How Good is Your Home Etiquette?

Are etiquette rules a thing of the past, or something we should be following by all means? Here at Blinds Hut, we’ve decided to consult with etiquette experts to discover the house guest etiquette rules of the 21st Century, so you can avoid making a faux pas.

So, are you like Mr Carson, or more like Piers Morgan when it comes to dinner parties? Even if you’re not the best of house guests, you can still brush up on your dinner party etiquette.

According to Laura Akano, from Polished Manners, you should always try and enjoy the dinner party company. Rather than trying to invite others over or living the moment through a lens. Akano cites it’s rude to bring an additional guest without asking first, and especially rude if you’re on your phone all night.

While you may think a dinner party is a great time to have a drink, you also want to ensure you don’t get carried away. Having too much to drink is a major dinner party faux pas, and this could lead to saying inappropriate things at the table as well as not knowing when to leave – committing two dinner party sins.

Revealed: Top House Guest Etiquette Rules That Shouldn’t Be Broken

According to etiquette expert, Laura Akano, the list of house guest rules is never-ending. So, we asked Akano to reveal the house guest rules you must obey:

1. Check your arrival and departure dates in advance so your host knows how long you will be staying for. Don’t overstay your welcome.
2. Arrive with a suitable gift, such as chocolates or flowers. These could be sent ahead of your arrival date.
3. Offer to take your shoes off before entering the home, especially if carpeted.
4. Don’t take the term “Make yourself at home,” literally. Ask before you help yourself to food and drinks.
5. Don’t go exploring or snooping around the home or using things without asking for permission. Ask before you run a bath.
6. Avoid inviting your other friends to visit you while a guest in someone else’s home.
7. Be considerate of the house rules. Clean and tidy up after yourself and offer to help where you can.
8. No mobile phones at the table.
9. Leave the bedroom tidy. Strip the bed linen before you leave and fold or roll up on the bed. Towels could be included unless wet, in which case they are best left in the bathroom.
10. Leave a thank-you note or send one as soon as you get back home.

How to Be a Home Etiquette Pro

Plan Ahead

If you’re visiting someone’s home make sure you’re prepared, like the etiquette expert Laura Akano from advises. Confirm with the host when you’re arriving and leaving. As well as ensuring you come with a gift. If you want to be super-efficient, remember to bring a thank you note. Or you can always wait till you get back home to send.

Taking off Shoes

What’s worse, wearing shoes in the house, or having to go barefoot? Apparently, according to Laura Akano, you should always offer to take your shoes off in the hallway. While many of us might wait for the host to tell us to take our shoes off, you could risk annoying the homeowner.

Don’t Make Yourself at Home

You might think because you’ve been invited over to someone’s home, you can relax a bit and let the host take over. However, the etiquette expert believes you should be tidying up after yourself, and even offering to help. Akano even goes so far to say that guests staying over should strip the bed of the linen and fold it up neatly on the bed.

Home Etiquette Around the World

Did you know etiquette rules that are the norm here might be considered rude elsewhere? So, if you’re travelling or inviting guests from other countries, it could be a good idea to read up on home etiquette across the globe.

Drink with Two Hands in South Korea

It’s a sign of respect to receive drinks from elders with both hands and then turn your head away as you take your first sip.

Don’t Shake Hands Before You Enter the Room in Russia

Shaking hands is often the normal thing to do when greeting someone. However, if you’re in Russia or meeting with Russian friends, you may want to act differently. In Russian culture, it’s believed the ‘house spirit’ lives in the doorway, so it’s best practice to shake hands inside the home to avoid bad luck.

It’s Bad Manners to ‘Thumbs Up’

In some parts of the world such as Greece, Sardinia and Russia it’s a huge faux pas to gesture a ‘thumbs up.’ A ‘thumbs up’ in these countries means ‘sit on it’ which is the equivalent of giving someone the finger.

Cut out Bringing Wine to a Dinner Party in France

Although it’s good manners to give the host a bottle of wine in the UK, it’s not so in France. With the country being known for their wine, they know a lot about it. So, if you’re taking wine to a dinner party, you’re basically insinuating the wine they have to offer is simply not good enough.

So, how do you compare? Are you a stickler for etiquette rules, or have you broken them all? No matter where you stand, Laura Akano advises, you can never go wrong “with offering to help your hosts.” That will be sure to put you in the good books.