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I read that the most appropriate type is white beddings and linens as it exudes cleanliness but what do people use?
I love colours and I have many different coloured bedding and not one is white.
I haven’t had complaints and I get rated 5 stars in cleanliness in 9 out of 10 times so could this be it?
Also I cant remember where I found this gem and this romantic setting 
First glance suggested it was a crime scene!
JF
Christian, I use all white for everything. That includes the bed of course, but also towels, bathmat, shower curtains, robes - the lot.
It demonstrates to the guest that everything is totally clean and that there are no stains hiding behind colours or patterns.
We all have to remember that this isn’t an endorsement. Not complaining isn’t necessarily a positive.
I know right!
First glance you think someone got murdered.
Second glance, you’re very relieved.
Third glance, is that lube and tissues on the bed table? 
I like white, 100% cotton percale sheets (the crisp kind.)
They can be bleached in case of stains
The duvet covers are both white and patterned. Also 100% cotton. The duvets themselves are hypoallergenic pimaloft, not down. I like the feel of down, but it makes my eyes itch.
I think it’s important for bedding to be machine washable. When I see things like velvet bedspreads I wonder how the hosts keep them clean.
The only items I can’t throw in the washing machine are the mattresses!
As a guest, it irks me when the sheets are synthetic. They don’t feel nice against the skin. I probably wouldn’t mark a host down though, maybe a mention in the private feedback.
That’s funny. In this country that stuff on the bed table is called lotion or cream.
I use 100% cotton and now 100% white for sheets. I’ve recently purchased pima cotton percale. They are double the cost of what I had used but I wanted to try them for summer here. I don’t like polyester, especially in this climate. I have white and patterned duvet covers. All towels are white. I have a gray bathmat but the others are white. My hand towels are light colored. All the wash cloths are colors.
I have various shades of grey towels so I can keep them in separate sets, duvets in different colourways that go with the decor of the room and all the bedding is cotton.
Hee. So I wonder when Airbnb will list lube as an amenity…
OMG it looks like a murder scene! I used to have colored bedding and some flowery too - but not like this - until a guest complained that the bedding is not entirely white like in hotels… since then i started to retire sets and buy only white cotton stuff.
Anyway, my take is go middle of the road. Some people like soft bedding. I personally like the starchy, thick, crisp, old fashion cotton sheets my grandmother used to have. The heavier, the better.
I have white sheets and a mixture of white and colored duvet covers. All my towels are white. It helps me as much as the guests as I can spot any marks or areas that need attention. I’m about to put out little white face cloths for make up as it is ending up all over the place. I’m still relatively new, but getting the hang of it.
As an absolute newbie (have bookings but no guests yet) in an area with numerous holiday cottages, some alarmingly high spec, I’ve relied on advice from experienced friends, forums and Mumsnet. Long story short, white cotton bedding and towels seem to be favoured - it looks fresh and clean, and host and guest can spot stains; it’s also very common practice in this area to use a commercial laundry for linen hire, and I’m giving that a try too. As a guest myself, I notice things like worn duvets, lumpy pillows and less than fresh mattresses, and have paid close attention to cleanliness in those unseen areas; if I don’t get high marks for how clean my cottage is, I’ll be gutted! BTW, I’m finding this forum incredibly helpful, even if it can be scary at times with tales of guests from hell…
Really, truly, honestly the guests from hell are so infrequent that you might never come across one. This forum is a great place for hosts to vent and get grievances off their chest but there are a lot of hosts (myself included) who have never had guests from hell.
Yes, we’ve had guests who were less-than-perfect. Yes, we’ve had guests who are just impossible to get on with. We’ve had guests who have been irritating, daft, you name it … but we’ve also have far more guests who have been lovely, clean & tidy, helpful, generous etc. etc. etc.
Treat your guests as though they are brainless hooligans who are determined to be horrors and you’re on the way to having guests from hell. Treat them as lovely people and the chances are that they really are.
My attitude exactly, Jaquo. Be nice, and people tend to be nice in return. (I hope!)
Welcome to the forum.
I’d like to make a “clean” remark. I don’t know what kind “cottage” you have but I’ve long said if it doesn’t look clean then guests won’t think it’s clean, even if cleaned to hospital specs. For example, in my area hard water deposits are a problem. I had new faucets put in and I clean them regularly with a magic eraser sponge and vinegar. I also have lots of short stays so the fixtures get cleaned regularly.
Maybe you can’t have new everything but make sure things are polished off. If there are rough looking baseboards or moldings, keep them freshly painted. Make sure windows are cleaned and no cobwebs are caught in glint of morning light.
I stayed in a rental where the top of the toilet paper holder where the bracket attached to the wall was covered in a fine white dust; the kind produced from tearing the tp from the roll. Just a small overlooked item that says things get missed here. They still got a 5 star overall of course but combine that with a another slip up or two and maybe the rating goes down to 4 stars.
I almost always put a fresh roll of paper on the holder and use the old part rolls in my bathroom. Just a small gesture that says “clean and not previously used.” It may even be a subliminal message. People have mocked it here but you can’t argue with 100% 5 stars on cleanliness for the past 18 months.
Sorry, but that really does look like giant blood stains. Is that your listing or a found photo<><>
We use Pima or Ralph Lauren 100% cotton, duvet covers, mixed shades of tan and cream, some are printed. Towels are White, hand towels are navy.
20 guests and only one so far that was odd.
I have been using poly cotton blends but prefer cotton. Problem is it costs a fortune here. So my next trip to Buffalo will consider it.
Everything here is white.
@Christian I usually select a tiny pattern (such as tiny boats) on white background from a major brand such as Calvin Klein or use totally white bedding. The one pictured above does look like a crime scene and does NOT convey cleanliness.
I know a lot of hosts choose to have all white so that it conveys cleanliness but I prefer to have my home be…well…homey… we have patterned bedspreads w/matching shams and white sheets in the shared home with colored sheets in the whole home. I believe it is a personal choice and whatever you wish to convey your home to be is what you should decorate it in. I prefer a good quality non wrinkle cotton sheet but do have others in my just in case needed stock.
White sheets and pillowcases from Amazon Basics. White towels and washcloths from Costco. A fiberfill duvet and navy blue check cotton duvet cover. Navy light blocking window curtains from Amazon. Wood floors that can feel cool when you get out of bed so I have small area rugs at bedsides.
I have 100% cotton white sheets—I’m replacing my original stock of sheets as they get ruined so I still have a few colored sheet sets. I’m with @Cindy_Turner_Dodd I prefer my homes to look like homes so while the sheets are white, the bed covers are in colors and patterns to coordinate with the room decor.
Stark white duvet covers in the bedrooms of my three AirBnB houses would look totally wrong and make the rooms very unappealing, IMO. I can see the reason for white sheets but white bedcovers would be going too far for me.
Of course, none of my houses is decorated in IKEA minimalist style that seems to be a desired look for the AirBnB Plus homes either. In fact, I can safely say, I have not a single item from IKEA in any of them. The last time I was in an IKEA store was in the mid 1980s when I bought my son’s bedroom furniture. The IKEA minimalist modern style can be appealing, if done right (but it so often isn’t) but it isn’t everyone’s cuppa tea even when done well. However, it does seem to be a look a lot of hosts aspire to emulate right now.
Might I suggest, you do you? Not every look suits every listing. If you’ve got a log cabin or hunting lodge in the mountains, I don’t know that “all white, everywhere, all the time” is the best way to go. I think. IMO again, that the location of the listing, the architectural style of the building, and the owner’s taste all ought to play a role in how the listing is decorated.
That said, I think 100% cotton, white sheets is definitely a must do.