Some say that having good manners opens doors - and being a good house guest will, quite literally, do just that. Whether you’re at your friend's house or staying at your extended family's home, guest etiquette always matters - especially if you want to be invited back. After all, every house guest brings the host happiness, but some only do it when they’re leaving…

Here at Luxury Flooring, we surveyed 2,000 people from across the UK to find out the inside scoop on the dos and don’ts of being a house guest and host. Interestingly, a hefty 89% consider themselves to be polite house guests - with only a small 6% answering that they don’t think they are. Amidst the results, 85% of males claimed that they believe they are good house guests, whereas 92% of women confidently think they are top-notch visitors.

Want to learn more about what Brits consider a good house guest to be? We won’t keep you guest-ing. Following our research, we’ve unearthed some interesting insights into what people in the UK consider to be bad etiquette.

Keen to get clued up? Read on to discover what you should and shouldn’t do when staying in someone's home, as well as what needs to be done to become the host with the most…

What do people consider bad etiquette?

Ever wondered what is actually considered bad manners? From overstaying your welcome to forgetting to say your ‘please’ and ‘thank you’s, there are many different ways to avoid offending others - especially when you’re a guest in their home.

Here are the top 10 offences that hosts consider to be bad etiquette, according to our research:

Interestingly, only 39% of male respondents felt that ‘a guest looking through the host’s belongings’ is bad etiquette, whereas a far higher 58% of women felt it is a big grievance.

Surprisingly, 11% of surveyors said that they don’t consider any form of behaviour to be bad guest etiquette. Guess we should get ourselves booked in with this extremely patient part of the population…

How do we prepare for entertaining guests?

What do you consider to be a good welcome? Are you a top-to-bottom, deep-clean kind of host, or are you more of a quick wipe down and you’re done type of person? We asked Brits what the top 10 things are that they do to prepare their home for house guests…

Only 48% of men said that they clean the toilet before welcoming a guest, whereas a high 70% of women said that they always make sure to clean their loo before having people over. Similarly, 69% of women claimed that they clean their entire bathroom in preparation, and only 43% of men said they do the same. Take notes, gentlemen!

From hoovering to mopping, having clean floors does seem to resonate across the board as an important part of preparing for guests, amongst other things. With only 54% of men, and an even lower 38% of women, claiming that they mop and sweep their floors before their guests arrive, it’s clear that we need to take better care of our floors.

Carolina Hansson, Head of Design at Luxury Flooring comments:

“Floors are the true foundation of every room. Whether it’s a gorgeously tiled kitchen or sparkling solid wood flooring in the living room, they really are the centre stage of your home - making them all the more noticeable if they’re dirty and messy. Starting with the skirting boards, ridding your floor of things like dust and mud will help improve the overall feel of the floor.

We recommend keeping shoe racks and storage spaces in all of the rooms where you expect to entertain, so as to minimise clutter. By keeping your floors free of debris, such as dog toys, shoes and discarded bags and coats, you’ll really help open up your space and, ultimately, make your guests feel more welcome!”

What do we consider bad guest etiquette?

So, we’ve talked about what hosts like to see from their guests - but what do those visiting expect not to experience during their stay? From dirty dishes to unsavoury odours, guests from all over the UK have revealed the top 10 grievances as a guest…

A mere 27% of men responded that they find being given a dirty glass or crockery is bad etiquette, whereas 42% of women said that they’d find it offputting. Similarly, only 27% of men said that they would be offended by a dirty bathroom - 39% of women said that they’d be uncomfortable with one.

Interestingly, guests in Northern Ireland are the most offended by a dirty toilet - with 52% of respondents revealing that it’s the worst welcome to have. Be sure to leave your toilet sparkling before putting up any guests from the Emerald Isle!

Pet smells and dirty crockery aside, 20% of respondents shared that dirty floors are the most off-putting sight to see on arrival. Experts here at Luxury Flooring have shared a few pointers on how best to keep your floors clean and impress your guests…

For wooden floors

"For sealed wooden floors, you only need to use a damp mop to clean it - as well as performing a little pre-sweep. To avoid swelling and splitting, don’t put too much water on the wood. If you have an unsealed wooden floor, then you should try and sweep it as much as possible to avoid dust and dirt getting stuck in the cracks."

For vinyl floors

"In order to remove any scuff marks from vinyl flooring, we’d recommend using a cloth dipped in white spirit, then followed by rinsing it off. To clean the entire floor, sweep with a soft brush and then use a mild detergent to mop with. Remember to rinse thoroughly."

For laminate floors

"Avoid using soap-based detergents for laminate floors, as they can leave behind a film on your floor. We suggest lightly dusting, vacuuming and mopping laminate floors, so as to avoid any excess moisture, which can cause long-lasting damage. We’d also recommend that you don’t try waxing laminate floors - your guests will be subject to slipping all too easily!"

For ceramic tiles

"These require very little maintenance if attended to properly. Using a mild detergent, sweep and wash your ceramic tiles before lightly rinsing them with fresh water. Like laminate flooring, we’d advise not to wax ceramic tiles as they can become very slippy."

Want to find out how house proud you are? Whether you’re into your daring decor or prefer the more minimalist approach, you can take our quiz below to discover which type of house proud personality you have.