Do you wash the bed linen and towels your guests use in your own washing machine?

He’s clearly stated that it’s already set due to his wife’s needs but didn’t state that at the outset. I much prefer people who are honest in the first post. I understand that I need to scroll on and quit wasting my time but it’s hard to tell who is going to be the waste of time at first.

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thank you. I learned something new today. I’ll check it out, especially that I tend to wash the laundry with cold water and just extra soak and extra rinse.

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Well as the OP I wasn’t sure what comments I would get. There seem to be some persuasive arguments for not caring about washing guests clothes in your own machine which I might show my wife. You never know, she might change her mind. The analogy with restaurant dishes is a good one. Plus we do sleep on hotel sheets but we never use their towels :slight_smile:

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I was told by a drain man to use liquid laundry detergent rather than powder because powder blocks the drains.

This thread has me fascinated!
I have never looked at my washing machine with suspicion before…
But I have to ask - what is the problem with hotel towels?

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Our repair guy recommended the same. We are heading his advice. We are in the tropics and on the beach, so unfortunately he also recommend to get the ‘stupidest’ model with the least amount of bells and whistles.

ME TOO!!! In my rentals I have stacked but full sized washers & dryers with only basic functions for 2 reasons:

  1. Some people don’t have the more technically sophisticated appliances at home so they are unfamiliar with how to work them. Of course reading the instructions is not going to happen so they are more likely to accidentally break or abuse them.

  2. The high-tech appliances are more expensive. My condos are marketed as comfortable and budget friendly.

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No idea if I am travelling with my wife, we never use them :frowning: And recently at an AirBnB the hostess noted we hadn’t used her towels. She wasn’t offended - she said it saved her some laundry!

We have these here also but they are very expensive and quite heavy. Heavy is an issue since my drier is hung on the wall upside down and I doubt if a condensing drier could be hung that way

The biggest problem with laundry detergent is overdosing.
This happens with both liquid and powder.
People tend to think that a bit of extra detergent will make laundry cleaner.

Of you overdose liquid, your machine will start clogging up with grey-goo/mold.
If you overdose powder, you will get stains on your clothing and your drains could clog.

The main advantage here is that powder is much easier to dose, a but too much and you can just empty your scoop again and start over. Ever tried putting the liquid back in the bottle without making a mess?

Also, remember, in the pas nobody needed to add any of that expensive oxy powders, but nowadays, it seems everyone uses and needs them. That is because that component is missing from the liquid detergents, and now needs to be added separately.

For black and sensitive stuff we also use liquids, but for all other stuff we use powder.
Especially for whites, there is noting better than powder. If you use liquid for white towels, or sheets, they will start to become gray over time.

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It’s super easy to dose using the lid of the liquid detergent. I’ve never found anything which keeps whites white long term. I’m not risking a drain incident again, so will avoid power just for that reason.

I wash the linens in my washing machine and dry them in my drier. I figure they are cleaned well enough with this system. If I had to schlep them to a local laundromat I would give up renting.

Seeing as we’re sharing valuable tips… I just put the laundry in the machine with powder (gasp) and wash on 40 degrees. Sometimes I even put my underwear in the wash with the guests bedding. Pause for…

smelling salts done their job?

OK, well this is beyond a first world problem.
Just maintain your machine, people. It needs cleaned every now and then just like every other appliance. Clean out all the trays and filters on a regular basis, including the drum, and run a super hot bleach wash through it once in a while. Job done.

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I stopped putting any of my stuff in with Air room stuff because I found a sock of mine in the Airbnb bedding once. It had to be there when I made the bed. I don’t think the guest was aware but I’m not going to risk a guest pulling back the sheet to find my (freshly laundered) grannie panties in their bed.

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Well, I’m sure that you’re like me and have found guests’ underwear in the bed?

Although what has puzzled me for a few years is how a pair of men’s underpants found their way into the bottom drawer of the living room credenza :thinking: :wink:

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Naw, just takin’ care of my guests! There is a completely different side to me – such as when the dog came in at 2 a.m. and barfed dead birdie parts on the bed I was sleeping in. I just picked them up with a plastic bag, wiped the rest with some Kleenex and went back to sleep. Whilst the other dog had been drooling on me all night due to recent tooth extractions. I dealt with the washing up later.

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Nope. I found a guest sock in the bed, several lone socks under the bed. One woman left her nightgown hanging in bathroom. One pair of men’s underwear under the bed not in it. One perfectly good white t-shirt in the trash. That’s the entirety of clothing findings.

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Wow! Lucky. I’m amazed at what all I find, too.

Ah yes, this is always a potential risk. It often happens with my own bedding. But I iron all the guest linens so I’d notice. Yeah, I know, most people think it’s ridiculous to do that but I have a system that makes it quick and it’s something that perhaps mitigates some of the failings of my place…!

Bottom drawer of the bed side table, a very life like, very “pink”, with matching pink straps… now check the drawers every time!
And - nobody claimed it…

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