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We provide 2-in-1 Shampoo/Conditioner and body wash for soap. No bars of soap. We have two separate guests sharing the same bathroom and that would be just gross - using somebody else’s bar soap! Not to mention the bar soaps make a big mess all over the shower area with their sticky soap scum that’s always a hassle to clean up.
I don’t know about the small sizes. If we used those small sample kind of sizes, then guests would have to take them back into their rooms when they finish in the shower or else they’d get mixed up with the other guests’. Having the large bottles that everyone can share from and that don’t get contaminated in any way by use - seems to work out well.
I got mine from Lowe’s, but here is a link to the same product on Amazon:
It’s designed so you can mount it flush against a shower wall, or in a corner of the shower. Mine is in the corner. I used the double sided tape and silicone included in the package and it’s pretty darn secure. I think as long as you follow the directions for mounting it (start with clean, dry surface, press firmly for a minute, let it cure for 24 hours before filling) it should be fine. I’ll bet that the reviewers who had problems maybe didn’t follow the directions.
My guests use the body wash a lot, the shampoo some, but not as much conditioner.
This reminds me of the one in the municipal pool locker room!
No offense. It looks a bit tacky. I think it might be a headache cleaning and refilling this unit.
I use a refillable generic pump for shampoo/ body wash. I also have a place where guests can leave their shampoos behind for the next guest. Not everyone uses them… But some do! But no one has complained.
Since having guests (who later slammed me in private feedback) steal my big expensive shampoo, I never ever provide it for guests now. They get Suave.
Couldn’t agree more. Those little motel soaps and shampoos are handy for sure, but they’re impersonal. But everyone is different. I’m not home now or else I’d take a pic of my shampoo/body wash/conditioner shelf in my bathroom. I love using them myself and I choose a different one each time. I keep them wiped down and lined up nicely and replace them when they get low. I just added a great vegan/shea butter shampoo.
Others: Dr. Bronner’s, Suave coconut body wash, Suave shampoo and conditioner (most used by guests), Trader Joe tea tree body wash, Trader Joe herbal shampoo.
That is nuts. Shred the soap with a knife or a cheese grater. Put it in a jar and add boiling water. Add lid and shake. Use the resultant jelly for hand washing, laundry etc.
Really? A bar of soap is not a good idea? I have never considered this to be a problem. I offer liquid soap, but people still use the raspberry glycerin soap that is not new. Who knew? My research indicates that only people who are immune suppressed need to worry about using a used soap. I have been immune suppressed… and never considered soap to be an issue. Raw lettuce, however, was scary as can be.
I use refillable bottles from MUJI and liquid Castille soap. Haven’t had any issues with these and wouldn’t want to buy small bottles of anything … I’m sure some hosts would though !
P.S. Liquid castille Soap is really useful as a household cleaner and can even be used to wash your clothes
Bar soap tends to leave residue too which can be trickier to remove from small spaces. That’s the main reason I use liquid soap (fyi, absolutely no reason why “hand soap” can’t be used as shower gel).
The one I buy is 3 litres at a time and claims to be also a shampoo, but I found it just a little bit too harsh for hair, so it just refills my shower gel and hand soap containers. They get a basic shampoo just above “store brand” price. I’m quite sure it’s no better quality, but appearance matters.
It’s actually easy to keep clean. I just spray it with cleaner, rinse it with water and polish it dry along with the rest of the shower. Refilling it hasn’t been a problem either, at least for me. I don’t refill it between every guest. I wait until a chamber is about 2/3 empty and then just remove the top of the unit and pour more stuff in from a big bottle.
I’m always trying to strike a balance between profitability and guest comfort/satisfaction. I really can’t absorb the cost of boutique type toiletries, individual or otherwise, and I worried guests wouldn’t want to use big bottles that other people had clearly used. I know this is all a matter of perception, but I thought they’d be more comfortable with a dispenser such as you do indeed see in public places. As I said, I’ve had people make positive comments about it. And I think I have enough non hotel type things in my listing to offset the commercial feel of the dispenser.
Sorry, I can go to http:/restaurantsupply.com and get that stuff plus towels, sheets luggage racks,etc
Personally, I dont want barsoap scum or dribbling packets of shampoo so I have bottles of liquid body wash, shampp, etc plus Dr. Bonners in the shower.
White Rain and Suave are dirt cheap at stores everywhere…$1/bottle.
restaurant supply.com sells equipment and hard goods. Restaurant Depot sells food. Lots and lots of food, plus the equipment. I can buy bulk oatmeal packets, hot chocolate, blocks of butter, cheeses, yogurt, etc, all things that my guests need for their breakfasts. I happen to have one close by, but you had to have a tax id number [EIN] in order to get a membership. Sorry that this wasn’t helpful to you.
I used to have all kind of stuff in a drawer in each bathroom but all of it seemed to be walking away in the middle of the night. It was soap, deodorant, tooth paste, tooth brushes and much more so we decided not to do it anymore. Now we have dispensers in the shower and next to the sink. No soaps out but if guests ask we will give them a big soap. It is men 99% of the time that ask.
It is too expensive to provide the small ones especially when guests take several of them with them.
Yup, they think it is a hotel supply that they can just stash. I still can’t believe one of my guests stole a giant bottle of Johnsons Baby Shampoo. It really ticked me off that they felt entitled to steal supplies belonging to the room!
(Sorry, cdnhost, I didn’t mean to steal your name!)
We offer a whole home in a luxury resort area. These days, with limited carry-on of liquids on planes, I feel it is important to provide personal and kitchen products for the entire stay for a good guest experience (when traveling, I’ve found that some places give you enough just to get started). We refill large containers of shampoo and conditioners and I stock up on whole bars of good soap when they go on sale for the showers.
For hand soap we have liquid soap in ceramic containers. I also purchase hand-made soaps from craft fairs and cut them into smaller pieces as a second hand-soap option. It helps to support home-based businesses while making the room they are in smell wonderful! Actually, they rarely get used over the liquid-soap option but it leaves a nice impression. If they do get used, I can just literally use a peeler to remove the outer layer so it is fresh again.
I like the idea of the dark makeup towels. That is a problem that I would love to overcome! I’ve seen individual packages of makeup remover cloths when traveling, and at the least that gives a clear signal that the cloths shouldn’t be used for that purpose. If I could find a source for these I would buy them to save the wash cloths.
I no longer leave my large bottles of expensive hand lotion as they get stolen, unfortunately.
