Washing bedding.

[Kerry183]

Hello there, I am new to Airbnb., just in over a month.     We have had way too many people leaving stains on sheets and blankets.     therefore way too much washing and water used.     What do you do when people stain the sheets?      
Some of the stains simply will not wash out.    

thanks. 

[Emiel1]

@Kerry183,

Some guest do stain the sheets, it's not nice, but part of the business. Unless it is clearly a matter of damage or there has been an "accident" through sicknes etc., then you can contact the guest about it. But otherwise you will have to live with it. You can not put into your houserules "do not stain the sheets and blankets", and even if you do, the stains will be there !

best regards,

Emiel

[Graham-And-Michelle0]

Check out this site for excellent tips to deal with stains

https://shannonlush.com/

Shannon , who is Australian, has also written several great books on household matters.

Used to be on radio here every Saturday morning and you could phone in with any tricky

questions.

 She was very entertaining .

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Kerry183

I use bleach on the stain and 99% of stains go away.

[Noeleen2]

The main ones I have problems with are hairdye (why lie on the bed with wet freshly dyed hair) and selftan lotion. I leave them in a bleach bath for a while but the instant tan leaves a pink stain. and won't come out. Use them for our towels if this happens and buy new.  I've resorted to std quality sheets so they don't cost a fortune if they get damaged

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Kerry183

Go to Amazon and look up 'professional stain remover' and you will see a host of items. The only stains we find you need a separate specialist stain remover for is blood. 

We have never not been able to remove a stain.

[Brenda220]

Blood is the easiest!!! Just use hydrogen peroxide it take it all away but you must do this beore washing.

[Rose-Ann0]

I use a brown bar soap called "Phels=naptha."  It will take out every single stain in the world.  Totally old fashioned and amazing!!!  It can be purchased at regular stores, no place special. 

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@Gerry-And-Rashid0 wrote:

@Kerry183

Go to Amazon and look up 'professional stain remover' and you will see a host of items. The only stains we find you need a separate specialist stain remover for is blood. 

We have never not been able to remove a stain.

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@Gerry-And-Rashid0 wrote:

@Kerry183

Go to Amazon and look up 'professional stain remover' and you will see a host of items. The only stains we find you need a separate specialist stain remover for is blood. 

We have never not been able to remove a stain.

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[Susan1404]

@Rose-Ann0  I use it too, but just wanted to state for those who are not familiar with it, it is spelled Fels-Naptha.  It is in the laundry aisle in Wal-Mart and Kroger and you usually have to really look for it as they seem to bury the bars very well.

[Rose-Ann0]

Thank you for the spelling correction.  I've used and loved that product for over 40 years!  Once the paper wrapper is removed, i don't think much about the spelling, just the awesome soap that it is!  My best with your airbnb and all it's joys and challenges....LOL

[Lawrene0]

I've been following all the suggestions in the forum about stains, @Kerry183, and they work well. Vinegar mostly, an oxi treatment often, and bleach when the going gets tough. Mostly cold water, but sometimes hot. So far so good. Do a search in the forum using such key words as laundry, stains, sheets. You will find (laundry) loads of great advice!

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

It helps if you know what the stain is from - blood, makeup, food etc., and they should be treated asap. I use stain remover and soak them anywhere from 30 mins to a couple hours before washing stained sheets or towels. Always worked for me.

[Aleksandra101]

Do you charge more for cleaning? What if you have to replace the sheets? This is outside the scope of a regular cleaning. There were several small blood stains and I scrubbed and couldn’t get them out probably b/c they weren’t washed right away. If I were the guest I’d try to get them out myself the next morning. I buy nice sheets. It’s about $30-40 for a new set of cotton sheets on sale, as often you can’t buy just the fitted sheet. I never asked for money but what to do?  It’s happened again. (This time I was able to get the stains out but it added almost an hour to my cleaning)

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Aleksandra101

It would be an extreme case where you have to replace the sheets, in which case I would ask.

Rest of the time, it 's a cost of doing business. A small amount set aside from every booking covers accidental damages and replacement of linens etc (during sale time!)

[Clara116]

@Aleksandra0 I've had a few times when stains had dried and were NOT to be removed no matter what and trying to charge for time/cleaning is almost a joke. So I searched CC and found the format for this paragraph that I messaged to guests. And surprise they were gracious. I would eat some of the cost and try 25-30 and folks don't freak - but more you will probably get a rejection. I found this much better than those that message asking/demanding to know WHAT is the Stain? and then the guests says what stain??? we didn't do that. Anyway, you might find something like this works for some folks. 

actually part of the 2nd sentence is not true - BUT - it works.  happy hosting, Clara

"Hi, thanks again for staying with us!  It looks like there are some stains on the sheets, and for everyone's health and safety, stained sheets need to be disposed of.  Luckily, Airbnb's security deposit system makes it easy to add the replacement cost  $.... to your booking after we provide documentation.  We've had this happen a few times, and guests are always gracious in handling it.  If you'll approve the security deposit charges when we submit them, we'll be all set. Thanks again, and all the best.