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? 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

Guests use some cosmetic products and they bleach the towels. You will have permanent, discolored stains on them very soon... been there done that 😕

There is a good reason why all hotels have white towels.

The alternative is to buy multi-colored pattern towels.

[John5097]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 Oh great! I think its been 5 months!  So far so good. I've only gotten one drop of bleach on a gray towel. Probably from cleaning the bathroom. Sometimes I will use Clorox bathroom cleaner as a stain remover. I have ironing board in bathoom so sometime dont notice a stain until ironing so just hit it with that first. 🙂 It works! 

I think I'll still keep using both white and gray and see how well they hold up. I still have a lot of new white ones and didn't have that many problems. A few guest suggested any other color but white washclosthes. They go to beach and barefoot and get washcoaths dirty and feel embarrassed. But washcloaths are't a problem to replace. 

[John5097]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 Almost forgot. My biggest concern was guest might try to wash white sheets with gray towels on hot. Then would likely have gray sheets? 

Guest have put white towels in W/D with their blue jeans or something and the turned the white towels light blue. 

[Sarah977]

@John5097  I  would not let guests wash either the bedding or the towels. The host should handle that washing, because as you say, guests are not careful about those things, they don't pre-treat stains, and if they wash it in hot water, it sets the stains in so they never come out.

[John5097]

@Sarah977  Each host gets to choose their own polices and rules. I rent an apartment and guest have their own washer dryer. They get one set of towels and sheets.  I only have short stays and not many wash towels or sheets. So far none have set or ruined sheets by washing them. A few white towels they put in with their clothes and tuned the towels blue. 

Admittedly I don't have an overbearing or controlling nature. If this becomes an issue I'm quite capable of managing my own listing and setting my own rules. 

[Margaret1149]

But what about 1 month or more stay  how do you wash while they are there ?

[John5097]

@Margaret1149 

I mentioned above, "I only have short stays and not many wash towels or sheets." 🙂 

[Lori2668]

I would ask them what day or what time would be good for you to wash their towels and bedding for them. That way it gives them some control and you as well.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@John5097  it depends on the towels, mine was IKEA and were washed with white sheets on hot, no problem

[John5097]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 I'm going to try the Ikea towels! 

[Mark116]

@John5097   We also use grey towels since the large bedroom and the bathroom are both painted grey.  We try to mitigate the bleach stain issue by offering black and white wash clothes in the bathroom and non flushable make-up wipes, but we do still lose a fair amount of towels due to the whatever chemical is in skin care stuff that bleaches out fabric.

For whatever reason, I can't keep white towels looking good for very long.  I've tried bleach, oxy, baking soda, but after a few washes they always look dingy.  Same for white t shirts and other white laundry.  It must be a personal deficiency.

[Colleen253]

@Mark116 Do you do a second rinse for whites? I find it makes a difference, but yeah, overall, white just has a short life span. 

[John5097]

@Mark116 now that you mention it they do match the bathroom tile and wall paint, both grey. 

@Colleen253 I was wondering if front end loaders, which I use just to take up less room stacking them,  may have added rinse and wash cycle? I usually don't use additional rinse feature. They use less water but seem to work really well. Usually I notice brighter white if they get soaked overnight in oxy clean.  

[Colleen253]

@John5097 As a guest I would not have a problem with any towel, as long as it was soft, absorbent, clean and not stained. Speaking as a host, I think it doesn't matter what we do, towels will always be a thorn in the side. As mentioned, dark towels can still ruined by some skin care products.