Dark Towels.. yes or meh?

[John5097]

For the past several months I have moved over to the Dark Side! (Think Film Noir!) Originally I got white to be able to bleach them but almost never use bleach anymore. Also every time I get new towels or sheets that's when guest stain them! 

These are nice towels and get washed between each guest. But don't have to worry about trace amount of mascara or makeup, which at times can be impossible to remove. So far no complaints and all 5 star on cleanliness.

So what color towels do you use? Would this be an issue of you as a guest? Would you expect white towels or ok with vacation on the dark side? 

[John5097]

This is why I don't even want a stove or grill. Chicken in store is loaded with antibiotic resistant bacteria. This is why I think most guest love how clean it is, after they check in. Its the cleanest Airbnb they will ever stay in. 

This is a good doc about chicken from PBS Frontline. 

https://www.kpbs.org/news/arts-culture/2015/05/07/frontline-trouble-chicken

[Huma0]

@John5097 

I am quite like you in that I am fairly fussy about these sorts of things. I am a messy person by nature, but I mean mess, not dirt. I like things to be CLEAN, especially kitchens and bathrooms. So, I don't like the idea of using a cloth for the bin and then using the same cloth for the kitchen counters.

Still, I can't 100% keep an eye on my cleaners in this regard. They are amazing and I would not want to lose their services for the world (it took me years to find cleaners this good and so reliable) but, most of the people they send do not speak English, so I can't really micromanage them. I kind of just have to let them get on with it!

[John5097]

@Huma0 @My rental unit is cleaned more often. Guest ask how I keep everything looking brand new. I feel it’s a trust issue and even nod have been forthcoming. As mentioned the only complaint I’ve gotten was for s dirty mirror but it was just older. I like that style with some things. But now that you mention it I’m kind of wondering what guest complain about when host gets a 4.9 or lower on cleanliness? But that would be for another topic. 🙂

[John5097]

@Huma0 

This is probably better for another topic as well. But regarding cloth cleaning materials. 

I only allow moms to bring their infants or kids in diapers if they use cloth diapers. There is a W/D in the unit and that works out. 

My experiece was the disposable diapers were a total nightmare for me. They get dumped in to the outside bin, sometimes after sitting in their mini van days or weeks, along with who knows what else, so that the trash bin is crawling with maggots and the smell in unbearable. 

There is no way the trash truck would pick that up. Not to mention the landfill, and I've seen diapers tossed and dumper just about everywhere in the woods or ocean. 

But I do notice the washing machine smells like poo if they don't leave the door open. I do have a label "leave door open 24 hours after use" but that didn't happen, so simply use the "sanitize" and "clean with steam" function. I had even forgotten that washer also had that function. 

So for me its not as simple as using a few throw away wipes to clean everything. 

I do enjoy the moms with kids in tow also. They are always nice no matter where you happen to see them, and glad I had a chance to chat with them a little bit on the way out. 

Maybe that would be a good topic. And amenity, that kids are alowed only with cloath diapers.  

[John5097]

PS… it did take some extra cleaning. The toaster over had some grease. I was able to clean it, but just not set up for infants or kids. Although I have enjoyed trying to accommodate everyone I can. Would just need to charge more and it’s a small space with no room for it to be suitable for kids. 

Again not taking issue with you, I’m just sure everything is very clean, and not going to let minor ckeaning be an issue. Just not a good fit for everyone. 

[Huma0]

@John5097 

Oh dear, that sounds like a nightmare. I don't really understand though. Is that what they do at home? Are their bins at home crawling with maggots so that the trash truck won't pick them up? Do their washing machines smell of poo?

I don't accept kids at all, for numerous reasons, so I have never experienced any of this, nor the extra cleaning that is involved. All my guests are over 18 and have to do a reasonable amount of cleaning up after themselves.

The weekly cleaners do a pretty good job of the communal areas and I try to do the upkeep in-between and this does involve some daily (often several times daily) cleaning, especially in the kitchen.

One of my best purchases has been my robot vacuum cleaner. The floors still get a regular vacuum and mop, but the ground floor where the entrance hall, kitchen and diner are, needs daily vacuuming and that has been a great help. It's a shame it can't do stairs, of which I have many.

[John5097]

@Huma0 yes, its not just families with diapers, even when I'm Downtown on trash day, the sidewalks smell so bad and you can smell a trash truck a block away. 

