Laundry is a top source of microplastic pollution – here’s how to clean your

Likely not many. But I know hardly anyone who watches TV, although they may have one to watch movies on. And we don’t like the look of a TV looming over a room. They aren’t exactly aesthetically attractive.

It’s kinda like those Live, Laugh, Love signs or “Dream” pillows, or “Coffee” on a framed “picture” on the wall- it’s just not decor that is attractive to me and a lot of other people.

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While I’m also not a fan of those ‘motivational’ decorating items, it just didn’t occur to me that the aesthetics of a TV would be a deterrent to some. I’d consider it a ‘normal’ household item like a refrigerator or a desk lamp. Something that you would find in any average home.

Of course, we can’t make 100% of our guests happy, we’re always on the lookout to increase the appeal of our studios to cater to as many target audiences as possible.

Thus far, we only had two complaints regarding the TV that those guests could not watch a certain TV show as we didn’t subscribe to ‘their’ channel. Apparently, guests whose preference is to have a TV inside a cabinet, would never let any hosts know about that. Feels like we just discovered a little secret of some guests. Thanks for sharing. :+1:

Agree, microfiber is not my favorite either. I prefer Airbnb & VRBO’S, they have usually been great experiences and yes…there is the coffee which is usually way better. Stayed in one Airbnb with the poly sheets and, great location, cleanliness ect. I know next time I will bring my own cotton sheets as I had a terrible sleep with the polyester sheets.

I’m afraid I don’t quite understand. Are you saying that “Airbnb & VRBO’S” are using your preferred bedding material?

The thing is, basically everyone would use a refrigerator or desk lamp, but not everyone watches TV.

I doubt that having a visible TV would lose anyone bookings, at least not in any significant way. Because as you say, most people probably consider it a normal thing. I was just using it as an example of other aesthetic reasons why I personally might pass on a listing, like a host using polyester sheets.

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So Rolf, are you saying guests should book with you even if they don’t like what you provide? And in turn, guests are hurting you by not booking with you. Does that actually make sense to you?

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And you think this shouldn’t be so? Of course some guests may not book a place that has what they consider old-fashioned or fussy decor, like ruffled curtains and overstuffed chintz chairs and lots of cluttery decorations, because they like modern, minimalist decor. Or vice versa.

So if a host can’t afford to update their decor, or like their decor and want to keep it like that, just as you feel about your polyester sheets, you think guests who aren’t comfortable with that should book anyway?

I just can’t figure out what you are trying to say.

You remind me so much of someone who used to post here frequently…just before you appeared. I’m not saying you are the same person, just that there is an uncanny resemblance.

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Wow, that’s insane :sweat_smile: Are those posts still accessible? Maybe I have a Doppelgänger?

And regarding my questions which may be triggering this resemblance thing: I do struggle with English, especially whenever @Rolf whips out his sarcasm posts. I’m often lost but decide to inquire to make sure I got it correctly (or not).

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Just making an observation that sometimes choosing a place based on its sheets is more ‘virtue signaling’ than real - my sheets are poly but I have never had someone run screaming from the house about how the sheets were turning their skin gray lol. I doubt that many folks cannot tell the difference.

And while I ‘get it’ that your money = your choice, sometimes it can seem to be a little bit off: choosing not to stay somewhere because there is a tv seems a bit overboard to me - you don’t have to turn it on, after all…

That many folks can’t tell the difference maybe perfectly true. But as other hosts here have pointed out, and as I have read on other forums, many people find them uncomfortable and hot, which isn’t “virtue signaling”. Nor is not wanting to do things like add to the world’s microplastics crisis when there are perfectly workable alternatives virtue signaling. The most disturbing thing to me is that they are finding microplastics in people’s organs, including in the organs of fetuses.

“Virtue signalling” refers to people bragging about how environmentally or health conscious they are, as if they were God’s gift to the planet, while not acknowledging the things they do which aren’t environmentally sound, or doing things which make no sense.

Like when Airbnb came out with their Covid protocol, which included washing the ceilings between guests, which of course was absurd. Yet they cared so little about the health of hosts and guests as compared to their profits, that while they made an exception to the Superhost criteria for # of bookings for a year after Covid hit, they decided to strip homeshare hosts of their Superhost status while Covid was still raging and many homeshare hosts didn’t feel it was worth the risk to start accepting guests again yet.

I’m completely blanking on that host’s online name right now.

Note that posts almost always remain accessible forever here, it’s just a matter of finding them.

Exactly. This is an already purchased item that is being used in an aibnb. As long as it’s being used, it’s not adding to the micro plastics crisis.

It seems like you didn’t even read the article I posted. It isn’t about throwing things away, it’s about how washing things that are made of microfiber affects the environment.
So unless you never wash your sheets, which of course isn’t the case, yes, they are adding to the microplastics problem.

That’s not a personal judgement of you and what you choose to do, just presenting facts.

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People that sleep on cotton can definitely tell the difference. My feeling is that if I can afford it for my self I can afford it for my guests. We certainly have not had many, maybe 10%, ruined sheets at most have been retired in 5 years in our bnb, possibly due to finding good quality and no dryer use.

We have slept in a few bnbs in Mexico, which had poly cotton sheets. There is certainly a difference in comfort especially if its humid. I think I politely told the host in a private message that 100% cotton was preferable. We loved her place but if we returned I would bring some sheets and pillow cases.

We are not coffee snobs, for example, but mix our own blend, which guests get. We do not watch tv, so guests get one much smaller but “smarter” than ours, with no complaints.

My other feeling is that the 1st consumer and buyer of something new is the one who owes on the environmental footprint caused by their purchase. Buying antique , vintage and used could be considered virtue signaling in this case, not to mention the products quality being superior and the prices are usually lower and the environmental outcome far better.

It’s actually hard to find 100% cotton sheets in Mexico, and if it’s a Mexican host, Mexicans seem to love polyester. (Although there is likely much better selection in big cities like Mexico City and Guadalajara, but I don’t live there) Most of the stores carry primarily microfiber sheets now- the few cotton ones I see are very low thread count, like 200.

Costco does carry them, but they never have twin size, which is what my guest room has. I look for deals on cotton sheets when I go to Canada in the summer, and bring them down with me.

When I moved to Mexico, I expected to find lots of cottons in tropical prints in the fabric stores, but in fact, there aren’t, it’s mostly polyester. The cotton prints they do have are ugly color combos and poor quality cotton, like the 200 count sheets. (I don’t splurge on 1000 thread count sheets, but I like at minimum 300, and preferably 400)

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Yes, our Cozumel hostess did say that nice cotton sheets are hard to find. They had otherwise beautiful taste and were well off enough to travel and go to costco.

I was lucky in the run up to start my str the “Pima Cott” 625 thread count sheets by Wamsutta, at Bed Bath Beyond, were at a big sale. Flat double size less than 10$.!! Which I did sew duvet covers, fitted and or pillow cases from. There are still some of these on Ebay, but pricey. They had a lifetime warrantee. So, those were new and I got two sets new of Laura Ashley cotton that have also held up well, but the rest have been thrifted. Caveat, I do know my textiles!

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