Hotel housekeepers can tell a lot about a room within the first few moments of walking through the door. After cleaning dozens of rooms during a shift, they get used to spotting the things that will take extra time, the messes that need special attention, and the little details guests may never notice themselves.

That doesn’t mean they’re judging you. Most of the time, they’re simply figuring out what needs to be done before the next guest arrives.

From the smell of the room to the state of the bathroom, here are some of the first things hotel housekeepers tend to notice.

Signs of Smoking or Vaping

Smoke has a way of sticking around. Cigarette smoke can settle into curtains, bedding, upholstery, carpets, and other surfaces, while some vaping products can also leave noticeable odors behind.

Housekeepers are usually quick to spot signs that someone has smoked or vaped in a room where it isn’t allowed. Hotels may charge an additional cleaning fee for violations, so this is one habit that can become expensive for guests.

Personal Belongings Spread Around the Room

A suitcase sitting beside the bed isn’t a big deal. A room covered with clothes, shoes, chargers, shopping bags, and personal items is a different story.

Housekeepers have to work around guests’ belongings without accidentally moving or damaging anything. A bathroom counter buried under toiletries or clothes hanging from every chair can make a routine cleaning job take longer.

Keeping your belongings in one area makes it easier for housekeeping to clean without having to work around everything you brought with you.

Stains on Sheets and Towels

Once the bedding comes off, housekeepers can quickly spot stains from makeup, sunscreen, drinks, food, self-tanner, and other products.

Some marks wash out during a normal laundry cycle. Others require extra treatment, and particularly stubborn stains may mean the hotel has to replace the linen.

The Smell of the Room

The smell of a room can tell a housekeeper quite a bit before cleaning even starts.

Leftover takeout, wet towels, strong perfume, cigarette smoke, spilled drinks, and stale air can all leave noticeable odors behind. Food that’s been sitting around for hours can be especially obvious.

If a room feels stuffy, housekeepers may open the curtains, improve ventilation, or take other steps to get some fresh air moving through the space.

What Happened to the Towels

A couple of towels on the bathroom floor is completely normal after a hotel stay. Towels scattered across the bedroom, stuffed behind furniture, or left in several different corners tell a different story.

Wet towels can also leave moisture behind and develop an unpleasant smell if they’ve been sitting around for a while.

Keeping used towels in the bathroom gives housekeepers one less thing to hunt for while they work.

How the Bed Was Left

Nobody expects guests to make the bed before checking out. That’s part of the housekeeping job.

Still, housekeepers immediately see whether the bed was lightly used or completely torn apart. Sheets pulled off the mattress, pillows tossed across the room, and blankets tangled together can mean more work during turnover.

A messy bed isn’t a problem by itself, but it gives the housekeeper a quick idea of how much resetting the room will need.

Trash Outside the Trash Can

Housekeepers quickly notice garbage sitting everywhere except inside the trash bins.

Empty water bottles on nightstands, tissues on the floor, food wrappers beside the bed, and receipts scattered around the room all have to be picked up before the room can be properly cleaned.

Putting your trash in the bins takes almost no extra effort and saves the housekeeper from having to search the room for small pieces of garbage.

Bathroom Counters Covered With Toiletries

A bathroom counter covered in makeup, skincare products, razors, hairbrushes, and bottles makes cleaning around the sink much harder.

Housekeepers generally try not to move personal belongings unless they have to. That means they may have to wipe around every item rather than quickly cleaning the entire counter.

Keeping toiletries together in a bag or on one side of the counter can make the job easier.

An Unflushed Toilet

An unflushed toilet is one of the first things a housekeeper may notice after walking into the bathroom.

It’s a small courtesy that takes only a few seconds before leaving. Nobody expects guests to clean the toilet, but flushing it before checking out means the housekeeper doesn’t have to discover the situation when they start working.

Leftover Food and Room Service Trays

Half-eaten meals, pizza boxes, open containers, and room service trays can quickly change the smell of a hotel room.

Food that’s left sitting around can also attract insects, especially if the room has been warm. Many hotels have a system for handling room service trays, such as leaving them outside the door or calling the front desk for pickup.

Following the hotel’s instructions keeps food and dishes from becoming part of the housekeeping cleanup.

Do Not Disturb Signs That Stay Up for Days

A “Do Not Disturb” sign is useful when you’re sleeping, working, or simply want some privacy. Leaving it on the door for several days can create a different situation.

Without regular housekeeping, trash accumulates, towels pile up, and the bathroom may need much more work by the time staff finally enter the room.

If you don’t want daily service, that’s perfectly reasonable. Just let the hotel know what you’d prefer so staff aren’t repeatedly trying to figure out whether the room is available to clean.

Small Signs of Appreciation

Housekeepers also notice when guests make an effort to show appreciation.

A short thank-you note or a tip can mean a lot to someone who spends the day cleaning up after other people. Since different housekeepers may service a room on different days, some travelers prefer leaving a small tip each day rather than waiting until checkout.

It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. A simple thank-you can make a demanding shift feel a little better.