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I have now had a few guests do this… enough to make me wonder if this is normal behaviour. I provide shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. There’s a pool in my building and more than a few guests have taken the shampoo or conditioner downstairs with them. On one occasion the shampoo never made it back and since it was new I made the guest replace it.
Today the glass bottle that I put the shower gel in has gone. I find this really odd behaviour, as what do I do when it’s gone? These are items for my use that I happen to share with guests but from my perspective that doesn’t mean they can take these items out of the flat. A glass bottle of shower gel doesn’t seem particularly portable and I find it very odd that they’ve made off with it. I’ve just messaged the guest asking them to return the shower gel and that it’s solely for use in the bathroom. I don’t want complaints from my building managers about how glass was broken all over the showers and pool area downstairs !
Is this normal behaviour ? I’m somewhat at a loss…
Yes, if I stayed in a listing that had a pool with showers I would think it was fine to take bath gel, shampoo and conditioner with me to the pool showers. You might consider supplying small plastic bottles of these toiletries for your guests to take to the pool. The upside for you is that they are showering in the pool showers, not in your unit where you’ve mentioned that the hot water is limited.
No, its actually pretty crazy behaviour. They have no business taking your personal items out of the appartment. Also if they stay for couple days and there is a bottle of shampoo in there it doesnt mean its theirs. It means that you let them use it as much as they need and leave it for next guest
There’s more than enough water for me and two others to have a shower in the morning and evening as long as they aren’t longer than 20 minutes each. The problem starts when guests have a 40 minute shower in the morning and then another in the evening.
So you would take glass bottles of shower gel down to the pool? Am I the only one who finds this unsafe ? Let alone walking my belongings out of the front door …
Its not even that its unsafe, its yours not theirs. Even if they wanted to take a glass with juice to the pool , they should ask before carrying anything out of your appartment. Even a towel. I stayed in one Airbnb and there was a sign in my bathroom: do not take towels to the pool or beach. I think the reason for it that people loose it. In one hotel in Mexico they gave us towels for 5$ deposit to take to the beach.
Personally, I wouldn’t take glass bottles to a pool area. I would ask you for plastic bottles. I’ve seen many people who use glass near pools. You asked for opinions on whether this is normal behavior. I gave you my view per your request. I didn’t intend to provide you with an opening to insult me.
So you would take glass bottles of shower gel down to the pool? Am I the only one who finds this unsafe ? Let alone walking my belongings out of the front door …
I don’t mind them taking their towels down. I just find it bizarre that should I now decide to have a shower before bed there’s no shower gel because it’s disappeared.
And of course it’s in a glass bottle which I can just see it being shattered everywhere and then I have to deal with a complaint from the building management.,
Thats why when people are strangers in your shared appartment they have to ask. Especially if its shared bathroom and they know it but nevertheless they just take the shower gel you also use out of it. Its just people dont think about other people, its being inconsiderate.
Those are questions @EllenN. My tone was incredulity because to me it is bizarre to take glass to an area where it is tiled, wet and slippery. And separate from that is that it’s my stuff which I happen to share with them in a shared bathroom … but in this case I’m actually more in disbelief that they’ve taken a glass bottle to the pool.
Yes it’s exactly that once it’s outside the flat it’s easy to lose. Can’t believe I’m going to have to add to my house tour; you can use the toiletries in the bathroom but please don’t take them down to the pool. Ugh surely some of this should be common sense!
It shouldn’t be very painful to include mentioning to guests during your tour that they are welcome to use the toiletries in the apartment but they are shared items and may not to be taken to the pool.
Point out that the only items which can be taken to the pool are “these two pool towels” (if you allow such). “You will need to purchase your own soap and shampoo for use at the pool.”
It’s irritating to have to point out the obvious but it will accomplish what you want. Nowadays, standard etiquette seems to be vanishing.
No, it’s not normal behavior to take the communal supply of shower supplies out of the apartment. Perhaps these are people who are used to hotels. Sadly it looks like you might need to mention to incoming guests that any towels taken must be returned. Maybe you could supply a small, inexpensive shampoo/conditioner combo product that they could take with them. I know when you have a budget accommodation and someone takes a dollar’s worth of stuff, it hurts. I haven’t had the shower soap or shampoo taken but I’ve wondered if I supplied something really nice if it would disappear. The Pantene and Softsoap seems to be safe.
We won’t even have glass in the bathroom - our own or the rental - so having glass at the pool is crazy. Every pool I’ve ever been in (here anyway) has has a no glass policy.
They used to be horrible but maybe they are more stylish now; those dispensers that can be fitted to a bathroom wall? Would that be an option?
Well it’s an idea… but no me gusta ugly decor. The glass bottle is fitted with a pump… I thought it was fine because you shouldn’t have to move it at all. Press the pump and it dispenses into your hand. But yes following the glass door incident that was on here recently I suddenly wonder if it’s stupid of me to have glass in the bathroom at all…
To think of it i do not have any glass containers in my bathrooms. My guests break glasses and plates all the time, and they dont even tell me. Before i went to Africa for couple months, i bought 12 new glasses. They filled the whole shelf very tightely. When i came back half ot the shelf was empty. It a good thing they were on sale and i paid only 50 cents each. I am actually considering to replace all the glass with plastic.
Indeed @SandyToes. Personally it would never cross my mind to take things out of the flat if I was staying somewhere.
The just got back from the pool and I spoke to them immediately, saying a) glass can’t be taken down to the pool and b) the shower gel is for communal use. I’ve had to give them some of my organic fair trade shower gel in a plastic bottle … but it’s a one off. In future I will let guests work it out for themselves. I’m budget for a reason…
I’ve actually never had a breakage. Incredible I know because even the bread I put out for toast (when I supplied breakfast) is under a glass closh. It has a small chip in it so I know something happened at some point but no breakages yet. I have the same 2 glasses and 2 mugs, 2 plates etc I had when I started hosting. I don’t have space for spares
