Dark Towels.. yes or meh?

[John5097]

For the past several months I have moved over to the Dark Side! (Think Film Noir!) Originally I got white to be able to bleach them but almost never use bleach anymore. Also every time I get new towels or sheets that's when guest stain them! 

These are nice towels and get washed between each guest. But don't have to worry about trace amount of mascara or makeup, which at times can be impossible to remove. So far no complaints and all 5 star on cleanliness.

So what color towels do you use? Would this be an issue of you as a guest? Would you expect white towels or ok with vacation on the dark side? 

[Stephanie]

Linen graveyard cupboard is the gold mine for 1) washing pets and 2) dust sheets for decoration, in my book @Huma0 

[Dimitar27]

It will be more visible when they are worn out. Remember the physics - there are no colors in the nature. The reflected wavelengths create what we perceive as color.

[John5097]

@Dimitar27  Didn't think of that! I do like to think about perceptions. 

Would be interesting to have towels with nature scene! Maybe you bring out a creative spark in people!  Maybe even a moon or something! 

[Stephanie]

Once you start exploring funky shower curtains, it's a slippery slope...

[John5097]

@Stephanie OMG that's hilarious! One way to get rid of demanding guest. Listing said there were pets on the property! 

[Stephanie]

Least they're clean!

[Anne-And-Brad0]

We have one tiny low-end but popular in-law apartment that sleeps at most two people that we have been offering since 2018. We too shut down for COVID. Our rotation is to provide a bath, face, and hand towel to each guest, as well as a hanging towel in the bath that is patterned. We have a rotation of four sets: two sets are teal and two sets are deep purple, which matches our bed/bath colors. With this rotation, we do not use the same towels over and over.  Our bed linens (also a rotation of four) have shifted between mint-colored cotton to our current grey patterned rayon. No one has complained and only one has mentioned the softness of our towels. The only towel issue we have had was our own mistake (Clorox bleach). We do sometimes pretreat bed linens with dishwashing liquid, as mentioned previously. We never wash anything else in a load that is for linens/towels. Since COVID, we have shifted to two-night minimum stays. When we began, we had no minimum stay, and no gap night between guests so people were passing through frequently. We may drop the gap but plan to keep the two-night minimum as we head into summer. 

[John5097]

@Anne-And-Brad0 Thanks for sharing. I actually put all the linens in a single clothes hamper for one bedroom turn over,  including clean cotton cleaning rags, a combo of old wathcohes and plain cotton cleaning rags, about 6 total. I use one to clean counters first and other living room table surfaces, bed side tables. Then for bathroom use 4 to clean the shower alone, one to clean the vanity then the last one to clean the toilet. They all go on the floor by the door for now, and carried out separately with a cleaning towel I use to stand on when cleaning the inside shower. 

Anyway all the used linens go in front of the washer dryer. Then Towels and sheets are washed separately, as in towels, washcloths not washed with sheets. I usually wash cleaning rags with my clothes or washcloths towels as they are jeans, tee shirts and socks. Its all exceptionally clean and sanitized on highest heat settings. I actually texted the how hot the dryer gets with hand held heat sensor. (Hence the 5.0 cleanliness rating) However now have to more careful with bleach around the colored towels from cleaning rags and spot cleaning sheets. I aways take extra pillow cases and exta sheets as something always need to be spot cleaned again as I only find very small stains when making the bed. 

This topic comes up a lot. I'll never get below a 5.0 for cleanless ratings. For this reason I like the rating system. I'm not sure how host get even a 4.9 and think that's acceptable.  

[Nikki39]

I have blue in the blue bathroom and pink in the pink bathroom!

[Duane72]

I now supply Make Up Remover packs as an amenity in the bathrooms as the white hand towels, towels, also wash clothes were always stained from makeup. These Make Up Remover packs are fairly inexpensive on Amazon and a nice touch for the guest. 

I also use Tide w/Bleach powdered dry laundry detergent for white sheets white towels etc anything white. Works much better than Tide liquid laundry detergent or other detergents to gets whites white.

I am continuing to use white for sheets, towels, etc as to me it just looks cleaner and also fresher for my guests. 

Hoping this new bath amenity (Make Up Wipes @ $.30 each) helps to solve my makeup on white towels  problem. I leave two individually wrapped on the countertop with the other amenities and two in the drawer in each of the 2 baths so about an extra $2.40 extra for each guests stay but hope it saves the white towels from makeup and having to toss them - I like white.

[John5097]

@Huma0 

Great input. I've upgraded my laundry and cleaning protocol.  

