What colour sheets and towels should I use?

[Patricia844]

I'm new to hosting. Any suggestions on the color for bed sheets and towels? Thanks!

[Marzena4]

There is a huge advantage to white ones - it's possible to bleach them without using colour. Also, a lot of people use towels after sprinkling parfume, which can discolorate towels. Another option is really delicate shades of colours.

[Andrea9]

@Patricia844

Also multitudes of hosts who swear darker colors are the best  🙂

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Patricia844

I use different shades of grey and navy for guest sheets and towels. I don't like using bleach and my personal experience using white sheets/towels is they require more frequent changes which would be more work for me because I host a lot of long-term guests. I haven't had any problems or complaints yet 🙂 

[Susie5]

@Patricia844, if you're near a Costco, they have good quality white towels in a bundle at a reasonable price. I use white towels and have gotten good at using detergent to get out things like make up.... I think colored towels will get destroyed by the facial products (for acne it seems) people use which bleach the colors. I lost a good set of Ralph Lauren sheets this way ( from Marshalls, but still!!).  I use decent quality microfiber sheets which don't seem as prone to discoloration as cotton.  

[Brittany118]

What type of detergent do you use and do you have a special technique to remove the make-up stains? I have been having the hardest time removing make-up stains. 

[Alana114]

Yes we have brown towels that match the bathroom and over time they all developed peach-colored bleach spots from people’s skincare products.   White towels would unfortunately become dingy from our mineral-rich well water so not an option.  

[Robin4]

@Alana114 

Alana, just a little tip.....you will notice that this post and its responses where from 2018!

I had a head of hair when that post appeared here!!!

Brittany who you were responding to has probably had 2 children, achieved a masters degree in archaeology, has long left Airbnb and has moved to another country since she made that post. What I am saying is, it is no longer relevant!

We want as many current questions to remain active as long as possible before they slip down the thread pages into obscurity, and reactivating these old threads confuses the available current discussion space.

It's an idea to check when the post was made before responding!

Cheers.......Rob   

[Helena766]

Why do you ramble so much? Also, im here in 2023 reading this thread. I'm sure alot of other people read the thread a long time later. Its beneficial for all to have updated responses. If someone replies to this thread in 2056 when you're long gone nd unable to ramble and be sarcastic and patronize someone who's only trying to help, their comment will still be beneficial. So be quiet, stop bullying and people can and should reply as much and whenever they want. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Patricia844

at first we bought all white towels. But stains are visible and had to be bleached often. So I thought darker colors would be better and bought darker . But now are distroyed , as @Susie5 said - acne products will bleach the color.

So I stay at whites. As most hotels do. 

but, the best solution is....   😄 😄 ....

[Linda108]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  So cute!!

[Robin4]

@Patricia844

Patricia when I started hosting I felt the only colour to use for bed linens was white....white looks clean! And yeah it does until the first person pours a glass of red wine on them, or drags their battered old suitcase across them, or uses this iodine/Eucalyptus oil ointment to get rid of some stain or other. 

I found that all I could expect before that pristine clean look tarnished was about ten linen changes!

So I went to pastel coloured linens and they are a winner. I have removed everything known to mankind from my linens and now find I can easily get 40 bed changes before they loose that 'welcoming' look!

Sheets must look like this is the first time anyone has ever slept on them. 

All my linens are now light pastel colours, Blue, Grey, Yellow, Green.....they look warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer but most importantly they stay looking good for much longer than white.

Patricia, my bed is the hero of my accommodation, I chose to make a statement with the bed and everything else revolves around that bed, so it has to be a step above the ordinary. Every one of my guests gets new pillow protectors. I never expect a guest to put their head on someone elses snore time dribble! Every crease must be just right. When the bed is made I run the iron across it before the guest arrives. The bed looks a bit outrageous because it is so long (over 2.4 metres) but I am glad I had it built that way! There are six motors in it to set just the right angle, or degree of neck or back massage.. Almost all my guests comment on the bed and many of my stays come about as a result of that bed....it really is money in the bank!

Patricia provide the best looking, the most comfortable bed that you possibly can. If a guest has a good nights sleep in a really comfortable bed they will excuse just about everything else....if they roll around on an uncomfortable piece of rubbish all night there is no way you will get a good review out of them.

Don't compromise with your bed, we are dealing with people, don't throw them something you bought at the op shop for the spare room. Give them something you would like to sleep on yourself.....and use pastel coloured linens, you won't regret it!

Cheers.....Rob

[Allan-C-0]

That is a great idea, pastel colors, especially for the summer.  

[Patricia844]

Thanks, Robin. This is great advice. What do you use to clean your sheets?

[Robin4]

@Patricia844....It depends on what the stain is Pat! 

Most all countries has a 'wonder soap' liquid that comes in a pump spray container that gets on top of easy to remove stains....make-up, blood, wine, urine, food......We have one in Australia called 'Sards' and this product does a good job but, can require a bit of 'elbow grease' at times which is not beneficial to linens.

But every now and then someone will manage to inflict your linens with an oil based or dye based product, and these pose a definite challenge.

I have formed a good relationship with my local Dry Cleaner, I recommend all my guests take their clothing cleaning needs there, and they in return have given me a couple of formulas that work well on serious stains. I cannot tell you what the products are...businesses do tend to protect their 'Interlectual property'...they fall into the 'brown paper bag' variety, but I have not had a stain I could not remove to the point where it will be undetectable on coloured linens!

Pat I would suggest you do the same and seek out the co-operation of a local professional, it can be a **bleep** side cheaper than replacing expensive sheets.

Also Pat, I do the same with towels and as much as possible I do tend to colour match. I would never provide white towels and only two guests ever gave me a 4 star for 'cleanliness'!

But they were guests who never give 5 stars for anything so I don't think that says anything about me!

Good luck Pat, I hope your hosting career turns out to be as good for you as mine has been for me!

Cheers.....Rob