Thanks @anon67190644 . Maybe my guests are not asking me for the iron because they might not even have read the listing completely.
@Vera that is always a possibility. I have the iron and ironing board in the AirBNB rooms. Of course, I have no idea if they knew upon arrival that an iron was an option, or if they were pleased to find one.
1 Like
I have quite a few guests who use the iron and ironing board. Like @anon67190644 we keep them on a hook in the closet like this. The guests who use the iron are usually people who are here for business purposes. The first time someone asked for the iron and ironing board I couldnāt believe my ears. I havenāt ironed for decades. Fortunately, we had the iron and ironing board stored in the garage, so we put them in the guest room. Recently, a guest who was here for business told me that a clothes steamer would be a nice amenity.
1 Like
Do those steamers work?
Iāve never used one. The guest who suggested that we get one really liked them. I donāt think it will take the place of an iron. I think it will be for people who want to remove most of the wrinkles, but find ironing to be a hassle. Personally, I just put whatever I want to wear that is wrinkled in the bathroom while I shower. Call me low tech.
1 Like
Got it. We are the same here. I only iron the absolute necessary piece of clothes, and hubby is starting to buy wrinkle free items of clothes for himself (office shirts).
It just always thought it seems so easy when I see a clerk steaming clothes in a store, didnāt know it is only to remove minor wrinkles.
We have an iron and an ironing board. Whenever guests ask to use them, which they do in some cases, weāre happy to provide them.
1 Like
I think I have had 2 or 3 in 115 groups request it. People who are here for weddings and funerals often do. Oh, wait, twice I had groups of guys - one group of amazingly gorgeous young men from Sweden, and one other group - they spent a ton of time getting ready to go, and ironed all their shirts impeccably. Boy, they smelled good going on the door, too!!
1 Like
When I first started a B and B I served guests a continental breakfast and joined them at the table with my coffee so we could chat. I served coffee or tea, juice, good French bread, butter, jam and imported cheese (because we eat cheese ourselves). But I was much younger and had more energy. Now I am much older and cannot rise by 8 or even 9 am for health reasons. So I still offer breakfast but do it differently. I set up the automatic coffee maker the night before, tell guests where the juice and milk are (in the refrigerator) and leave out best quality sliced bread, butter and jam on the table (they wont spoil overnight). So they have to pour their own juice, milk for coffee and make toast. I leave cheese out if they want it. No one has complained. I have fulfilled my responsibilities as a real Bed and Breakfast host, and I find that the guests are quite understanding about my sleep needs. Sometimes my husband joins them. It is not uncommon for guests to skip breakfast entirely if they are joining family or friends or have an urgent professional appointment. I wish I were younger because I miss having conversations with Europeans about politics, art, travel,
profession, etc. That is the best part of being a B and B host: meeting new people and learning about their lives.
Me too. I always point them out during the house tour with the comment ābut Iām sure that you havenāt come on vacation to do the ironingā. 
But nevertheless, we have had several guests who have really appreciated the facility - business people, couples who are attending weddings and. most recently, a couple who were attending a posh awards ceremony. As a guess, Iād say that the iron and ironing board are used by about 25% of guests.
P.S. The ironing board is one of the small tabletop variety because our rental apartment is pretty tiny.
2 Likes
I have a few guests who request the iron and ironing board. Itās no problem as long as they avert their eyes to the mess in the cupboard from which I take it! I had one guest a few years back who presented himself during booking as a laid-back student backpacking around Europe. Just my kind of guest! Turned out he was a very prim and proper person who could barely hold a conversation and went to bed at 9pm every night in flannel pyjamas. Oh well, whatever, he was nice enough. Anyway, on his last day he confessed to me that heād had an accident in the room and wanted to make reparation. Apparently, this laid back guy was travelling with an iron in his backpack, and not just a lightweight travel iron but a proper heavy one. Heād knocked it over on the rug (presumably when ironing said pyjamas, or possibly his boxer shorts) and damaged it irreparably. It wasnāt an expensive rug and he paid the full amount in cash to replace it but it still makes me laugh now. I think he was more upset about all the fur stuck to his precious iron. If only heād just asked me for an ironing board. People are funny!
4 Likes
@Vera that is always a possibility. I hold back enough towels to āserviceā the next guests as a rule of thumb these days. I store the extra towels in a separate room, which does require another room which not all folks have. I have to move those extra towels and linens to my office when I have a personal guest in my guest room and when the housecleaner comes every two weeks, so she can vacuum that guest room.
Our own room configurations do inform our choices.
1 Like
Very good option.
I have a cabinet in the shared bathroom where I leave fresh towels stored. Not for their use as I out enough towels in their room plus a clean robe. Most of my guests donāt open the cabinets to sneak around, but the ones that do try to get a clean towel for each shower.
So what I was doing when those guests were here , I would just wash the towels and hang to dry , and would only remove from the clothesline after they check out, so they would not be doing that.
Both my rental rooms have a microwave on top of the little fridge, and a coffee maker on a tray on top of the microwave.
I built a closet into the hallway outside their door and made a little kitchen closet. I put a small fridge and microwave and I put my kettle with some tea and some good quality instant coffee. For under $50 I shouldnāt get complaints. There is still a door to my home and people can come in and get fresh ground and brewed coffee if itās that important to them. But Iām also open to adding a shelf or cabinet and putting a small coffee maker. Here it is without the kettle and coffee makings on top.
If you did that, would they have the need to come in the main house at all? So they would get their water from the bathroom sink?
Yes. But some people want to see the dogs or need something else. Thatās fine with me if itās convenient. I hope Iām offering the best of both worlds: complete, separate privacy if you want it or a live on site host with a home.
Its not a question of being āgood enoughā its about custom and habits places are self catering. We leave an electric kettle , a coffee plunger, a toaster etc together with a small supply of tea , coffee, milk some cookies and sometimes a bottle of wine, a bottle of sparkling water.
1 Like
That story literally had me laughing out loud! What a funny, funny guy!!!
Thank you Eberhard_Blocher!
Bnb means bed and breakfast.
If you do not serve breakfast, you are not a Bnb.
Full stop.
This is not a complicated matter.
I serve oatmeal to my guests (it pleases most all parties as it is wheat free, meat free, nut free, dairy free, vegan) [and itās cheap so doesnāt hurt my bottom line].