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Bleach, rinse, dry is perfectly safe. Google it.
I also started using glass bottles. I put all the caps in a nylon mesh bag on the top rack of the dishwasher. I don’t do anything more than that but if I wanted to I could then dunk and swish that bag in a bucket of bleach solution and then use the bucket of solution to clean other things or pour down drains to freshen.
I would advice everyone to not offer breakfast . It’s a waste of time and money. Many people will not eat your breakfast . I provide coffee and tea and 90% of my guests go to Starbucks around the corner which I find very silly. For me to have coffee in a morning is important . This is how I start my day for many years but I was very surprised how many guests said No to my offer.
Don’t bother with breakfast especially if it’s totally separate unit. Just put coffee and tea there with sugar and creamer
I offer a breakfast in mine. Pretty much all of my guests have used it. (about 35-40 people). I offer cereal, bread for toast, some baked goods (if I bake, oatmeal), etc and tea and coffee of course. I just upped my cost for the night by a few dollars. Doing the math I am averaging spending $1.39 CAD on breakfast per person per day, a bit more if I offer bagels and cream cheese since cream cheese is a little costly. It is up to you, I have had most of my people that stayed say they picked my place over others in the area because I offered breakfast… And I am booked 80% of the time.
I provide coffee, juice, some dry goods like oatmeal, eggs, condiments, pancakes mixes, and stuff like that. Many guests do not take advantage of the breakfast/food items we leave out. Many of these are single serve items which are much more expensive than bulk items, so I’m glad most people don’t use them.
I spend roughly $100 every quarter on these items, so maybe $25/mth? I know I should keep better track of this… Hard to say. I let my clients (owners) decide what they will provide to guests. The only rentals I force them to provide some basic items for consuming are places where there just is no way to go grocery shopping, and out to eat. I pass that cost onto the owner. Most owners do not provide anything, even condiments.
Coffee here. Portland has too many great places to eat so we’ve avoided offering breakfast foods; but we’ve offered instant oatmeal in the past and surprisingly it’s been a hit for some because it’s not something they will treat themselves to at home! We do offer basic cooking supplies like vegetable oil and a few different spices for cooking. Actually, I think some guests donated the vegetable oil!
The stuff in the packets? That’s a treat? Crazy.
My breakfast is a HUGE hit! Virtually every guest eats it. I do a traditional breakfast of eggs, bacon, hash browns but in many different ways. Sometimes pancakes or french toast. The cost is built into the price of the room. It separates me from other listings and I get a lot of business because of it. If it works for hosts to provide it, then why not? If hosts don’t want to do it then that’s fine, too.
Same here. Gets mentioned in about 75% of the reviews. Who wants to leave the house to eat breakfast? To have your first cup of coffee? Who doesn’t want to enjoy their morning at their own speed? How many people are thrilled to enjoy a cup of tea while their spouse showers or debates their outfits for the day?
The only people who eat the oatmeal packets, which are in addition to the prepared breakfasts, are the younger folks. Teenage and kids in their 20’s can eat! And do.
I get a lot of business without beeakfast. My advise was for those who don’t want to serve breakfast but feel
Like they are obligated to. If you enjoy spending your time ipreparing breakfast and built your schedule around it then it’s fine. In my case and many others it become a task. Also I if I was your guest I wouldn’t eat 90% of what you are offering like hash browns, bacon, Toast or pancakes.
I’ll have what she isn’t having.
You can, but it has a chloriney taste. They assure us it’s perfectly safe, but I don’t believe them. And whether it’s safe or not, it tastes terrible. We won’t drink it so we don’t think our guests should have to drink it either. So, the refilling of bottles has become a daily part of our lives, one of those little chores you just have to do!
I would like to offer breakfast because I agree with those of you who said - what guest wants to leave the house on an empty stomach in a frantic search for food. It would be nice for them to have something they could eat before they start their day.
But geesh, some of the things you guys do just seem like so much work and expense! I guess I’ll keep trying to figure some way to do it without driving us too crazy.
We’re ten minutes walk from the town centre, so we offer cereal, fruit, yoghurt and toast (home-made bread and preserves). We get fabulous comments - “outstanding”, “wonderful breakfast”, &c - and many people have said that they’ve chosen us because we do breakfast. So it’s a definite win for us.
We have a big Britta Ultramax. Guests often bring their own water bottles or use a glass and help themselves. It works well to remove chlorine taste.
I offer a modern style Japanese breakfast which is Japanese style bread and squeeze serve spreads. Fruit jelly in the fridge and milk for the nespresso and tea selection.
I just finished a 4 day stretch of 9 guests for breakfast each day. It’s not too hard or expensive to whip up some bacon and eggs or make pancakes or french toast. I budget $6 per person per day which is built into the room price. I think it’s easier and has less waste than a continental breakfast. Last year, I once served breakfast to 18 guests (although they didn’t all sleep over)!
I don’t offer breakfast but my snacks include coffee, peanut butter/cheese crackers, water, granola bars and cookie packs that can “make do” if the guest doesn’t have time to go to a store or drive thru.
That’s a shame about your tap water, ours taste really good.
Have you tried buying water filter jugs instead of having to wash out bottles all the time?
For example, https://www.brita.co.uk/fill-and-enjoy
The quality and taste of water varies from place to place but I found the Brita didn’t make enough difference for me. Once I got a dispenser that heats and cools the 3/5 gallon jugs I drink a lot more hot tea in winter, cold water in summer and I notice the taste difference. I wish I didn’t because I’d be happy to drink tap water and let guests fend for themselves.
As you say it depends where you live. I am happy with our tap water but I have family members that swear by the difference a Britta filter or similar makes.