Pillow Replacement Schedule

Wendy-and-Frank0
Level 10
Stonington, CT

Pillow Replacement Schedule

One of the things I found so easy about being a host is that I'm aready a crazy nut when it comes to cleaning.  I manage everything at my house on a nine-day rotation.

 

Every nine days, I gut the stove and the fridge, the bathroom vents, the window screens, cabinets, you name it.

 

I have a vacuum cleaner, a mop and bucket, a cleaning tray on every floor of my house and plastic gloves are my aphrodisiac.

 

But I've now hit a snag.

 

Laundry!

 

I'm good with washing sheets and pillow cases after a guest leaves.

 

I also wash the comforter (which I think I should) and the duvet (which I think I should) between guests because it's gross to not do that.

 

How often should pillows be replaced?

 

As someone who values water, respects a septic system, and honors cleanliness, I'm at a crossroad.

 

Your comments are appreciated.

20 Replies 20
Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

@Wendy-and-Frank0 ikea has pillow protection cover ( 5$ ) so you don't have to wash a pillow, just pillowcase after each guest . You can wash pillow protection cover when you notice some stains from sweat 

 

and why do you wash conforter / duvet after every guest? Why don't you just buy duvet cover and  wash it after every guest.  So you can wash duvet just few times a year when/if you notice some stains on it . 

^^ I second the pillow covers!  Lifesavers and prevent the pillows from staining and getting yellow.

 

I dont wash the comforter after every guest - just the duvet cover since that's the only thing coming into contact with the guest. 

I think the terminology may be an issue here.  I have sheets on the bed, a quilt which is what I call a duvet, and a comforter (see photos on my listing).  I wash all that stuff when a guest leaves because I know I wouldn't want to sleep on a bed where a blanket/dubet or comforter touched someone else's skin.  In November, I use a duvet cover over the comforter.  Even then, I wash everything.  Am I crazy?

@Wendy-and-Frank0 American way of making bed is different than in Europe. You use bottom sheet, top sheet, duvet, quilt... 

 

In Europe we use bottom sheet and duvet IN DUVET COVER. It is much more practical for Airbnb because nobody's skin ever touches duvet so it does't have to be washed frequently.

 

If you are still not sure what it is, go to Ikea  pages and search for: Duvet cover and pillowcase .

 

Tip: the cheapest ones with cotton/polyester are the most practical for ABB. They wash easily and dry quickly and you don't have to iron them. 
 

 

Not at all thank you sir 

Lawrene0
Level 10
Florence, Canada

Replaced completely, @Wendy-and-Frank0, or washed? I wash pillows pretty frequently - there is a woodstove in the space that makes them smoky - and repair them if they rip, replacing only when they fall to pieces.  Have I missed what you are asking?

 

@Lawrene0, I think you heard me.  The question is to wash or to replace.  Hygiene is critical.  I will practice with my water/vinegar and water/bleach solutions and see how I make out.  I do have pillow slips but I never feel that's enough.  It seems that most people will place their heads wherever exhaustion hits them.  Thank you for responding.

Replacing before they are worn seems extreme, @Wendy-and-Frank0, but you need to be comfortable with what is in your listing. You're not going to burn out with that nine-day schedule, are you? Don't get me wrong - I think it is amazing. Just worried. You can tell me to mind my own business, that you asked about pillows and not stress management. But did you read @Nancy's post yesterday? https://community.airbnb.com/t5/Hosts/The-Space-Between-Apologizing-and-Other-Self-Deprecating-Tales...

 

@Lawrene0,  I will read Nancy's post.  I've been on a nine-day rotation for almost 40 years.  I find it extremely comforting.

Oh good, @Wendy-and-Frank0. I will give up fretting, and go back to admiring. If you had started it when you started hosting, you might be a candidate for what Nancy experienced, but if it is part of life and a comfort, you've got it together. 

She does write well, so it is worth the read just for that. 

@Lawrene0, I read Nancy's post.  It was WONDERFUL!

 

Hosting is tough when you have a partner who isn't wired the way you're wired so I have huge respect for couples I see on these forums who are in sync, on the same page, and making it work.

 

@Cynthia-and-Chris1 and @Branka-and-Silvia0, I saw the pillow covers on IKEA and I think I can zip TWO over each pillow and then the pillolw case.  IKEA produces junk, for the most part, but it's heaven if you're buying things with no moving parts.  I have expanded my scrapbooking space and need to go anyways to pick up excessively heavy boxes.  Slip covers are on the list.

 

 

@Wendy-and-Frank0 you don't need to put 2 pillow covers at ones, they are thick, trust me, I have them 🙂

@Branka-and-Silvia0, thank you for the education.  It's funny because I do have a cover I use in the winter with snowmen.  And when people stay with me during the holidays, I don't wash the comforter - I only wash the duvet.  It never ocurred to me to buy two duvets for the rest of the year to cut down on laundry.

 

The duvet takes up A LOT less space in the washer and dries quickly.

 

Time to go shopping.

 

I'll look into the pillow cases, too, as having a thicker case will help keep people's drool off the pillow.  Yuck!

@Lawrene0, how do you wash the pillows?  In the washer?  Don't they get lumpy?