What soap do you provide for guests?

Answered!
Sharla0
Level 4
Chattanooga, TN

What soap do you provide for guests?

We try to run as close to a zero-waste operation as possible, so we provide guests with liquid soap in a pump dispenser in both the shower and beside the bathroom sink; yet we've found that some guests want bar soap.

 

We have yet to find a way to provide tiny bar soap that will work for only a few uses where we are not wasting soap and packaging.

 

Ideas? What do you use?

1 Best Answer
Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Sarah977

I know what you are saying Sarah but.....soap is a personal thing. Would you want to use someone elses soap?? If I left a used cake of soap out for the next guest I would be crucified for it......and rightly so. This is why the hotel/motel industry supplies mini-cakes, soap is something you only share with family members, and even in our house Ade has her soap and I have mine! Although that is not a hygiene thing, we just prefer different smells, textures! Ade likes hers with chunks of outmeal in it! It sort of feels like scrubbing yourself with a sanding block to me, but she likes it!

 

Sarah, I guess we all have a different perceptions. In this country we have been fortunate enough to avoid major disasters and our social security system is such that there are very few who have to actually scrounge their way through life. Sure we have our homeless, but their numbers are very minimal and they are well supported by aid agencies...Red Cross, St Vincent De Paul, Salvation Army, Foodbank, the Smith Family....and a number of other private aid providers. The requirement to give a used cake of soap to someone else, in reality doesn't exist here....it would be seen (and in general) taken as an insult!

If I offered one of our Meals on Wheels clients a cake of used soap they would probably tell me not to call with a meal again!

 

It's not like shop fruit or bakery products or packaged goods that have hit the best before date, soap is something that someone else has used on their body, and to us...that is the way it is best left!

 

Cheers......Rob

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61 Replies 61
Vanessa-and-Kurt0
Level 10
Farmington, CT

We provide both but only because my husband travels and stays in a lot of hotels so he brings home extra litle soaps, lotions and hair products. How weird that someone would ASK for bar soap if liquid soap is available. I guess you can say no and explain about the waste, sanitary issues with reuse of a full bar or cost in a super positive manner, or buy a few at a discount store for those who ask and just let them take it home?

Carolyn122
Level 3
Albuquerque, NM

We use travel sized bars of Sappo Hill soap but I believe they have a 20 dollar order minimum.  They are a buck each and I do wish they were smaller as I do end up tossing out quite a few bars that were only half used. 

Ken28
Level 10
Newburgh, IN

I bought a handful of 'hotel soaps' at my local Bargain Hunt store. They were about 10 to 50 cents a piece.

 

You can also find hotel soaps online.

I get hotel soaps at aBundle.com for as low 20 cents apiece. Reduces waste and they also look nice. 

Ken,

Where do you buy the 'hotel soaps' at my local Bargain Hunt store". 

Christian65
Level 10
Copenhagen, Denmark

I provide ecofriendly liquid soap without any perfume, zero parabens and colourants.
-both handsoap and for the shower. 
I only buy shampoo that is 100% ecofriendly. No L'oreal or Palmolive etc and I've never had complaints about this selection.

 

I have experienced guests buying their own shampoo or shower gel which of course is totally up to them but I've never had issues with my eco-friendly choices.

 

I did have som Americans who brought their own soap bar but I ended up throwing it out as I don't find it appealing when first used.

Mystic-Whaler0
Level 2
New London, CT

I provide liquid body wash. I would not want to leave soap bars not only because of the waste but also because they leave significantly more scum in the shower and contribute to clogging/slowing plumbing. I've never had a guest ask for one either. Usually, if guests are picky, they just bring their own. 

Paul154
Level 10
Seattle, WA

Soap bars are problematic.

Run your house as you run your household.

That is what Airbnb is/should be about.

zero-waste is good.

 

Karen-and-Brian0
Level 10
Bragg Creek, Canada

Hi @Sharla0 We have the same aim as you - in trying to cut down on waste, and we have a septic system, so we try to be eco-friendly as well. Our hand soap, body wash, shampoo & conditioner are all in refillable pump dispensors. One of our daughters took a soap making class and had a lot of small travel size bars that she donated to us in the beginning & I've found that about 50% of guests tended to prefer them.  I wrapped them & set out a fresh bar each time, threw away what wasn't used at the end of each guest stay. When we ran out, she wasn't interested in making more (darn it!!) so I looked on etsy.com for more small sized bar soap & found no end of crafty artisan types who sell exactly that - vegan, eco-friendly, lots of different scents etc. & great prices too! It's up to you if you want to supply bar soap for your guests or not - whatever fits best for you. 🙂 Karen

I'm new to hosting but I'm going to buy small bars from the dollar store and cut them in half but provide liquid soap as well. 

Wayne9
Level 4
Metairie, LA

You could consider keeping a couple of those "hotel" style bar soaps in the bathroom cabinet so that if a guest asks for it, you can have it there.  I would think the large majority of guests will go with the liquid soap you provide and you won't use that much of the bar soap anyway.  But I would rather be accomodating than have to appologize for not having something

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

I find this to be true (sorry Wayne, cannot tag you). I put full sized re-fillable bottles of liquid hand soap, showergel, shampoo and conditioner in the bathrooms, but also leave travel sized toiletries, including bar soaps (I stay in a lot of hotels for work, so usually have a few of these), in the bedrooms. The vast majority of guests use the liquid soap and very, very few use the bar soaps, but they are there as an option for those who prefer them.

 

I think it's up to the individual host to choose though. If lots of guests used the bar soap, I might stop providing it as I also prefer to keep waste to a minimum and the bar soap makes more of a mess in the bathrooms, leaving soapscum on the shower screens etc.

Alyssa99
Level 2
Colorado Springs, CO

We put out individual "hotel-size" soaps for guests.  We buy them by the case, so they aren't too expensive... they are very convienient and guests seem to appreciate them. 

 

Below is the link... we get them from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/s?marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=A3AUQIOOBZTL8N&merchant=A3AUQIOOBZTL8N 

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