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Original poster

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

168 replies

SmorgasBorb · 16/02/2022 00:25

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?

OP posts:
Luredbyapomegranate · 16/02/2022 06:53

4 sets each - one for each week (bath towel, hair towel each) is fine.

Hand towels in bathroom and kitchen should be changed twice a week in an ideal world, but lots of people wouldn’t, so I’d provide 4 each of these and wait for them to ask.

Just make it clear with that and the linen if they want more they can ask.

rookiemere · 16/02/2022 06:54

Can't you just collect towels with the sheets weekly? In which case two sets per person is enough at a time.

Whingasaurus · 16/02/2022 06:55

It's not a hotel. 1 set of bedlinen fresh a week one spare set left there. 2 bath 2 hand per person per week one mat to share.

TheTeenageYears · 16/02/2022 07:17

For longer durations I leave a spare set of towels and bedding. Guests can then wash and use as they wish. Longer stays get a significant discount so they are not paying the same nightly rate as a few days or even a week so I don't see any need to supply endless amounts of towels or bedding for longer stays.

WaterBottle123 · 16/02/2022 07:20

@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.
@Isausernameavailable

LOL only on Mumsnet.

WaterBottle123 · 16/02/2022 07:22

See because I don't live in germs will kill you but using endless energy is totally fine and not at all selfish world I'd say 1 change of sheets and 3 changes of towels would be more than enough.

But mumsnetters are afraid of their own skin cells.

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 16/02/2022 07:28

It never ceases to amaze me on here how many people must be constantly washing bed linen and towels. It makes me wonder, ironically, how grimly grubby they must be to need to change them so often!

Once a week is fine, honestly.

HoppingPavlova · 16/02/2022 07:32

Even with your update, I don’t understand. You are going around anyway to pick up the dirties. How is it more disruptive to them to exchange the dirty with clean. You could do it at a distance, same way you are picking up dirties surely? If I was met with an avalanche of linen/towels on arrival and knew you were picking up dirties I’d think you were potty.

knittingaddict · 16/02/2022 07:46

We stay in holiday cottages all the time and sometimes villas abroad. One set of bed linen to last the week is standard and I've never received more than that.

One bath towel and one hand towel each per week would be fine for us as we would share (two of us) and use a new one half way through the week. I suspect others might want more than that. If there was a washing machine, two bath towels and two hand towels each would be fine. If you aren't going to enter the property to remove the towels and provide fresh ones, I wouldn't want dirty towels piling up.

Are you going to clean the place at all or is it going to be more like a house rental?

ChoiceMummy · 16/02/2022 07:54

Water conservation or not, I'd want a clean towel daily. Bed linen if it was being charged for me, in a hotel room twice a week, (tend to be in the bed more), in a self catering cottage/caravan once a week. If I have to change it fortnightly in winter, weekly in summer!

PeanuttyButter · 16/02/2022 07:54

Aside from that you say they are going to clean it all themselves... Be prepared to have to do a deep clean once they leave as I'm thinking their standard of everyday clean might not be the standard that you would expect to be left with after a typical weekend stay. Things that they may not think to clean may start to build up such a limescale in showers and in grouting. Hoovering or wiping over the sofa, general dusting.

ChoiceMummy · 16/02/2022 07:55

But, should add, if self catering I'd expect sufficient towels for the week, so 7 per person and that assuming there's a washing machine it would be my responsibility to wash.

toomuchlaundry · 16/02/2022 07:56

I bet the people who live in a world where you need to change bedlinen at least twice a week and towels 3 times would change their tune if they had to rely on tank water or spontaneously combust at the thought of all the ‘germs’

ItsSnowJokes · 16/02/2022 07:58

Ah the competitive MN I change my bedding hourly and my towels every time they are used is out in force.

Once a week is fine for both. They have a washing machine and dryer if they need them washed more frequently.

PerditaPerdita · 16/02/2022 08:01

If you're collecting the linen every week and giving fresh, then isn't it just how many towels for a week?

One bath sheet, one bath towel, one hand towel, one small flannel, each.

Suretobe · 16/02/2022 08:01

@ChoiceMummy

But, should add, if self catering I'd expect sufficient towels for the week, so 7 per person and that assuming there's a washing machine it would be my responsibility to wash.
Have you ever gone self-catering and received one towel per day per person? (Just doing a little market research!)
BarbaraofSeville · 16/02/2022 08:03

@ChoiceMummy

But, should add, if self catering I'd expect sufficient towels for the week, so 7 per person and that assuming there's a washing machine it would be my responsibility to wash.
SEVEN TOWELS PER PERSON PER WEEK [SHOCK]

You need to get better at getting washed if you think that's necessary.

A disgusting waste of water, electricity, washing powder and wear on the machine. It's like the climate emergency doesn't exist in your world.

YellowAndGreenToBeSeen · 16/02/2022 08:03

@ChoiceMummy

But, should add, if self catering I'd expect sufficient towels for the week, so 7 per person and that assuming there's a washing machine it would be my responsibility to wash.
A towel a day is insane. No wonder the planet is fucked.
WaterBottle123 · 16/02/2022 08:03

@ChoiceMummy

You care more about a skin cell free towel than the environment? Aren't you a treat.

Legodout · 16/02/2022 08:05

Some odd responses here. In all holiday lets I've ever stayed in, and the ones I've cleaned for, you only ever get one set of linen and one set of towels for a week's stay. So 4 sets of everything in a 25-day stay is generously adequate.

toomuchlaundry · 16/02/2022 08:09

Why do you need a clean towel every day @ChoiceMummy? And if you had a finite amount of water that had to last the summer would you still demand a clean towel everyday. If you did that you would probably end up not being able to shower everyday? Which would be worse no clean towel or not being able to shower?

Original poster
SmorgasBorb · 16/02/2022 08:09

@ChoiceMummy

Water conservation or not, I'd want a clean towel daily. Bed linen if it was being charged for me, in a hotel room twice a week, (tend to be in the bed more), in a self catering cottage/caravan once a week. If I have to change it fortnightly in winter, weekly in summer!
A clean towel DAILY? Why? We have to conserve water because we rely on what comes from the sky. Once it's gone it's gone, I can't direct the gods to create more until it decides to rain again and enough to fill a tank. Its not a fancy Eco thing it's our life. If we have no water then there's not only no more clean towels there's no toilet flushing, showers, water to cook with. We have clear guidelines in the house to conserve water and most people are aware and understand. A clean towel daily. Holy hell.
OP posts:
steppemum · 16/02/2022 08:15

well, when I've been in holiday lets, you get one set of linen and then if you want to wash it you wash them yourselves, you don't usually get linen changes.

I woudl expect the same, get one set plus a spare and they then wash them as often as they want to.

toomuchlaundry · 16/02/2022 08:19

I would be wary of having a washing machine available to guests, just in case you get someone like @ChoiceMummy who would completely disregard the need to conserve water

violetbunny · 16/02/2022 08:19

I would be wary of leaving them too many towels in one go unless you clearly explain they are intended for the duration of the stay (or a specific time period). Otherwise if you get someone from the "I need a clean towel daily" brigade they might be expecting you to top them up on demand!