Bedding

[Ryan27]

I'd appreciate input on an issue I've had as a host for a year and a half now....yes, a long time to not have resolved this on my own.

After I receive a booking, in the 'house rules' they receive, it says to please not use product, whether it be makeup, makeup remover, or skin products, like Proactiv, that bleach or stain the bedding.  I am having bleaching, staining and oily marks left on all bedding: the sheet sets, blankets, comforters, just everything! It's very time consuming and costly! And regardless of figuring out what is doing the staining, being makeup, oily makeup remover, skin products like Proactiv, etc., the problem continues. If I use white sheets with the thought of being able to bleach them, it doesn't resolve the issue because things still stain.  A darker color becomes 'tie-dye' looking after washing after someone sleeps with skin care product on that bleaches, but that result doesn't show up until after washing! So this is affecting all pieces of the bedding and comforters and blankets aren't cheap and if you have extras to replace the ruined ones, there's no closet space! 

I'd appreciate input on how to keep this to a minimum since what I am doing doesn't seem to be helping. Do you suggest that if I do know which guest causes this, like with sheets, to charge them for the sheet set? Comforters and blankets may not be washed after every guest so I can't prove that it was the last guest.  I fear a bad review by making these requests and then if something is ruined, charging them.

Thanks!

[Susan1028]

re: bwanaz

are they still doing business?

i see a website hosting several “stores” that requires registration as a member in order to access ability to shop.

filled out the form.  confirmation email required to proceed.  no email.  emailed customer service.  no reply.  clicked on live help.  no reply...

[Jonathan494]

We leave pocket size make up remover wipes, which we’ve found effective as occasionally guests simply forget to pack face wipes to remove their makeup. 

[Dana357]

great idea

[Keith219]

I've actually stopped puting a flat sheet on the bed. It kept getting pushed off the bed or was never untucked so I just put a fitted sheet, duvet and a throw blanket on the bed. We have three different sets of bedding we rotate out. Its such much easier to just wash a duvet cover rather then a comforter or a quilt. We have a basket in our closest that we fold the extra bedding in and wrap it in a clear plastic bag so it stays clean. I use color safe bleach and it gets out a lot of anything thats on the bed. We also found a really great website called wonder home for cheap bedding. They offer free shipping and you can use their promo code 30OFF to get 30% of everything.  Check it out everything we've gotten from them has been great so far https://www.wonderhomefactory.com/

[Chris232]

@Ryan27

I  leave pocket size make up remover facial wipes which have proved to be very popular, so popular that a full packet often goes missing ... 🙂

But at less than £1 a pack it is still cheaper than having the problem of ruined bedding,

and of course from the guests point of view its an added bonus and positive reviews

[Huma0]

I have only sometimes got make up stains on my bedding, but many times on towels and often it is impossible to get out no matter how many products you use. Guests were staining the wash cloths so badly that they might as well have been disposible.

The make up remover wipes have been a great help. I don't buy pocket ones. I get full size ones, for sesitive skin. They are 45p for a pack of 25 in Lidl. Actually, they were on promotion the other day for 36p so I bought a few! It is peanuts really and the guests are using them. The make up stains have become a rarity.

Then again, I do stick a label on the packs which asks guests to please use the wipes to remove make up, not the towels, thanks. I think that really makes a difference, because they stop to think, yeah, maybe I should be careful about not getting my make up on stuff, whereas before they never thought not to smear it all over the towels or pillow cases.

Some hosts say you must use cold water to remove blood stains, otherwise the hot water will set the stain and make it permanent. I have also heard that soaking them in cold water with salt works. However, I just spray with Shout stain remover, pop some oxy-powder in the drawer and wash as normal in the machine. That has always got the stains out. However, you can't do this with dark coloured sheets as it will bleach them.

Washing up liquid (dish soap) is quite good at getting greasy stains out of fabrics and is safe to use on coloureds.

