Toilet Paper Conservation

Melanie58
Level 10
Boise, ID

Toilet Paper Conservation

I have noticed, but not given a great deal of thought to, the fact that many of my guests use a roll of TP a day.  This seems like a lot for one or two people, especially since most of my guests show up around 10 at night and leave early the next morning.

 

Obviously, I WANT people to use toilet paper if they need it!  I'm not interested in putting up signs or rationing or anything like that. But it made me wonder if there is something I am not providing that I should - like I provide kleenexes, which would be a way to reduce TP use.  Is there an unweird way to provide extra cloth towels that could be used for whatever non TP things people are using TP for?  Or am I crazy and is it thoroughly normal for a human to use a roll a day?  There are five people in our family - if we all used a roll a day, I would be at the store every day buying more.

 

BTW, this is not people just taking extra rolls from under the sink.  And because I'm a creeper, worth mentioning that I'm not seeing gobs of TP in the trashcan, so it is getting flushed I think.

 

It's a weird topic I guess, but I figure I'm probably not the only one who has thought about it. 

21 Replies 21
Christina0
Level 5
Nevada, United States

LOL! Thank goodness for this post. I thought I was the only one scratching my head over excessive TP use. Even our quick overnight guests will use 1 to 2 whole rolls. We use septic safe TP and that's all we will ever use, so guests might think they need to quadruple up on TP for effective wiping.

 

I also supply plenty of tissues, but those barely get used up. Strange...

Ephraim0
Level 10
New York, NY

When I began hosting I provided luxurious multiply toilet paper, however after experiencing what you describe I switched to regular Scott’s single ply - no longer experiencing the same issue. 

Johanna162
Level 2
Windermere, FL

Ugh I have guests who have gone through 5 rolls in 2 nights. They asked initially if they would have to buy thier own toilet paper because they only saw 1 spare roll. I replied of course not and stocked a few extra rolls. Silly me!

 

Now it's night #3 and they are asking for more toilet paper! I've hosted many parties of 5-7 guests at one time and have never had anyone ask me daily for more tp! A roll per day for 2 adults and 3 kids is reasonable but 2.5 rolls per day? They have also gone through all of the paper towels even though I left them 4 bar towels and 2 kitchen towels and a box of facial tissue. What in the world?!! 

 

I will now add a disclaimer that I can supply 1 roll per night. If they need more they can go to the store which is 1 mile away. I would normally agree that hospitality trumps the cost of toilet paper but not when Airbnb is pricing my listing at $24 USD per night!!! If people are trying to get bargin prices they should not be expecting an endless supply of essentials to support thier wasteful habbits. This is utterly ridiculous. 

@Johanna162   I agree, that's ridiculously abnormal usage. I can't imagine how I could use up half a roll of toilet paper a day.

Airbnb doesn't price your listing, Johanna, you do. They offer "price tips" which almost all hosts ignore or outright laugh at. Price your place according to what local equivalent places charge, and what you feel it to be worth. If you charge enough ($20 seems way too low), you'll get a better quality of guests and someone going through an absurd amount of toilet paper occasionally won't be a big deal, just the cost of doing business.

Thanks Sarah for weighing in! I did at least go back and set my minimum at $38 a night which is a few dollars below what similar listings have set. For this particular guest they booked way in advance before I figured out how to fix my pricing. 

 

The toilet paper issue was the last straw on what has literally been an endless supply of requets. Every 2 hour I get a new request via text from them. 

 

From running the AC all day and night at 60 degrees (which in Florida residential home will absolutely kill a unit), to asking for extras when I already provided extras upfront, to complainng about the free Netflix in the shared living room (when they all have thier own laptops and free wifi that I've provided), to asking for bottled water and more. I'm just exhausted and ready for it to be over! Phew!

 

They started with 8 blankets and 7 pillows for 5 people and asked for more the first night. I have a large shelf (1/3) of my fridge for Airbnb guest and they shoved in and took over 2/3rds. I noted in house rules and told them again upon arrival that outside trash should be disposed of in the car wash nearby or gas station as trash is metered here. Simple, trash produced in the home during the normal course of daily activity ok but cleaning out your car from road trips, not ok and this is in the house rules. Not only did they unload two 13 gallon trashbins of trash from thier car but then dumped a broken fan which doesn't fit in the trash they brought from thier home in another state!

 

Had it just been toilet paper I would lived with that as they are the first out of 40 people who've stayed in the last 2 months to use so much. But atop of everything else, I'm just over it. If it weren't for my professional background in customer service and my desire to see Airbnb thrive as I've used it myself and love it, I would have sent these guest packing and just refunded them the cost of the 2 night they've stayed! Anyway thanks for the tips and sorry for the long rant!

Lisa1892
Level 2
Jeffreys Bay, South Africa

So, when my guests arrive (self catering) This is what awaits them:

Crisp - clean white percale linen

Fruit

Fresh milk

Coffee

tea

sugar

salt

pepper

Fresh flowers

a bottle of Amarula

uncapped wi fi

full DSTV

Cleanliness of note

 

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THIS IS "self catering"

(the hotels are double the price as you have a B/fast thrown in)

 

receiving guest at gate (not leaving key at garage/shop)

24 hr call out available

AND HERE IT COMES ... AT LEAST 4 ROLLS OF TOILET PAPER (a good start)

And what is the most common call out I have:

"we have run out of toilet paper"  ... what do we do? ...NICE!!!!! VERY NICE ...

So, put the price up and buy toilet paper and put out extra underneath the washing basin!!!!

 

 

Anthony608
Level 10
Silver Spring, MD

Joining this post late, but I just had a guest do this.  We have a four roll dispenser to help when guests run out.  Most people barely go through a roll in a week as they are jumbo sized.  This man, the first day two rolls were gone.  Then, over the weekend for a four day stay, the other two rolls disappeared one per day.  Sunday afternoon, I did not refill the rolls since I knew he probably would take all four new rolls when he checked out the next morning.  Instead I transferred a partially empty roll from another bathroom and made that be the sole roll available until checkout.  That one, he left alone.