Now that we are getting a bit more settled in our new home I...
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Now that we are getting a bit more settled in our new home I need to begin moving onto marketing and booking. I have homewor...
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Hi! I am a very new host that rents a cabin in the woods in a fairly rural area. I am having a major issue with my white sheets constantly being stained with blood, mud, dirt, you name it. I have a cleaning person and she hasn't mentioned it, but on occasion, I clean the cabin myself and I am always stressed about not being able to get the sheets cleaned with just a wash. Guests are soiling the lightweight quilts I have as well and dirt/mud won't come out of those either (even if I bleach). Please help!
Would colored sheets/blankets help? Is there some special trick to getting all that out of white sheets? I am stressing because I spent a lot of money on sheets and backup sheets and now I feel like I can't use any of them if they have a small stain on them that I can't get out. I don't want to risk a bad review.
Thank you for any advice.
We have a similar property but I rarely notice that the bedding has stains. If bleach doesn't help, then yes would suggest darker colors.
Thank you!
@Marissa160 One of the skills hosts need to learn is laundry hacks. What methods to use to get various types of stains out.
For instance, blood stains need to be treated by soaking the item in cold water for awhile, and using hydrogen peroxide on the stain. If you just throw them in the wash with hot water, that sets the stain in so it never comes out, even with bleach.
Protein-based stains, like food and blood, are cleaned differently from grease-based stains.
You can do research online for removing every kind of stain imaginable, although there are a few things that stain irretrievably, like acne medication. But most stains can be removed with the right products and some effort. Of course you can't be buying new sheets all the time.
Some hosts swear by white-they like the fact that they can be bleached and that stains can be easily seen for pre-treating before washing.
Other hosts like colored or patterned bedding (I'm in that camp). That can make a small stain virtually unnoticeable, but for the most part, colored bedding won't "hide" stains. They will still be visible as a darker or lighter area. So it's a personal choice.
If you have 3 sets of sheets for each bed, you don't have to stress out about trying to remove stains quickly- you put clean, stored sheets on when turning over the cabin, take any stained things that need special treatment home to deal with at your convenience, and have an extra set of clean ones on hand for emergencies.
Thank you so much! That is a good point, I don't always have time to treat the stains because we have another set of guests coming. I should have more than two sets I think. Because I live two hours away, I would need time to pick up the stained sheets, treat them at home, then bring them back.
@Marissa160 we have 3 sets for each bed. Sometimes pillowcases go missing so we have some extras on top of that. We are also remote hosts and our cleaner will take laundry home if we have had a group that used a lot of linens. She just doesn't always have time to wash them on site as she has other houses to get to. We have done the same thing. In my experience more sheets are better. We store the extras in a locked shed and only leave out what guests should use.
@Laura2592 Thank you so much for the feedback! I will aim for at least three sets as I only have two for each bed currently. Being a remote host is so hard! We love that people are enjoying the cabin but I feel like I am there every week checking on things. Maybe over time I will become less of a control freak LOL.
@Marissa160 we are at ours typically 2 times a week disinfecting after a clean. It is a pain but it really does help to make sure that your space isn't damaged and refill things that run out.
Darker colors are worse. White is right. Just have at least two sets of everything. That way, when something is discolored, or damaged, your cleaning service has more time to get it right, without inconveniencing your next guest, or getting bad review for having dirty stuff.
Likewise, make sure that all of your rugs, etc. are bought in pairs, and washable.
Amazon Basics makes some really good value sheets. Wayfair has some rugs, and mats, that are well suited to STR/VR hosting.
Last, budget into your nightly rate the costs of sheets, etc. You will have loss, every year, guarantee it. It’s better to just price it in, than fight with guests over damages fees, and get bad ratings for being a nitpicky host.
@Brian1613 Thank you so much! I don't have a backup rug, that is good advice too. I appreciate it. I will stick with the white sheets then and just plan to replace them a little more frequently.
Oxyclean works wonders. Spray stains with Oxyclean. Let soak for 20 - 30 minutes. Rub and agitate a little by hand to break up the stains. Then soak in hot water and bleach for 30 minutes to an hour. Then do your regular wash with detergent, bleach, and the hot water washer setting.
You must wash white sheets and towels in bleach after EVERY guest, or those sheets will start to become off-white. I soak in a bucket of bleach/hot water for 50 minutes before washing after every guest.
We only use white sheets. We have several sets of sheets to prepare for these instances and we simply consider stains to be a cost of doing business. Yes, as others suggest, there are different ways to handle each type of stain and we attempt to remove them. But then again, you can always set an additional linens fee on your listing and prepare to replace your linens ever so often.