Sometimes its just part of having a rental. A long term renter often brought home trash from the restrauant she worked, I suspect, because it was bad, rotting fish heads, etc, floating around in a few inches of rancid liquid at the bottom. She always denied it so I just ended up cleaning it out. 

The washing machine wasn't bad, but I could notice it. A lot of people may not be used to the front end loaders and often complain they get mold inside. Thats from not leaving the door open to let it dry, per instructions. 

I simply washed towels and washcloths on sanitize and clean with steam. 

I'm so used to women guest who leave the place in perfect condition. These were little things. I don't bother with rules on what people can or can't eat, etc. It would get to the point where its just too much, and I aways just update my listing. 

The important things was the mom loved the place and said her daughter slept really well. I really enjoyed chatting with them, and just think I'll send them a private note that I'm not really set up for infants or kids. 

Its really hard to say. At some point I may allow kids/infants again and just charge more. I would probably need a separate trash for diapers. Although I'm booked with just two adults and able to keep the rates lower because guest take such good care of everything. 

If a host stresses out about every little thing its just unrealistic. Most little things can be delt with by communicating. I'm really happy they enjoyed their stay and loved the place and they didn't bother me once. 

I washed all the towels, sheets and blankets on sanitize with steam, cleaned and disinfected the entire place. They had raw meat and eggs so really cleaned it well and went back over everything, light switches, door handles, coushens, surfaces, drawer handles, with the Incide disinfectant.  

[John5097]

@Huma0 

Forgot to mention. I know of two moms in a different group who started a cloth diaper service, so there are all kinds of opportunity for problems. 

Some cities have a service that collects pet poop for a service. People put it in its own little trash can and a truck picks it up once a week. 

But I can only do so much and its a small space.  

[John5097]

This is where I store clean linens. They all get rotated out, washed and throughly dried at 140 deggrees, then rotated to the bottom of the stack so that all linens, blankets, bed spreads, duvets and covers, sit for at least 2 weeks before they are used again. The cleaning clothes have their own bin. That is just a years worth of washclothes that will be used for cleaning. There are also additonal bins and another storage rack with at least 4 sets of new replacements. It can take up a lot of room so I got new beds for my area to fit more storage bins, and I have over 12 sets of everything. 

The only 4 star I got in cleanleness was from a guest who had a nose bleed, messaged for some bleach, so she could wash the linens, I supplied all kinds of stain removers. As it turned out two pillow cases were ruined but I told her not to worry about it at all. She checked out late, I had to go knock on the door when she wouldn't respond to messages, then leaves a 4 star for cleanliness but a rave 5 star overall saying I didn't cop an attitude when she checked out late. And noted that the bathroom mirror was dirty but its just an older mirror with a few imperfectioins at a corner that no one else has complained about. She also couldn't work the lock. And the recycling bin was full of empty wine bottles, and she smoked outside. 

That's how it is sometimes on the internet as well.

[Suzanne302]

@John5097I have been a host since 2017 and have never used white towels! Greys and blues are what I have. In all those guests I've had bleaching happen exactly twice. I must say I have gone over to the "light" side when it comes to sheets though! I used to use grey and blue sheets as well, but I've found a brand of sheets in white that I am in love with and it just feels fresh!

[John5097]

@Suzanne302 

Yey! Some grey sheets would be very stylish but I also like the white ones, and the grey doesn't quite match up with the room color or bed spreads. 

At least I didn't totally botch picking a color this time! 

The blue towels would look great as well, with light grey walls and marble like tile, and would be nice to have different color sets to help keep track of when to change them out. 
 

[Rhonda45]

AIRBnB suggests white towels.  I have colored wash cloths for makeup removal and ask guests to use them.  I have a friend who stayed in an Airbnb and said it bothered her that the towels were not white.  White looks clean.  

[Robin4 · Accepted solution]

@Rhonda45 

My first 18 months of hosting saw three sets of white bed linens ruined to the point where they had to be replaced. White just doesn't stay truly 'white' for long!

I decided then to go for coloureds and since then I have not had an issue that I couldn't fix......

I have warm colours.....yellow and brown for the winter time and cool colours Blue and green for the summer time, and not one guest has ever said they would prefer white linens.

My bath towels are all coloured and patterned and once again nobody has ever complained.

I would never go back to whites again, leave that to the hotels......that's why guests come to us hosts, they want something different!

And I try to give it to them!

Cheers.........Rob 

[Erin5946]

I think towels should fit the design of room , and it doesn't matter what color is