Is this unhygienic?!

I think that is probably what people are thinking.

And, to be fair, it's true BUT it is so unlikely it's a phobia the OP shouldn't have to cater for. For instance, a previous guest could have smeared anything anywhere. There are lots of clear substances that I don't want to be touching. Danger lurks if you have a vivid imagination!

I can also confess that I might not be above worrying about this myself (or the possibilty it had been refilled with a different product which, let's face it, undoubtedly happens in hotels) and would prefer to have my own products BUT I would accept it was my issue and wouldn't take a star off to damage the op's business for a perfectly normal hospitality practice.

The place sounds lovely OP, and it is exhausting when you are trying hard to make it lovely and people are throwing their phobias in your face.

What things are people worried that previous guests "might have put in" the soap??

I'd be delighted to find such lovely toiletries provided. All perfectly acceptable from a hygiene point of view too.

This is what most hotels offer now. And quite rightly - the tiny bottles are such a waste of plastic.

This is a very odd thing to complain about imho.

I wouldn’t like to use a bar of soap or the same toothpaste tube as a stranger.

But shampoo/conditioner/shower gel in a pump bottle (like in various hotels) is absolutely fine.

I’m sure any potential (normal) guests won’t be put off by the review.

You and your place both sound absolutely lovely 😍

Does the listing say that toiletries will be provided? If not they would have arrived expecting to provide their own anyway.

I don't use air b'n' b - can you reply to their review and say thanks the review, glad you enjoyed your stay and I appreciate you letting me know that the star rating was due to the toiletries being for shared use? Maybe with a photo of the toiletries.

For me the issue would be anyone could open whatever is there (handwash,coffee,sugar etc) and put whatever in it

I assume the type of people staying at your airbnb probably aren’t the types but you never know.

Also. Where is your little place? It sounds idyllic! Do you allow a well behaved Labrador?

We have recently stated in a hotel and they had single use little bottles and large pump dispenser bottles. My DH actually went to use a single use one and I said don’t, it’s bad for the environment when we have the same toiletry right there to use from the other bottle. IMO if they are in a bottle with a pump this is the absolute best option. People need to think about the environment more.

That's bonkers. I agree with a PP who suggested photos of the toiletries in the ad so people know what they are getting.

A tap is an excellent analogy.

I’d be more disappointed if single use mini toiletries were provided - terrible for waste and the environment.

Silly. You might as well object to the same taps staying in place - a big bottle can be wiped just like a tap can. In nice pubs and restaurants there's usually a bottle of handwash, and that's probably been used by a lot more people in the course of any given evening.

Or they’ve seen too much of Four in a Bed where guests are looking in the cistern or on their hands and knees round the pipes behind the wash basin.

I’ve heard of the pants in the kettle… but also - and I dare say it’s an urban myth- hair remover in the conditioner bottle.

I'm not following the bar of soap comments.

I don't think any hotel would leave the last guest's bar of soap there would they? They usually have small wrapped ones, one for each guest.

I just stayed at a 6 star hotel in Barcelona. They provided body wash, shampoo & conditioner, body lotion, and hand cream, all in large containers which were just refilled between guests. Perfectly acceptable. In recent times, this has been the norm at places I’ve stayed, and so it should be given that we’re all trying to reduce unnecessary plastic use. Your place sounds lovely OP!

Maybe the reviewer doesn't get out much and hasn't been anywhere since the small bottles were the norm! Silly woman.

She is batshit! Anyone that stays in a hotel has this provided, sometimes only handwash and shower gel! If you don’t want to use a particular shampoo/conditioner take your own but to mark someone down for hygiene is ridiculous.

Yeah, it's interesting the different ways people wash! I use a shower puff and a sponge for sensitive parts with that foamy imperial leather stuff mostly. Face cloth for face!

I hate bars of soap!

God, I pity anyone who works with the public.

So many absolute twats.

OP - can you reply to her review? As in ‘thank you for taking the trouble to leave a review and clarifying by DM that we dropped a star on the basis of the shower gel bottles. It’s a hard one to navigate: most of our guests prefer not to add to plastic waste with individual bottles. People are free to bring their own of course. Thank you again for staying with us’

She's nuts.
Theres always one.
Forget about it.

I'd apply soap to the flannel until it lathered (although I don't like using soap). It wouldn't occur to me to rub the bar of soap all over me; that's really weird IMO.

And why I travel with my own kettle! God, people are disgusting.

I had a star knocked off because the gardener woke up the primary guest at 9am on their departure day - they had to be out by 10am.

Agreed

You've lost me. I rub the bar of soap all over me. The idea of touching my wet body with a wet flannel is 🤢

You don't have to rub soap on you or use a flannel.

I thought most people got lather in their hands & cleaned themselves like that.