nope, that is all. I think we can safely assume that. 
Also, to add to your reasoning, in an era of banning single use plastic, why are these still made?
1 Like
It just reflects what WE have been asked for the most. The shower caps get used either for their intended purpose or, we have noticed, for covering food plates/bowls in the fridge. Either way, they are usually used.
We used to put out hand soap at economy level but it was never used, whereas the higher level units do use it.
1 Like
Only you can really gauge this by your feedback and researching similar properties. If you decide to add it or anything else it goes into your asking price.
BTW, yes we do always give toilet tissue, didn’t regard that as optional.
1 Like
We’re a fly-to location and don’t have any stores easily accessible, so I expected our guests would need toothpaste frequently. We have three bedrooms, and I put a small tube out in each bedroom on a tray in an area separate from the sink.
Last year we had 40 bookings. If everyone took all the toothpaste we would have gone through 120 tubes of toothpaste. We actually went through 15, and most of those were partially used and left.
@gillian - Keep on doing what you are doing with the toothpaste in the “forget something?” basket. That’s enough, especially if you are a drive-to location.
2 Likes
This reminds us that many listings are different from our own.
1 Like
I keep spare tooth brushes and single use tubes of toothpaste in the house. I expect most people would bring their own toothpaste but it’s nice there is some available if it was forgotten. I found it does get used, but VERY slowly. Personally post-pandemic me cringes at the mere thought of a “public” toothpaste. All I can think… is … GERMS. Personally I won’t use an open bar of soap either.
2 Likes
I found that some people would open the tube and use a little, then put the cap on and put it back on the tray. No idea why! So I started getting the tubes in boxes. More waste, but at least it was easy to tell if the tube was used or not so we didn’t get complaints about “public” toothpaste.
2 Likes
Toothpaste is a hygiene issue because people might touch their toothbrush to the top.
While we all have our “ick” triggers, a shared bar of soap is, in fact, not a hygiene problem. The whole point of soap is that it kills bacteria and deactivates viruses. And if one is concerned anyway, or finds it unappealing, it can just be held under running water for a minute to dissolve the top layer.
I’m not promoting using a large bar of soap that doesn’t get changed between guests though. I provide travel-size bars that come in a little cardboard box as well as liquid soap. I’ve found the majority of my guests never use the bar soap.
If I do find a partially used travel-size bar after check-out, I just use the rest myself- I don’t have any qualms about used bars of soap.
1 Like
When I was growing up, everyone had shower caps to protect women’s hairstyles. At least one of my friends has her hair professionally done and uses a shower cap when traveling to to keep the hairstyle dry. Black people often use shower caps, one was left behind by an Asian guest and nicer hotels still commonly have them in the bathroom toiletries assortment.
2 Likes
I have long hair that tangles easily, and I usually pin it up and put on a shower cap for those showers when I’m not washing my hair. I provide dollar-store shower caps, too. We don’t go through many, but it certainly reinforces the impression that we provide “everything you need and more”. I spent about $15US on them five years ago and put them individually into little tiny ziploc bags.
1 Like
Oh, then they’ll ask for sanitary napkins, facial wipes, hand cream, sleeping mask, bath salts. Who says they should stop at travel size toothpaste?
I had guests who stole my 1l bottle of shampoo just because it was there.
I would actually consider sanitary pads or tampons to be more essential than toothpaste. You can brush your teeth without toothpaste, but short of putting a washcloth in your underwear, being caught without menstrual supplies has more of an impact.
I have a couple of sanitary pads in my “help yourself to what you need” basket that would tide a woman over until she could get to a store. I really only provide soap as far as toiletries go - that basket basically consists of things guests, visiting friends or family have left behind, or things I bought for myself that I didn’t like, not things I purchased specifically for guests. Right now there is sunscreen, shampoo, men’s shaving cream, bandaids, and some moisturizer in that basket, along with the sanitary pads, cotton balls, earplugs, and Qtips I do provide.
I wouldn’t leave an entire box of sanitary pads or tampons, though. The idea is that there are just a couple for emergency needs.
Me, Muddy! I use a shower cap all the time. If I’m taking a bath or shower, and not washing my hair during said bath or shower, I’ll have a shower cap on.
I provide one for guests but I don’t think they have been used for than a couple of times.
I found the most frequent personal hygiene type consumables that were taken by guests if put them out on offer were toothbrushes, small tubes of toothpaste, and razors. Once I saw guests almost invariably took those things, I changed my strategy. Now, I put out just one cheap toothbrush, one tube of regular size, very cheap, Ultra Brite brand toothpaste, and one very cheap disposable razor.
The toothpaste cost a dollar a tube for a regular 6 ounce tube. I found that while guests almost invariably take the travel size toothpaste, they seldom take or use the large, cheap toothpaste.
I’ve also found that they seldom use or take the cheap disposable Bic razor I put out.
Same thing with the really cheap toothbrushes. They don’t seem to get taken or used as much.
So I get credit for offering these things, and they are there for the guests who really need them, but they are seldom used or taken because they are obviously not desirable or worth adding to their luggage and taking home.
4 Likes
interesting strategy.
back in the 80s my dad managed rural budget motels and they had towels in revolting colours: brown, orange, green. he told me it was because people weren’t going to steal ugly brown or orange towels. Seemed smart, even if the aesthetics were off. it was the 80s…
6 Likes
Okay, well I guess I lead a really sheltered life, as several here have said they use shower caps.
I have long hair and definitely don’t wash my hair every time I shower, but I don’t really understand why anyone needs a shower cap- I just clip my hair up and angle the shower head so my hair doesn’t get wet. Same for a bath, how would my hair get wet in a bath if it’s clipped up?
I’ll just have to file this away in the “things I’ll never understand” folder, along with why anyone uses a separate “washing up bowl” for dishes when they have a double kitchen sink. 
That they only cost 10 cents each isn’t what would concern me. I just hate buying more plastic throw-away garbage.
1 Like
That’s funny- my towels are orange, brown, and green. No guest has ever stolen one, but I don’t think it has anything to do with the colors, because some guests have commented on how they liked the color, it’s just that my guests have never stolen anything.
1 Like
The shower caps I use are the same as the ones I provide the guests. They are not disposable. They are heavy duty ones that are designed to be washed and reused.
2 Likes