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This did happen today, but this post is meant to be a fun excercise to get different view points.
If you spot a stain on a pillow cover after your guest checks out, and you are not sure if it will come out in the wash. Do you…?
A. Take a picture and notify the guest, letting them know that you will see if it comes out.
B. Take a picture and submit an insurance/Air Cover claim?
C. Take a picture, wash it then notify the guest if the stain does not come out.
D. Other.
You can use the polling feature (“build poll” in last icon on top right, see below) to tabulate results.
We would do “D” other, and specifically just try to get the stain out; if we couldn’t, chalk it up to wear and tear.
Can I build a poll after a post has been created?
Yes, just edit your existing post and use the ‘build poll’ feature.
If you do that I think I can delete my response and you can delete your response to me since they would be distracting.
2020022002
None of the above. A stained pillowcase is normal wear and tear. Do you really expect to be in the hospitality business and be reimbursed for every little damage?
D) other -wash it and donate it to the animal shelter.
Same as the other hosts (D). Put a clean pillow case on the pillow. Try to get the stain out. Put it in the rag bin or donate to animal shelter if the stain won’t come out. It’s the cost of doing business.
D.
I try and get it out, I usually succeed
No reason to take a picture because this does not rise to the level of asking for reimbursement I consider it a cost of doing business, a very rare cost at that.
RR
My current guest came to me last week and apologetically told me he broke a wine glass while washing the dishes, and asked what it would cost. I said “Let me get you a replacement from the storage cupboard… and don’t worry about paying for it – broken glasses are built into the price.” Two minutes later I was handing him a new glass.
All part of being a five-star host.
I’m chuckling at the “If” in this sentence, and the fact that all of your options involve taking pictures. Every single guest I have leaves some sort of stain on the pillowcases. Before I was an ABB host I did not realise how many people bleed from their heads. There’s also mascara, red wine, spray tanner, foundation makeup stains, lipstick, and mystery stains.
In short, people put a lot of stuff on their heads and faces and in their mouths that transfer to the pillow cases. I stock enzyme stain spray and hydrogen peroxide. I’m an expert at getting bloodstains out of cotton. (What woman or serial killer isn’t?)
I would never bother taking a picture. It would be a waste of time.
I would also never contact a guest. I assume that most stains will come out but sometimes they won’t and that’s the cost of doing business.
What a strange question. I thought I was quite an intolerant host - to mess, noise, rudeness etc. But a thing like this? Would never cross my mind to take any of the proposed actions.
Part of being a host i’m afraid. Some stains are pretty gross but they usually come out if you spot them after check out and treat them promptly. I can get pretty much any stain out, even if it takes a few washings. I have pillow protectors on all of my pillows, less expensive than replacing a pillow with every stain. I have a really nice set of 100% cotton grey sheet and they are a bugger to get stains out. Had a couple stay and I think they are fans of body oil…lots of body oil…took me several washings to get that out but it did come out. In conclusion, I think that contacting a guest over one pillow case would seem a bit petty.
I make my own pillowcases out of patterned quilting cotton, which comes in hundreds of patterns and color combos. You wouldn’t be able to see a stain on most of them.
Anyone reading or skimming this and thinking about using Airbnb for their next vacation might now be put off the idea.
They must think that hosts take photographs of everything, ‘report’ them to Airbnb and claim from insurers for every mark, scratch or broken wineglass.
Dear Potential Airbnb Guest,
Most hosts expect wear and tear so please don’t worry if you accidentally spill wine or break a teacup. Most of us are very nice and aim to please you and ensure you have a great stay.
Love,
The Majority of Airbnb Hosts
XXX
I am hoping that anybody reading this or watching that show is put on notice that yes, their actions have consequences, and yes, we are aware of what they do.
D. Wash & go on, accidents happen.
Oh my gosh. I would be taking photos right and left if I took one of every stained pillowcase. Price of doing business. It’s the stained bedspreads that bum me out. Again, occupational hazard.
Oh, definitely D - give it my best shot at getting it out and then write it off as the cost of doing doing business.
Since a couple stayed and the woman had her period on the sheets, the comforter (plus someplace else I have since put out of my mind) and then tried, without any instruction from us to wash everything in our washing machine (granted, its commercial size but still…) without asking, thus utterly ruining the comforter, I do have a sign put up in the unit saying “Accidents happen, so if you break or stain something, please let us know so we can fix it right away”.
They were so mortified at the mishap they paid for a new comforter-(I hopped on JC Penney’s site and ordered a new one on sale so he would have the price). I gave them a great review and they gave us a great review.
It’s when they HIDE obvious stuff that I give them a bad review, and do NOT recommend them. This has happened exactly twice.
Since we live on site a lot of the problems other non dwelling hosts have don’t seem to happen to us.
How about we switch this up… I had a recent guest wipe dozens and dozens of bloody boogers onto my master bedroom sheets. I did get it all out by washing by hand and then washed the sheets in the washer. I’m obviously not going to charge them, but how much should this affect how I rate them? Pretty disgusting.