourself
Your host does not want to clean up after you. He or she is not running a hotel and you should not treat it as one. If you use towels and bedding, gather them all and at least put them into the laundry basket. If you are extra gracious, you can offer to wash them. If you use plates or cups, you should wash these. When you leave, you should leave it exactly as you found it or better.
Roll With It
If your host has children or pets, there is a chance that there will be a personality conflict. If your host's five-year-old hates you, roll with it. You are only there for the night and not having the kid's blessing is not going to impact your entire life. When it comes to pets, as long as they are not trying to bite and claw you in your sleep you can handle it. Not every animal likes every person.
Just remember that you want to leave a very small footprint when you visit someone overnight. Don’t leave a mess and offer to help when you can. Being gracious is rather easy if you listen to that little voice we were given during childhood. If it feels wrong, it likely is.
