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I have a wonderful repeat Airbnb guest who stays with us often. The only challenge is that she consistently leaves dark, oily marks on the pillowcases. Even after treating and washing them, the stains don’t fully come out.
I’m considering assigning a set of pillowcases specifically for her stays, since the discoloration seems unavoidable — but I’m worried she might notice that they’re already stained and feel embarrassed or think we’re giving her “dirty” linens.
Is this a reasonable approach, or is it likely to cause issues?
Any other suggestions?
I’ve thought about switching to darker or colored pillowcases, but I’m not sure that would help much since the stains appear oil-based and may still show.
Would love to hear how others have handled this gracefully.
Rolf seems not to want to talk to her about it -asking her to bring her own pillowcases would involve telling her why.
@Rolf I think you could talk to her about it in a way that wouldn’t be offensive. Something like “Hey, XX, I was wondering if you use some sort of hair product, because I’ve found some sort of seemingly oily stains on your pillowcases I can’t manage to get out in the wash. If I knew what it was, I might be able to apply the right stain remover.”
Then she might either tell you what it might be, or even offer on her own to bring her own pillow cases.
Alternatively, you can often find perfectly good pillowcases for next to nothing at second hand stores, so you could stock up on those for her stays.
I make my own pillowcases out of colorful patterned cotton quilting fabric that goes nicely with the plain sheet sets. (I use colored sheets, not white) You wouldn’t be able to see stains on them.
That’s what I would try next – “just for her” pillowcases in a complex pattern where the dark stains would get lost.
I’d also like to recommend a very powerful (but non-corrosive) enzyme-based cleaner I’ve been using since long before Airbnb was invented. No guarantees, but a capful of concentrate in the kitchen sink & hot water for an overnight soak might be just the ticket. (I use this as my default household and deep-clean cleaning fluid… no chemicals, no chemical smells.) Free delivery in USA
I know this isn’t exactly what you asked, but I’ve had great luck in removing old grease stains from my husband‘s shirts using pink Zote soap. I bought it at Costco, but I noticed a nearby Home Depot carries it too. A big bar of soap is around two dollars US and lasts a long time.
When I search “grease stains from hair products on fabric” I see a number of suggestions to remove them. Basically: “To remove grease stains from hair products, pre-treat with a dish soap or baking soda paste, work it into the fabric, and then wash as usual in the warmest water recommended for the fabric. Do not dry the item until the stain is completely gone, as the heat can set the stain. You may need to repeat the process for stubborn stains.” Worth a try! I wonder if treating the fabric with one of those water repellant sprays I’ve used on shoes and upholstered furniture would help protect your pillowcases.
Thank you for the very logical suggestion. Of course this is the right thing to do, but I was thinking a way to make it a little more non-confrontational or passive aggressive, lol
One idea somebody had which is very smart is that since my pillowcases are all 10 and 12 years old, and new pillowcases are $1.50 from Amazon, just give this guest my older ones. They are ready to be thrown out at this time anyway… I’m not sure if I can give them away with the slight stain on them.
It removes grease and other grime off dishes, whenever I have any clothes with grease discoloration I pour DAWN dishwashing liquid and leave it in to soak, I then wring it back and forth like old times hand washing, then wash in a machine. See how that does.
UPDATE: I appreciate this conversation, the suggestions, and the thought that went into it all. The scary part for me was that I believed, and I still believe, that bringing a guest into the discussion who is a ‘regular’ to discuss my cleaning needs would not in the long run endear me to the guest.
Yesterday, I took Dawn dish soap detergent and rubbed it over the spots, which had already gone through one wash cycle already and were sitting in my closet. I rubbed it in the general area and I think I did not go exactly over the spots but got a lot of it. The result was the pillowcases are 100% clean!
