What items do you think are necessary in the bathroom?

[Quincy]

Hello everyone,

I hope you're all well.

Recently, I have been seeing lots of wonderful posts from hosts giving each other feedback about their listings and how they could improve in terms of what they provide their guests. Today, I thought it would be interesting to ask which items you feel are essential in the bathroom for guests? What do you provide in your bathroom? Maybe you think that providing soap and at least one roll of toilet paper is a must but that's it, or perhaps you provide everything they could possibly need (shampoo, conditioner, cleanser, cotton wool pads etc.....)

Feel free to share your experiences and any tips and tricks :-). 

I look forward to seeing your replies!

Quincy

[Sarah886]

I am relatively new to hosting and this thread made interesting reading. I would, in answer to the original question say that the minimum bathroom requirement is bath towel, hand towel and face cloth per person, bathmat, non slip mat, soap, nailbrush and tooth mug. However, I also supply shampoo, shower gel, moisturiser, conditioner and a comb. 

I think from now on though, I will also add toothpaste, hand lotion, make up remover pads or cotton wool balls and a spare toothbrush.

Sarah

[Matt-And-Jeff0]

A must necessity in the bathroom...air freshener spray!!!😉

[Quincy]

Great tip @Matt-And-Jeff0! I have one of those automatic air fresheners installed 🙂 

[Tomi5]

in addition to the normal bathroom stuff, I always have makeup remover wipes, feminine hygiene products, and have recently added nail polish remover & files.

[Jeanine-And-John0]

Great thread. I've added a couple things to my Airbnb based on what I've read. What I've done to keep my individually packaged bathroom items clean, looking new & easy to inventory is I keep them in a closet outside the bathroom. This way they are available, but if not needed, no one handles them. If they're used, they don't go back into the closet. I also buy sample size products. The liquid soap, shampoo, conditioner & body wash products I keep in the bathroom are in dispensers, which saves a lot of money & is easy to maintain. The only items under the sink are a really good hair dryer & toilet paper. Most of my guests are 1-2 nights, so I put 3-5 full size towels & 3-4 wash cloths in the bathroom depending on the number of guests, with extra towels in the linen closet.

I know it's not part of this thread, but the closet also includes 2 clean dog beds & dog bowls because we're a pet friendly Airbnb. 

[Quincy]

Hi @Jeanine-And-John0,

Nice to meet you!

It's great to see that you are a pet-friendly Airbnb :-). If you have any pets yourself, perhaps this topic might interest you.

[Yulianna0]

In the beginning I had  shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, hair masks, liquid soap. But with masks consumption of water is increasing seriously:) Now only the basics, but I’m always ready to give fan, makeup removals etc. And I see that my guests are enjoying bathrobes:) Seems to be that it helps to relax and to feel like at home:) 

[Susie5]

I also put a few feminine hygiene products - tampons, panty liners - and although no one has mentioned them (!) they are being used.  Nothing worse than suddenly realizing you need them and the stores are all closed, or maybe even you don't know where the stores are!

[Evelyn86]

Hi. Dont know if it was mentioned but I put disposable shaving razors (his and hers) and shaving cream. Also first aid kit, peroxide and alcohol. Mouthwash. Along with toothbrushes and paste of course. Disposable small cups. Plastic hair nets/covers. Nail clippers. All this from the the Dollar Store. !

[Daphne70]

I have recently been a guest in a few Airbnb's and had the opportunity to see what other hosts provide. The first observation is that very few hosts provide anywhere for guests to put their own toiletries. Most of the time the only spot to put my toiletry bag was on the toilet seat. Hooks and shelves don't cost much to install. It really made me think about how our guests use the bathroom. We have hooks and a reasonable space around the basin with a large shelf below. 

We provide shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, liquid hand soap, bath towels, two hand towels, face cloths, bath mat and disposable shower caps. Also sanitary pads and tampons with paper bags for disposal in the closed bin rather than down the toilet. A sealed disposable razor, cotton make up remover pads, q-tips, tissues, disposable make up remover wipes and body lotion. The shower gel is in a dispenser in the shower, the shampoo and conditioner on the shelf under the basin leaving the shower caddy free for guests to use for their own toiletries if they prefer. The bath mat is washed after every guest stay along with the towels and linens. There is always sufficient toilet paper and a roll or two left over after our guests leave. The toothbrush holder is thoroughly cleaned after every guest. We also have a magnifying shaving/make up mirror on an extendable arm. A hairdryer is kept in the dressing table drawer.

We were traveling with another couple and stayed at an Airbnb with two en suite bedrooms for three nights. There was only one roll of toilet paper in each bathroom, the liquid hand soap was watered down in both bathrooms and the bath mats were the spongy kind that had not been washed in ages. There was no shower gel. I could not understand why such basic amenities were rationed because this was not a budget stay.

We also provide a toilet brush, toilet cleaner, bathroom cleaner and sponge and a squeegee for the shower doors which two recent guests have actually used although it's not requested or suggested. 

Based on our recent trip we are providing far more than other regional hosts in a higher price range than us. None of the "additional" amenities cost much to provide, our guests seem to appreciate them and so far no one has taken advantage and cleaned us out.

[Sarah977]

@Daphne70  Could you explain to me what is essential or a "basic amenity" about "shower gel" ? 20 years ago you never heard of such a thing. What's wrong with using soap to wash yourself in the shower, like people have been doing forever? I'm sorry, but I just don't get it. Hand soap, face soap, shower gel. I think it's marketing gimmicks that has made people think need all these products.

[Daphne70]

@Sarah977

[Daphne70]

@Sarah977  Sorry, lost my connection briefly.  Soap bars or liquid/gel soaps are of course a personal preference. My personal preference is shower gel because it is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not cause a build up of soap scum on the shower walls and doors. It is easily rinsed off and makes cleaning the shower a much easier job. It is also far more hygienic than a bar of soap and far less messy. 

[Sarah977]

@Daphne70 Thanks for the explanation. I provide both liquid and bar soap, some guests never use the bar soap. It's immaterial to me, because there is really hard water where I live, so I have to scrub the calcim deposits off the shower walls anyway- the soap scum isn't a big deal 🙂 To me, liquid soap is liquid soap, same soap at the sink as the shower, in refillable pump containers.

As far as hygeine, every guest gets a fresh travel size bar of soap and as I only host one guest at a time, so no issues there.