View Full Version : Leftover non-perishables
Nostromo
06-12-2004, 23:40
I wonder what is considered as appropriate when it comes to left over food after a holiday in an Orlando villa. This spring was our first time in a villa and after 3 weeks we had quite a bit left over. We threw out the few perishables, but left unopened wine bottles, beer, snacks etc for the caretakers, neatly stacked on the dining table with a Thank You note. Is that acceptable?
Cruella DeVilla
06-12-2004, 23:50
We have done the same in the past and I think this is acceptable.
We ask our cleaners to remove all food, perishable or not, before the next guests arrive. What they do with it is entirely up to them but I think your little note of thanks and goodies, Nostromo, would have been very much appreciated. From what I have been told, most cleaners are from the poorer families in the area. Many live in mobile homes and several were made homeless after the hurricanes.
Mike and Kath.
Nostromo
07-12-2004, 00:07
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Cowboy
From what I have been told, most cleaners are from the poorer families in the area. Many live in mobile homes and several were made homeless after the hurricanes.
Mike and Kath.
[/quote]
I see what you mean Cowboy. I was brought up in India where we were taught never to waste food and although we have done rather well in the world nowadays, the old training still remains!
I agree completely and don't like seeing anything wasted. We try our best to eat everything that is opened and leave anything unopened for the cleaners. It leads to some interesting tastes - chocolate, banana and watermelon milkshake being one of my favourites.
I was thiking of doing something a bit extra this year and buying them a case of beer or wine. They work very hard indeed to keep the place absolutely spotless and it just seems like a nice gesture.
DarrenShort
07-12-2004, 00:44
We left quite a few non-perishables last month, I dont see why good food should be wasted, especially if it can be put to good use [msnsmile]
LiesaAnna
23-12-2004, 21:40
we leave a thankyou note and just leave the unopened things for them to do with what they want!
We greatly appreciate any donations, Terry says especially beer!! The cleaners are told to throw away anything opened and ice cream etc but I am sure they take the odd bottle or packet of crisps home with them and it is a perk of a lowly paid job and cuts down on the garbage to be disposed of anyway!!
SunLover
24-12-2004, 13:27
I know our cleaners are very appreciative of any unopened goods left as a perk.
Obviously, cleaning a lot of houses they can quickly stockpile similar items, so our crew donate any excess items to a local homeless shelter :D
LiesaAnna
24-12-2004, 14:36
thats a kind gesture... was a bit worried that we might offend leaving things (unopened only)
SunLover
24-12-2004, 15:43
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by LiesaAnna
thats a kind gesture... was a bit worried that we might offend leaving things (unopened only)
[/quote]
The cleaners realise that it is impossible for people travelling long haul to take goods with them, so they are not offended in the least when they are offered as gifts. As I said, if they can't make use of them, they will pass them on to those that can :)
poohbear
26-12-2004, 02:18
[msnsmile2]what about frozen food?
LiesaAnna
26-12-2004, 03:06
i wouldve thought that by the time they finish cleaning the villas and moving on to the next villa that they would be defrosting before they get home, correct me if i'm wrong, so we dont do the wrong thing![msnwink]
SunLover
26-12-2004, 12:49
Frozen food is trickier !
Usually it is disposed of as a matter of course, for health and safety reasons, in that the cleaners would not know it's "freeze / thaw" history. :)
LiesaAnna
26-12-2004, 13:16
i wouldnt bother with frozen foods myself
orlandobabe
31-12-2004, 23:54
as owners many times we end up with what the guests find excess to their requirements.
I once ended up with a very nice oneida cutlery set that no matter how hard they tried -the guests just couldn't get it in the case -so they left it for me.
We often get extra towels, coolboxes, rain ponchos, games, books, pool inflatables and many a time I have been left a little gift in keeping with the villa's Winnie the Pooh theme. One guest even left me their stroller-nothing ever goes to waste!
LiesaAnna
01-01-2005, 00:46
we always leave pool toys as we buy them,...... then pack... and find surprise surprise no room in the cases!! have also left little travel games, which were there still from the first visit to the second 2 years later! (only trouble is Lauren wanted to take them home this time) (we said NO of course) :D
Ray&Sarah
01-01-2005, 14:10
We always leave unused food items that have not been opened on the side in our villa, we take the attitude that if the cleaners do not want it or do not like it they can throw it away as there is usually plenty of rubbish waiting to be collected anyway.[msnsmile2]
Our cleaners carry a cool box full of ice for the frozen food, they love finding ice cream. They are always very pleased when they find goodies. They love cleaning after english guests because they leave food, they say the americans usally drive and take it all with them. Its an unwritten rule that the goodies go to the cleaners not the managment company,its their perk.
Nostromo
02-01-2005, 14:22
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by fllion
Its an unwritten rule that the goodies go to the cleaners not the managment company,its their perk.[/quote]
Which seems fair enough. But we did leave a couple of bottles of wine and a box of quality chocolates specifically bought for the very nice caretaker family as a gesture of thanks for their help throughout our stay. We left those items on a separate table with a note and I am sure that they would have reached the right people.
This is good to hear...we were worried after our stay in a villa last winter that the cleaning staff would be offended by our leftovers..my mom bought a bouquet of flowers, and we left them with the canned goods, soda, snacks and a note.
I'm glad we guessed right!!:)
heathercobbett
07-04-2005, 12:28
Our housekeeper takes leftover food to a donation centre.It does state this in the Welcome pack
I have noticed that when we have rented on the coast,the leftover food is often lefy for the next guest
When we went last year i enjoyed shopping at publix so much at the end we had loads of leftovers,the cleaning gear i used to clean up the villa to save the cleaners too much of a job to do,and the food we threw away as i thought it would offend somebody.In the spanish holidays we have been on they are not allowed to have any leftovers,so its nice to know that they dont mind.
It's handy if you get to know the guests that are staying next door while you are there as usually departures differ a bit. We ended up giving ours loads of stuff as they had another week, the hardest bit was parting with my Key lime pie ice cream no matter how hard I tried I couldn't finish it [msnsad]
andrew01
07-04-2005, 20:17
We wanted to leave some bits like sugar, salt, pepper, herbs, pasta, tea etc for our next guests but unfortunatley our Management Company always throw any opened things away in case they have been tampered with. Sad but a sign of the times!
The cleaners certainly like to have anything that is un-opened though.
Margaret
www.onlinefloridavillas.com/Villas/1413.aspx