We have a shared coin op w/d in a separate laundry room. It’s in our listing, but we never mention it when giving a tour. If the guest requests it we show them the key and we provide detergent. So far (only hosting since last November) we’ve only had two guests use it.
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I prefer guests don’t strip the beds. I like to look at everything carefully for stains first.
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As a guest I find it really helpful to have detergent available. Who wants to have to go out and buy a huge container just to do a wash or two?
I would keep it to the basics though - fabric softener, bleach etc are extras to my mind. A basic laundry soap or detergent would be enough.
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It’s a real hassle when you’re traveling to find laundry detergent for just a load. Now I actually bring pods with me when I travel to avoid that. I agree it’s such a benefit for someone to provide it!
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My rental has a laundry room at the end of the hall on just about every floor with coin-operated machines.
I provide a huge box of powder laundry detergent that the guests can help themselves to (it’s lighter and easier to transport than liquid and can’t be easily packed into their luggage like gel pods). I also provide a laundry basket in the unit and a wheeled cart to transport it down the hall.
I have provided exact coinage to give “favored” guests a couple of free washes and dries ($8 value) but have never…ever received an acknowledgement or thank you. So it was an experiment gone bad. They are obviously part of the new breed of guests and can fend for themselves as far as I’m concerned.
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There are small boxes available or travel packages of Ariel capsules containing 3 capsules available in almost every store, at least in Europe. On some occassions when I was expecting to wash during my trip I was also carrying a small plastic bag with me containing enough powder for two loads. There is no need to buy big packages of anything. I appreciate if I find some detergent in the house but I would never simply expect it to be provided.
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I travel with some Tide and Woollite single packets which are available at CVS, target, and BB&B. This way I know that I won’t get a rash or be itchy which can happen when I use a random detergent at a laundromat.
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uh, who wants to do laundry on holiday? Basically i offer what a hotel would and they charge for laundry / dry cleaning. No free laundry here.
I like to do laundry when I’m on vacation. If I can do laundry I can pack less and I don’t have to bring dirty clothes home.
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If you provide access / use of laundry it seems petty to not provide detergent. It is around $10-15 cents a load, so a cheap nice amenity to provide.
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100% of my guests who stay with me for more than 4 nights do laundry. I do not offer it in my home since the stairs to the basement is very tight, narrow, and frankly, dangerous. We have two laundromats within walking distance, so I offer them an IKEA bag to carry their laundry. To date, guests have all chosen the laundromat that has the fancy donut shop on one side and the hipster coffee shop across the street. I am not a donut person, but evidently this place, a copy of VooDoo donuts in Portland, OR, is worth the line.
Same here. I micro pack now.
I can travel Europe for 3 weeks with a carry-on size backpack, and do wine tasting in California for a week with only a tote bag (personal size to go under the seat - no purse). We’re doing a motorcycle tour for 17 days with only 1.13 cubic feet of room for my clothes.
I would far rather do laundry than lug around a heavy suitcase.
I’ve taught courses on packing light, and it relies on there being machines available for washing (or having to hand wash). When touring, I look for places that have laundry available. I really appreciate it when detergent is provided, but I bring along a few laundry tabs in case there isn’t.
@SandyToes that was very generous of you to give change to people for laundry! I’m sorry your guests didn’t show appreciation. If the machines were chargeable I would expect to pay that myself, so I would have been really grateful if my host had thought of that!
Thanks, @CanadianHost – when I stay at my rental, I find it a pain in the petootie to scrounge up 8 quarters to do a load of wash and 8 more quarters to dry. None of the nearby shops will give change without a purchase (grrr!) so I thought it would be a treat for returning guests to receive a complimentary wash and dry. (The housecleaner came up with an attractive way to wrap the 16 quarters in a small net bag and add it in the welcome basket with a note.)
I did that for three couples who were staying for two weeks or longer. I figured they would appreciate not only having the right amount of change on hand but also that it was complimentary.
Phooey! The joke was on me…not even an acknowledgement much less a thank-you from any of them. So much for my idea. That’s why I said earlier, let the guests fend for themselves.
That is really special! It’s something that cannot go unnoticed unless you’re a complete imbecile, even if they didn’t mention it. Maybe there were so many nice extra things about your place that it got lost when writing a review?
That is likely one of the reasons you’ve turned them into “repeat guests”.
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Perhaps this will change in the areas that are experiencing water rationing. I live in a tourist town that is in the 3rd year of a serious drought (California) - to deter abuse of the washer and dryer I ask for $10 per load (I provide detergent, etc.) People just flat out lie, so I have come up with some measures to determine if the wash machine and dryer have been used - weighing the laundry detergent before they arrive. I know that seems nuts, but I get charged by my water district if I go over my water allotment and frankly I would rather use my water to keep my few trees alive. I think 50% of my guests are honest about usage, but like others have mentioned - often guests run an entire cycle for a pair of jeans. My wash machine has options for small loads, but most guests just aren’t that swift to spend time sorting out the nuisances of my complex wash machine. AND - I have a folding dryer to dry outside. We have 90-100 degree temperatures and clothing will dry in 20 minutes, but guests just LOVE to run the drier.
My fathers solution.
Drill a hole through one of the plug prongs and add a small lock….if they pay, you tell them where the key is kept.
( how to prevent children watching TV before he got home)
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We say that we provide detergent for a few loads, saying that if they have more they’ll need to buy detergent.
But we in fact provide plenty of detergent (under-promise, over-deliver).
We’ve run the numbers on electricity costs; it’s really not significant. Nor is the cost of detergent.
Yes, a few might abuse it, but that’s the exception not the rule.
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