How many towels would you expect for a 25 day stay?

[SmorgasBorb]

We have a little 1 bed Airbnb. It's usually only ever rented for weekends but we have a couple coming to stay for 25 days soon. They are happy to make their own beds etc and so I'm leaving them with all linen and towels for the period and we will collect a sack of the dirties every week. I'm leaving 4 sets of bed linen but I'm totally stumped as to how many bath towels, hand towels and shower mats to leave them though!

Weekenders are easy with a bath towel each, and a shower mat and a hand towel
Me and DH are happy to use a towel for a week or so so my instinct is to leave them with 4 each but the towel related threads on here makes me think it's not enough.

How many towels and specifically bath sheets per person would you expect to be left with for a 25 day stay in a small Airbnb? And is a bed linen set a week sufficient?

@RainbowMum11

Looking at these replies I am completely the wrong person to respond!! Towels dry you after you are clean, so should be good for a lot longer than bedding.

I agree! We have clean bedding weekly mostly towels are washed far less often.

@Isausernameavailable

I think you need more than 4 sets of linen unless you'll replace weekly when you pick up the laundy; for a 27 day stay with 4 sets they would be on for best part of a week which is a bit grim.

It really isn't "grim" to have bedding on for only a week

It really isn't "grim" to have bedding on for only a week

I agree. Do you seriously change your bedding twice a week @Isausernameavailable?! I think that is extreme. Ours stays on for a fortnight. We are clean people.

They’ll need to do laundry anyway during a 25 day stay and I’d have absolutely no problem washing the towels. Have stated in longer term airbnbs and decent kitchen equipment, some spices for cooking so I didn’t have to buy everything etc were much more important than clean linen for the duration

In a hotel/gîte type stay typically you would get one set of bedding for the week with a change of towels mid week.

So in your place I would change sheets weekly but I wouldn’t leave the spare in the air bnb - I would hand it over when you pick up the dirty so that it doesn’t get used up needlessly.

I would probably give them two sets of towels per person in the property when they arrive and then swap what they give you as dirty for clean each week. So replace one set if they’ve used one and two sets if they’ve used two.

You might also consider a little sign in the bathroom reminding them of how much water each towel uses to wash.

I'd consider one set of towels and one set of clean bed linen a week perfectly acceptable.

People suggesting they change their linen twice a week are being way over the top. When you book a villa for a week you get one set of linen for your stay, if you're there for two you usually get a weekly change over. 4 sets of linen will be fine, maybe an extra set just in case - but I'd be more tempted to give them 4 sets and just say to ask if they require more.
Towels, I'd happily use one for a week but I'd aim for 4 days, that will make them feel like they have 'plenty' - again I'd just say "more are available but we try to keep water useage low"

Do people use 3 sets of towels per week at home or is this a holiday luxury?
I don't understand why you would leave them the whole lot at the beginning of the stay, if people are expecting 10 towels per person you'll have to buy them! Why not leave them 2 each, swap for 2 each at the end of the week and once those are washed swap back. They can request more towels if they want them (I won't say "need" them)

I recently spent 3 months in an Airbnb in Eastern Europe.
We got new bedlinen and towels once a week.
And that seemed fine.
(We had a washing machine. But mostly used it for clothes etc.)

One set of each a week, it’s what I do at home. I’d give them two complete sets and let the wash them themselves in the circumstances.

8 sets is crazy. We have long term guests staying up to 6 months. They get one set of towels each. If you feel generous give them a spare. All they need is one spare change of linen. They have a washing machine. Or they can exchange them for new ones. If they want more they can ask.

@DockOTheBay

Do people use 3 sets of towels per week at home or is this a holiday luxury? I don't understand why you would leave them the whole lot at the beginning of the stay, if people are expecting 10 towels per person you'll have to buy them! Why not leave them 2 each, swap for 2 each at the end of the week and once those are washed swap back. They can request more towels if they want them (I won't say "need" them)

I was thinking it would be nicer for them if we weren't always there bringing them stuff Rather they would have everything they needed at the outset, leave dirties outside for a distanced pick up and didn't need us popping round all the time. Feels more like their own place rather than somewhere that has the owners round all the time. I'm guessing that's why they said they preferred to make their own beds and clean themselves rather than us doing it (for no extra cost) so I'm taking cues from them. Most of our guests prefer to keep themselves to themselves.

I am going to have to buy more towels but to be honest we were probably due to buy more for stock anyway.

Also I agree with PP's. Who has the energy to change a bed twice a week? We have only flat sheets in the rental as me and DH like to do a crisp hospital corner and we have quite sumptuous, heavy expensive duvet covers and it takes us ages to make the bed in the rental to our standard.

We are fastidious about the rental linen (I know some owners who use a top sheet and duvet cover and therefore only ever wash the top and bottom sheets every stay and the duvet cover gets a wash every 3 or 4 visitors ) but frankly the linen on our home stays on for significantly longer than a week! I haven't yet broken out in something deadly due to an extra three days (weeks) sleeping on bed sheets. Thinking of our European 2 week holidays I seriously thought a 1x a week change in a longer term holiday rental was pretty standard.

@HaveringWavering

It really isn't "grim" to have bedding on for only a week

I agree. Do you seriously change your bedding twice a week @Isausernameavailable?! I think that is extreme. Ours stays on for a fortnight. We are clean people.

I agree. Do the guests know about the water situation?

We change towels and bed linen weekly BTW.

I'm astounded people can be bothered to change bedding more than once a week!

I think two sets of bedding - one on the bed and one spare & two sets of towels would be sufficient? They have washing machine. I thought AirBnB was a bit more like self catering. So they would just do their own washing?

4 towels per person, 4 hand towels and 2 bathmats

"I'd expect fresh linen at least 2x per week and towels at least 3 x per week ."

Blimey. I'd expect 1 set of bedding and 1 set of towels, per week.

Two each if they can wash them

Blimey. I'd expect 1 set of bedding and 1 set of towels, per week.
Yes, same, though only actually bothered about pillowcases and towels weekly, we wear pyjamas so bedding can go longer.

"which is a bit grim."
To leave bedding on, for a week?
It's the norm to change bedding weekly in many UK families.

Once a week bed linen changes are absolutely standard. I wouldn't worry about that. Towels sounds fine too given the rainwater situ but worth offering a fifth set. I definitely wouldn't leave all 4 at the beginning though (of anything). Leave half and half and then they won't be able to use all of them immediately.

My Airbnb - bed linen and towels are for the week (no mid week changes, sorry mumsnet).
When I rent for a longer period I leave a spare set of bed linen and towels. And I expect the renters to do their own changes and associated washes.
If you are giving a big discount for longer period of rental you need to consider how that impacts on the services you offer.

I might change the bedding once in 25 days, if I was being very on top of cleaning...

Towels are changed when they start to smell musty. If they have 2 sets, throwing a towel in with other laundry is not any trouble.

I am just putting this here for balance, not because I think anyone would admit to being similar.

If they've offered to clean the property, are getting a discount and it's hot weather so easy to dry or just air in the sun, they're probably happy to wash the towels too, so I'd give them 2 to 3 sets and tell them to ask if they need any more.

Make sure they understand the water situation though.

I have been in hospitality for over 20 years. I seen it all especially what people can do to a property. You would be wise to keep an eye on them at least once a week. A good excuse to pop over is to change the towels. Rather than leave them to themselves for a month. Your beautiful linens and house could be wrecked by the end of the month.

Don't buy new sheets and towels.
If you've got enough to collect once a week, and then drop off half way through, I'd do that.
One set of towels plus one set of bedding a week is fine in summer - the towels will dry properly.