Guests over using towels - Dealing with stains

1

Out of all the cleaning tasks, the one that takes the most time is cleaning towels. I have white cotton towels and I find it unbelievable the number of stains I have to deal with after each check-out. Stains are even harder to deal with if the towels have been used and re-used a number of times.

Since starting out I have increased the number of towels I give to my guests to 1 hand towel 1 bath towel per guest for every 2 nights. I explain to my guests that after 4 nights they can message me and I can go and pick up used towels to wash them and provide them with new towels.

The problem is that most guests do not take the offer, some even resort to using one towel per week! Imagine the stains sitting on the towel for a whole week :frowning:

Would it make sense to make it a point that guests to use all the towels provided? How could I word it?

Throwing away towels is far less ecologic than washing used ones

2

I buy cheap towels. You can usually find sales at around $4 usd a towel. I use them for cleaning or toss them out when get ruined by guests.

3

I had this problem often, and it would annoy me no end.

I managed to solve it by providing face/hand towels that were not white, plus a note on top of those saying ‘This is for stains, makeup etc’.

I’ve rarely had the issue since.

Obviously, these darker towels are much cheaper, I either wash them separately, or simply throw them if they are too stained.

You could further reinforce this if you wanted by saying stain on the whites will incur a charge of X $.

But you might want to try the first measure first and see if it makes a difference.

Let us know in a few weeks’ time if it did.

4

I realized my first day of hosting (almost eight years ago) white towels were going to be a no go. I bought colors to go with the decor of the room and now never have stains. Visible ones anyway, lol. I do replace them a lot. Kmart has the cannon brand often on sale for $3.99 for every size.

We had someone ages ago post that they worked for the company that services hotel linens, or maybe it was the soap. Now I totally forgot what he said but it was good advice so look it up! :kissing_heart:

Ive talked often about a product I stumbled upon, again at the Kona Kmart. It’s called LA’s Miracle… and so far this amazing stuff has removed all the stubborn stains I’ve had… including, but not limited to, salad dressing on my tablecloth, baby batter on the mattress pad, and BEST of all… the entire pot of coffee some clueless clods spilled on my carpet, (that was so bad I charged the guest for a carpet cleaner and some area rugs to cover it up. Which they gladly paid with apologies) nothing but nothing would get that coffee out. Not even the steam cleaner. Yet the LA miracle did. Every host needs to have some of it on hand. No I don’t work for them, just cannot stop singing its praises.

5

Of my 100 sets of guests, exactly three groups have left any kind of stains on my white towels. With one group, I actually lost three towels [2 hand, 1 bath] but thank goodness they were from an older purchase. Really odd that so many of you have so many more issues with this than I do.

6

I do the same- my towels are white, but I provide a basket of grey towels in the bathroom with a note to please use these if a towel is needed to remove makeup. I also provide face cleanser towelettes. Since doing this I haven’t had any significant staining issues. I think with my 80+ guests I’ve had this year, I’ve only lost a couple of towels, and they were usually washcloths. I just use them for cleaning, so it works out well.

Also… There are pretty decent $3 towels at Target. That’s what I use, and I haven’t had any complaints (and my rental is on the nicer end).

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7

I made the decision a while ago that all linen and towels would be white. I used to have colours but they stain just as much and the stains were so much harder to get out. Now with my white stuff, I just chuck it all in the tub with some bleach in the morning and by the time I come to wash it in the evening they are good as new! So easy. I have an extra set of sheets and towels per bed so I don’t have to worry about quick turnovers.
Some people say bleach will wear out your linens but I just bought the cheapest stuff I could find, and a year later it’s still all good! And with it being cheap I won’t be too upset when it does start to fade.
So white towels and linens has been my best decision when it comes to hosting, I think

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8

I suggest raising your price a little and buying new towels as often as need be. Like Stucker I don’t have many problems with stains on my white towels. I started with color towels and had more ruined by some sort of bleaching products. I’ve been able to get out the few stains I’ve had.

Don’t throw them away. Use them as rags or donate them. Here the animal shelters gladly take them.

You can ask them but you can’t control what they do, only your reactions to it.