I often buy Designers Guild duvet covers and pillow cases and have never had a problem with the colour bleaching in the wash. For the fitted/flat sheets, I go for plain, good quality cotton, but in white, cream or other very light colours so I can remove stains without leaving bleach marks.

[Mark116]

@Huma0  Do you ever have a problem with guests trying to flush the make up wipes?  This is what we're afraid of, as our plumbing is fairly old.  We put in cheap black and white washclothes in the bathroom and started telling people to use those for make up removal and that has helped somewhat, but one of our recent guests totally bleached the sheets and one of the Ralph Lauren bath towels...it's always something as they say.  

[Huma0]

@Mark116Yes, there is always something!

No, so far, the flushing of wipes down the toilet has not been a problem, because I put them in the bedrooms and the guests seem to use them in there rather than the bathrooms.I can see that they are chucking them in the bedroom waste paper baskets.

I hear what you are saying though. I once had a housemate whose girlfriend did this exact thing and caused a pretty bad, stinky blockage in the waste pipe that I had to get professionals round to sort.

My only advice is to put the wipes in the bedrooms rather than bathrooms.

[Trevor243]

@Huma0Your photo shows exactly why we don't provide bath towels any more. We do provide a hand towel in the bathroom, but guests still do this. We buy them in bulk now and if they get like this, it's easier and cheaper to throw them away than try to clean them with various products. If we run short, Poundland has little hand towels for £1. Not very good quality, but they'll do, especially if they're likely to get ruined.

One of the best cleaning products we use is Ace - again, get that from Poundland or Poundstretcher.

[Susan1028]

bedding:

i have 3 sets of outer bedding and 2x the sheer sets so I’m always ready.

I use various outer bedding and high quality/thread count 100% cotton sateen solid sheets in matching bold and softer colors with no issues so far.  did have one set of sheets that was defective upon initial pre-use wash (dye not colorfast-faded in spots) and returned them.

I decided against microfiber after trying them and later reading about the health hazards—most are petroleum based, and (like the single use plastics) theyre all made of very short fibers that emit unhealthy toxic particulates.  

Like other synthetics they also collect static and dont breathe well, so tend to inspire perspiration, which created staining after first use.

bath linens:

I use dark colors such as chocolate brown and navy blue in good quality 100% cotton and haven’t had a problem with staining or fading.

[Carolyn39]

I agree Susan on using dark colors - although I just watched a netflix show on vacation rentals. and a "world expert" on vacation properties said that white is ALWAYS the go to color for sheets. I personally had too many mishaps with white -- and couldn't afford the cost of replacing. also I have been buying 100% organic cotton sheets, duvets, towels - there are bargains to be had - most recenlty at ROSS of all places. I have been using organic everything in my own home for years (including 100% organic wool carpet - so transititing our "tree house"was the next step. I realized what a hypocrite I was). The reason to buy organic, simply put cotton production uses the highest amount of pesticides of any crop in the world. It's massive and impacts air, water & soil. Its a big deal most people don't know about this. They know about FOOD - but not cotton.

Also organic cotton is heads and shoulders above standard synethics AND cotton. You can feel the difference.  And you are contributing to producers of these products which is a HUGE contribution to the planet and these pioneering individuals - most stores carry them.

[Dana357]

I won't stay at a hotel or airbnb that uses anything but white.  I see a dark or patterned comforter and all I think is, "that doesn't get washed between every guest".  But clearly , not everyone thinks of that.  but I do. 

[Trevor243]

Most of the bedding we use (either our own or provided by the owners of properties that we manage) is coloured. Only one property has white bedding. Everything gets washed and ironed on every changeover - without fail.

[Amy38]

Oxyclean spray and liquid dishwashing soap....designed to cut grease......then wash.....will get almost anything out.

[Katie---Sean0]

I invested in good quality flannel bedding, all white. Something about flannel, don’t know what, but stains wash out much more easily. Flannel is warm and cosy in the winter, soft and cool in the summer, guests seem to like it.