Bleach Stains from Face Wash

[James2566]

I'm curious what other hosts would do in this situation.

We have a guest staying two months and we send in our cleaner to handle refreshing of all bedding and towels once weekly, we leave ample to last the week. First week, cleaner puts fresh linen and towels and takes away the used and notices back at our laundry, prior to washing during her inspection that the towels are full of pink bleach stains. We don't leave bleach for guests to use (learned that lesson long ago). Could not figure out what it was, decided to caution the guest this had happened (with photos that show pretty shocking bleach stains), and to keep an eye out and help us figure out what's causing it. She claimed to have no idea and perhaps it was like that when she arrived (luckily we have a tight pre-arrival video inventory now so no, they were in mint condition). Well it happened again with the next round of towels and she realized it's her face wash which has some type of acid in it. I've asked my cleaner to wash and set aside these damaged towels for this specific guest in this villa and to stop putting in anything else. I suggested the guest should purchase cheap towels locally to use with this product to avoid further damage to ours and that I'd get back to her about whether this is covered or not. My gut says to charge but let her keep the new, stained towels. 

If I was the guest I would totally offer to cover the damage before being asked, wouldn't you? This is beyond regular wear and tear, in my opinion. If the mystery stains were caused by some disinfectant I leave for the guests to use, maybe. But are we expected to swallow the loss for damage due to products brought in by guests!? 

[Colleen253]

@James2566 It’s annoying when this happens, I agree. If you use a product that damages your own sheets and towels at home, would you not notice this and be careful when in someone else’s home, whether paying guest or not? I would. 

But in the interest of being gracious and not causing undue friction over a relatively small issue, I would not hassle her over it any further. I think your suggestion that she purchase some towels herself going forward is not out of line, and she can continue to use the damaged ones as well.

Better to build into your rates an amount that covers damage like this, then it’s  covered, and you avoid friction with a guest.

[James2566]

Yes but it’s a total of 8 large bath towels, four hand towels and four small wash cloths full of bleach stains. Of course one towel here or there is no big deal this is a big hit. We do have in house rules on the listing for Driftwood:

Sand, sunscreen and make-up cause permanent stains on our linen and towels. Guests must take precautions as items rendered unusable will result in a damage claim. It's best to treat stains as they occur; contact us for assistance.

In this case even after cautioning her about the damage that was happening it continued on for another week and round of towels.

I even designed these studios with charcoal gray towels in order to extend the life of the towels since they’re so hard to import to our island (300% the cost). Rates will need to go way up to account for the rate of destruction. 

 

[Anonymous]

@James2566  I share @Colleen253 's approach on this one.  The guest could have shown better etiquette by offering to replace the towels (and hopefully she'll volunteer this before she checks out), but a certain amount of incidental wear and tear is generally expected to be covered by the room rate.  That's not to say you have to tolerate people abusing your property, but small things like a stained cloth, torn pillowcase, or broken glass don't tend to be worth the negative impression left by what the guest perceives to be a petty claim. 

I actually enjoy reinventing stained and discolored towels and linens by dyeing them a bold new color. They're still perfectly usable, and if they no longer suit your guestroom aesthetic there's no reason they can't be retired to personal use or repurposed as cleaning cloths for your housekeeping routine.

[James2566]

Oh yes, one is fine but this is two rounds, two complete sets of towels. It seems excessive considering I approached her about it after the first week and she damaged a complete second set.

[Anonymous]

@James2566   Yes I'm afraid it's inevitable that when you emphasize the Luxury element in your advertisement, you're going to get your share of spoiled brats with a tendency toward the excessive. Hopefully that's anticipated in the price.

It's entirely your decision whether you want to initiate a damage claim; as with any other uncomfortable decision, you just have to weigh the benefit against the risk. Often times when a guest disputes a damage charge, Airbnb ultimately only settles it for an amount equivalent to the value of the used item rather than a brand-new replacement. Sometimes it just sides with the guest and closes the case. And you accept a retaliatory review on the listing.

There are many creative ways one could get snarky about it, but in this case the least perilous option would be to continue cutting your losses by not providing a new set of towels, and wait until the review to mention that the guest could have been a little more careful with your housewares.

[Debra300]

@James2566,

I agree with @Colleen253, and just let the guest continue using the stained towels for her face cleaning, and not charge her for them.  I provide face towels that are specifically for makeup removal and face cleaning.  If they get damaged to the point of being unpresentable for guest use, they are inexpensive to replace, and it avoids disrupting a set of matching towels.

[James2566]

It’s all of the towels though, maybe she washes her face and then reaches for the first thing nearby, bath/hand/washcloths. It’s a bummer because I have a system where my fresh clean towels are inspected, bagged and ready to go in, I don’t have time to wash the damaged ones on site and wait for them to dry to put the same damaged ones back in. Anyway it seems whenever I think I figured out a solution to a problem I am presented with a new challenge. If she doesn’t offer to pay I won’t press it, however, I will make a note in the review that several towels were damaged during the stay so future hosts can keep that in mind when she negotiates a lower rate. 

[Anonymous]

@James2566   This guest negotiated a lower rate?

Well, there's the red flag for you.

[Debra300]

@Anonymous,

I think @James2566's statement was conjecture, and not saying that the guest actually offered a discounted price.

[Dale711]

@James2566 

If I were you, as a private villa beach club owner and Airbnb Superhost.

I'll replace one or two sets of new towels. Wrap them up as a beautiful "gift" and send them to the guest.

She will definitely impress with your generosity and excellent hospitality.

                                                                      " she realized it's her face wash which has some type of acid in it"

Of course, I'll only do it once, yet I hope she understands by my sincerity.

As a matter of fact, the guests were staying for two months.

As in the listing description clearly described,

                                                        "Every part of the villa is designed with guests in mind, including thoughtful amenities to enhance your experiences such as fresh linen, towels and a starter supply of coffee, soap and paper products. The large master bedroom features a work desk and double French doors for a tropical breeze."

"The master bathroom is stocked with fresh towels, soaps and a starter supply of bathroom tissue."

Complimentary from Villa Beach Club, hope you enjoyed your stay!

Happy Hosting

[James2566]

Nice thought but if I don’t charge her for the damaged towels I will keep them to bathe my dogs at home. If she offers to cover the replacement of two weeks worth of new towels then yes I might wrap them and thank her! 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@James2566  I have all white towels for my guests. Once, I bought 4 gray ones and they didn't last long - not even a month, they were all bleached the same as yours. Forget the color, replace them with white ones.

One host posted how she solved this problem - she bleached all her stained towels. Now they are yellow instead of gray but who cares, stains are gone  🙂

[James2566]

Sixteen damaged towels two weeks into a two month booking is excessive and worrisome. I wouldn’t host again. Some guests do require daily housekeeping visits or long-term accommodations where they supply their own furnishings. I think some guests just don’t fit with AirBnb. 

[Sarah977]

@James2566  I realize you have an upscale listing, but there is no reason to provide a guest with 16 towels in a two week period.

My guests get 2 bath towels, a hand towel and a washcloth for a week. If they have a 10 day booking, I'll offer clean linens halfway through their stay. No guest has ever expressed that that wasn't enough, and sometimes I'll find that one of the bath towels hasn't even been used- it's still folded up on the shelf just as I left it.

Some guests will just overuse everything if it's available. I had to turn over my neighbor's Airbnb once when they were out of town. I looked for clean towels to put out, but couldn't find any where they were supposed to be. What I found was 17 bath towels, 10 hand towels and 8 dish towels in a wet moldering pile in the laundry room. 2 guys had gone through all those towels in one week.