Do you have a washing machine in your listing?

[Sybe]

Hey everyone,

Laundry day. The joys of smelling your favourite softener on the laundry that’s hanging to dry. The possibility of wearing that cute shirt again. It’s a marvel, and one made so much easier by the invention of the washing machine! Only once in my life did I have to wash my laundry using a washboard and I can tell you, I was elated when that time was over.

Almost everyone has a laundry machine or washing machine at home nowadays. As a Host, however, there isn’t always a need for one. Hosts that mainly host short stays might often see their guests bring enough clothes to last their entire stay. Laundrettes / Laundromats / Self-service laundry / Coin laundry / Coin wash - or what you might want to call it - are still around as well and can prove to be useful if a guest does happen to run out of clean clothes.

Do you have a washing machine in your listing? Why did you choose to (not) have one? For Hosts who host guests in their own home (and who have a washing machine): Do you give your guests permission to use the machine?

Please let me know in the comments!

Sybe

Fun fact: Even before the introduction of the five-day workweek, Mondays were despised by many. Why? Well, it may have something to do with laundry! Before the invention of the washing machine, doing the laundry was seen by many as the worst job of housework, and Mondays used to be the standard laundry day. (Please note: this is not an actual fact but my own speculation)

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Sybe we have a washing machine but no dryer. We are considering putting in a dryer and asking people for say £5 per load of washing/drying as this will cover the cost of electricity but will people be honest?????

[Sybe]

@Mike-And-Jane0 That is a very good question! Perhaps there's a way on the dryer to see if it has been used?

[Gillian166]

@Sybe  the low-fi way.... check the lint filter 😂 in my house it seems I'm the only person who is aware it exists!

[Sudsrung0]

@Sybe 

Here in Phuket it's a must have, We have in our condo it came as part of the furniture package when we bought it,

It's a deal breaker here, Dryers are not needed here,

We own a Laundry some guest come to me if they are lazy to do their own,

It was my husbands idea when we had a few properties listed on airbnb the laundry bills were huge even for here and we were not getting a good job done and things going missing.

We had an empty shop on the main road which we owned, My husband turned into a laundry so at least we could do all our own laundry and it saved a fortune every week, especially if we get many 2 or 3 day turnover. 

Because of the location the business has been very successful we get lots of passing trade and tourist, You are right about Mondays being a laundry day you should see the amount we got yesterday (Monday) OMB, 

The weather was on my side yesterday, no rain.

There is a resort being built right across the road from me, I might have to buy the shop next door and expand.

This is me at the end of the day

[Sybe]

@Sudsrung0 That is a brilliant idea and so glad to hear it worked out for you! Do you give your guests free access to make use of the laundromats?

I'm sure the new resort would be a huge increase in business for you, and you might even be able to do something for other Airbnb Hosts in your area. 😉

[Sudsrung0]

@Sybe 

No we dont do for free, our service is wash and dry and also we do ironing service,

Our big problem is getting staff and one that can do to my standard.

Right now is high season we have to refuse business we can only do so much in a day, 

We do get some airbnb owners they are no good they want huge discounts so I refuse them once they start asking for discounts.

We have good regular customers, 

[Debra300]

@Sybe,

We have compact washing machines, spin dryers and drying racks in all of our guesthouse suites for guests to wash their bathing suits, tank tops, t-shirts and shorts (we're on a tropical island, they really don't need much more clothing).   We also have a full size washer and heat dryer, a spin dryer and a clothes line to launder the guest suite linen and towels.  Our apartments are primarily rented long-term and each has two bedrooms and kitchens, and are equipped with full size washers and heat dryers and drying racks (guests tend not to use the spin dryers when a heat dryer is available even when they put items on the drying rack).  We provide laundry detergent, fabric softener, stain remover, bleach/brightener, hampers, laundry baskets and laundry pins/pegs.  All of these items are complimentary.

Personally, in St. Lucia we use a compact washer that's larger than what's in the guest suites, and a spin dryer and clothes line. While in the US we use the full size washer and a spin dryer, and either the heat dryer or drying rack depending upon the season (I've tried putting laundry on the rack in the garage or basement during the winter, and the items weren't even close to dry after  24 hours).  No matter which laundry appliances used, we always put our laundry through a five minute cycle in the spin dryer, because it goes 3200 rpms and extracts a good bit of water so it takes a much shorter time to dry laundry, extending the life of the laundered item.

[Sybe]

@Debra300 A tropical island is warm but I can imagine it could get very humid too so having a dryer does make sense. 

Hanging laundry to dry during winter can be a bit of a challenge although I've learned about freeze-drying not long ago, that's something you could try. How exactly it dries is still magic to me but we'll trust the science!

[Debra300]

@Sybe,

Thanks for the tip.  I looked up freeze drying, and may give it a try.  I noticed that it's not recommended for items lined with plastic so that means I will still have to dry the waterproof bedding on low heat in the dryer.

[Sybe]

@Debra300 Yes I believe clothes or fabrics containing polyester and the likes should best not be freeze dried, which sadly seems to be the majority of clothes nowadays!

[Trude0]

In my tinyhouse listing I have a compact/smaller washing machine.

Since I re-opened, I do only short stays, max 7 days, for max 2 guests and no kids - so the machine is not used very much. But some guests use it - I get guests who run/bicycle/go trecking, and they tend to want to do laundry. I think it is an attractive amenity to have for my listing. Especially since many tinyhouses/cabins don’t have one. Laundromats are practically non-existent in Sweden.

I used to offer to dry guests’ laundry in our drier if needed - but with the energy crisis, the drier is not in use, not by us and not for guests. Don’t think we’ll use it much even if/when electricity prices go down, either - for sustainability reasons.

For guests I have a drying rack to be used outside in summer, and in the heated, well ventilated garage in the winter - seems to work fine!

[Sybe]

@Trude0 You don't see many here in the Netherlands either, although I do know of one because it was part of the student complex I lived in at the time.

You certainly do have an advantage over other tinyhouses by offering a washing machine! Do you know if guests book your listing specifically because it has a washing machine, and do you incorporate it in your listing price?

[Trude0]

@Sybe: The only guests I know for sure booked because of the washing machine, are my very first group. They were 4 adults from Romania, travelling around Scandinavia with a food truck, visiting festivals etc. Apparently the women were so fed up with the bad accommodations the men had booked, that they demanded someting better in Stockholm - with a washing machine!!! :-)

Great for me, it was my first booking, they wrote great review, and  left me delicious Romanian street food in the evenings!

No extra charge for using the washing machine.

[Sybe]

@Trude0 I imagine they were quite memorable first guests! 😃 And I can definitely picture the women being fed up haha. How amazing it must be, though, to have guests that own a food truck!