Should we supply liquid detergent or pacs/pods? We have to be sure it's "free & clear".

[Greg-And-Marcia0]

We have just finished installing a washer/dryer stack in our guest suite. Since we and, likely, some of our guests, have allergies, we need to be sure that the detergent is unscented and nonallergenic. So we are supplying the detergent. We are leaning toward detergent pacs rather than liquid. Can anyone provide the benefit of their experience with this?

[Susan1404]

@Greg-And-Marcia0- I supply enough for only a few loads of laundry and after that, my guests will need to supply their own.  It is up to you if you decide to supply free and clear type, but I have been supplying regular scented detergent and not one guest has ever complained.  As far as pods are concerned, that is an easy way to break it down as to how many loads you are willing to supply to your guests.  I was doing bottled detergent and have decided that I am going to switch to pods.

[Sarah977]

@Greg-And-Marcia0  I don't offer laundry use myself, but if I did, I'd go with the pods, simply because I find that many people use far more soap than necessary to do a load. And I think limiting the amount you provide, according to number of guests and length of stay is also a good idea- some guests will do a load, with water level on high, to just wash a tee-shirt and a pair of socks, because they want to wear them that night. So I'd let guests know how many loads are reasonable to do and that you provide enough soap to cover that. I've read accounts here where hosts said they could hear the washing machine or dryer going for hours and hours a day, every day, even though there were only 4 guests.

[Willene1]

This may solve my problem. Limiting how many pods to leave may eliminate them doing my sheets and towels themselves. Found sheets & towels were permanently stained as they didn’t pre treat and washed hot.  Didn’t realize the down sides to recently adding a washer. 

[Sarah977]

@Willene1 And the kicker is they probably thought they were doing a good thing by taking care of the sheets and towels themselves 🙄

[Willene1]

Oh she did. I told her I need to redo them anyway so I can use the dryer to make them soft and fluffy again anyway.  (Plus she sat them on the super filthy bathroom counter!!)  
We don’t have a dryer downstairs in the suite. After reading many comments, I may not want to add one if it is overused.  Our guests have always been in the hot summer months where clothes dry quickly on the outdoor rack. 

[Sudsrung0]

We have washing machines in our properties we used to supply detergent but we found it just got wasted or not what the guest liked, so we stopped many shops nearby and they dont waste their own.

We have one place with a dryer Im thinking of taking it out we dont need here with the constant heat and guest have it running, electric is not cheap here,

The one thing I have stopped is guest who only book 2 or 3 days who turn up with suitcase full of dirty laundry when they have been staying in different places maybe with no washing machines and have our machines running all day.

There was a post the other day in another airbnb group where the guest had used liquid detergent out of the kitchen in the washer

I have seen host charge $5 a load

You know most guest will abuse anything they can

Also stop guest from doing your laundry as did happen to us a few weeks ago they put dark blue towels in with white towels how stupid is that? they were new towels

[Ann72]

@Greg-And-Marcia0  I host remotely and supply laundry detergent because at the very least my housekeeper needs it after every guest leaves.  But if you have allergies, I think you should because if you don't, you don't know what guests will bring in to the house.  Raise your price $5 a night to cover it.