This is my turnover for linens. The laundry basket is organized: clean cleaning rages. Then clean towel just to stand on to clean the shower, then new clean matress and pillow protectors changed out between each guest, new clean sheets and new clean blankets. Then finally new clean towels, washclothes etc on the very bottom as those are the last to change out to avoid getting bleach on the dark towels.)


Cleaning rags go into five gallon bucket with bleach and washed outside. I'm going to simply start using two or three sponges each for shower and toilet as I can let those and rags soak in bleach and dry out before washing them separately. 

Pro tip: I also use the five gallon bucket to soak linens in Oxyclean over night to help remove stains. Just dump it all into the washing machine. 🙂 

I keep cleaning supplies for bathroom under vanity sink. Clorox foam cleaner, Lysol bathroom cleaner is better for cleaning glass doors, as well as windex, and brushes, squeegee. 

I also have lot of extra cleaning sponges as each guest gets a new cleaning sponge so will also start using those for bathroom as they are easer to soak in bleach and dry before cleaning. 

I iron linens in the same bathroom and use Clorox cleaner for stain remover before rewashing or soaking in Oxyclean. I use Spray and Wash as well but the Clorox does work and is right there. Just gotta be careful not to get bleach on dark towels. 🙂 

 

[John5097]

I do laundry for linens, blankets etc between turnovers in my laundry. (The guest also have their own set of W/D) 

Both the washing machine and dryer have the steam function. Worth the upgrade. The washer function is "Clean with steam" and can get out the toughest stains and disinfect with exta hot steam. The dryer has steam option that comes in handy. 

I created both laundry closets. This one is in my kitchen. The stove beside it has a gas hook up but I don't use that one. That one was in the Airbnb rental for long term rentals. Our city doesn't allow an oven in STRs. So I'll either create a counter with space to store laundry baskets on the boittom and microwave mounted under upper cabinet. But will most likely simply use a wire storage shelf with room for laundry baskets, hamper. on the bottom. I want all used linens and blankets to go inside of a hamper ideally. I'll create another post on pest control prevention and strategies. 

[Huma0]

@John5097 

Yes, it's good to have systems for these things and we develop them over time as we learn from hosting experiences.

I avoid using a lot of bleach because I am not sure about the environmental repercussions and also because I just don't like the smell, but my cleaners love it and I know they still use it in the house because I can smell it after they have gone! 

When I was cleaning everything myself, I used disposable cleaning wipes for the toilets, bins and any other really 'dirty' jobs. Again, from an environmental perspective, this is not ideal, but I don't like the idea of using the same cloths for the toilet or cat litter tray as for other household cleaning. That's just me though. 

There are different microfibre cloths and dusters for different tasks, i.e. cleaning glass, dusting furniture etc. I try to stick to the right type for the job, but I know my cleaners don't. Now that the cleaning is done partially by my cleaners and partially by me, I just try to make sure that cloths, once used, are put in the 'wash bag' ASAP rather than used for multiple different jobs.Hope that makes sense!

[John5097]

@Huma0 Yes sometimes it is a compromise and each host has to do what works for them. I find that the washcolthes get the dirtiest and consider them the same as cleaning clothes. The front end loaders are also have exceptional cleaning and sanitation, and its very noticable. As I mentioned I used a hand held heat sensor to test how hot the washer and dryer get for each setting.  

I also use disposable wipes. I just like the large cotton ones as well. 

I host hundreds of guest each year, and reviews speak for themselves, all 5 star for cleanliness. 

I have lots of storage closets full of cleaning supplies. And practically every review states how clean everything is. That's why I like to wash everything right away as its all completely disinfected. 



PS.. I'm very maticiouls to use one rag per task and it goes on the floor by the doorway. Its also hard to keep rubber gloves clean on the inside and have to be carful that inside the gloves could be the dirtiest. Also not a fan of sponges. For me its a multi step process to first soak everything down with bleach in bathroom, scrub, paper towels to get it mostly clean, then follow up with clean cloth with second application of Clorox bathroom cleaner, and Lysol for vanity or shower walls. Its completely germ free and very noticeable. 

[John5097]

I also use bulk refill containers for clorox and hospital grade disinfectant for all surfaces. I really like the Incide hospital grade disinfectant. As well as hand soaps, stainless steel cleaner, flloor cleaner which all gets mopped between guest. I also don't overload washer and make sure it drys out between wash loads. I even have labels on the guest W/D to instruct to let dry out.  

This is enough to last years and soak everything down really good from the get go, with multiple applications.