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Berkeys are not simple water dispensers or simple filters like a Brita. They are designed for places where the water isn’t safe to drink and filter out 99.9 % of pathogens, have heavy duty filters that cost $100 pair, and that last up to7 years- that’s why they are expensive.
I have a large water dispenser in my shared kitchen and guests just refill their own water bottle or one I give them to use and no one has ever expressed any objection to that nor expected me to provide them with bottled water, which I would never do.
I leave filtered water in a bottle in the mini fridge and glasses in the room. I often leave the plastic single use bottles of still or sparkling water as well.
If I don’t leave plastic bottles the guests just use their own. Refusing to leave them plastic won’t help you at all. Leave guests who care about the environment an option.
I started using these about 3 years ago. Guests absolutely love them. The water on my refrigerator is filtered and I also have a spring water dispenser in the hall between the kitchen and their room for refilling.
I’m in an area where our water is questionable at best, DuPont/Chemours have been discharging into nearby areas for years and I won’t even drink the filtered water on the fridge.
Only ever had one guest take one by accident and he offered to return it.
I don’t know if those net things are still available - a mesh fabric circle with beads all around (I know what I’m talking about!) - but I used to use those sometimes. I’d put water in a nice glass jug with some sliced lemon, ice cubes and put them on a tray on in the fridge. (With the net thingy on top to keep out dust etc.)
During the house tour I’d get it out of the fridge saying something like “I imagine you’re thirsty after your journey”.
I wish I could remember what the net-beads-thingie were called.
ditto! except for actually telling them off, haha.
We supply water because on the farm our water is from a bore, plus rain water, all triple filtered but it does taste different. We buy a box of 5l water and keep that in the fridge, guests can fill up their own reusable bottles. We also have a note explaining why we do it, to reduce plastic waste.
In our other listings with small fridges we supply a carafe filled with water. We also supply milk in a glass bottle, as we found we were going through so many 1l bottles before, now we buy a 3l bottle and decant milk into sterilised bottles for guests. And again our note explains we do it that way to reduce plastic waste. No complaints and anyone who does would not get an apology from me.
I know what you mean!
I buy the silicon wrap things from ikea, they stretch over bowls and bottles. We also re-use gin bottles as they are very robust and we have glass corks for them that are easily cleaned.
I think the best solution is to provide guests with reusable bottles, and you don’t have to purchase any, you can re-use plenty of alcohol bottles, they are well made, fun shapes and easy to clean and guests are not going to steal them, or hard plastic drinking glasses.
we don’t have that challenge … haha. We’ve been reusing gin bottles for years as our bedside table water bottles, and vases. A local distillery does gin in smaller amber bottles and these are particularly nice to use. A nice local touch but also environmentally friendly.
Forty-five years ago, before the days of personal water bottles, I fashioned a portable water bottle for my then 5 year-old. She was a big water drinker and it seemed whenever we left the house she asked for water and I’d have to find her some. (Friends, when we visited, would always ask “Would you like some juice, or milk, sweetie?” Her answer was always “No, water”.)
So I used an empty mickey bottle, and made a canvas holder for it with a shoulder strap, so she always had some water with her.
One day I was washing dishes and saw her in the yard drinking out of her bottle and then collapsing on the ground. I rushed out and carried her in, and she smelled of alcohol. Turned out she had poured some of our vodka she had seen us drinking into her little bottle.
How about leaving a Brita jug (or similar brand) on a bedside tray in each bedroom with a couple of clean glasses. The inconvenience (to the guest) of having to refill is no greater than the inconvenience (if you can call it that) of fetching replacement bottles from the pantry.
Also – how is the local water supply? If it’s not pristine, then it is understandable that people are nervous. I am lucky enough to live in an area where tap water is totally reliable, and so I created the poster below, laminated it, put it up in the kitchen (inside a cupboard door), and always point it out during my three-minute “orientation” when a new guest arrives. Once they’ve seen this poster, there is seldom any talk of bottled water.
I am leaning towards a carafe and glass - full carafe the first night of their stay, and recommending that they refill it from my 3 excellent sources. I found this:
I have a dishwasher so I am fine to wash when turning the room over. I am not happy with guests using my expensive compostable paper cups to shuttle water to their rooms, only to throw the cup awa they next morning (sometimes multiple cups used). T
