More are my guests being unreasonable?

[stayathomegardener]

I run a holiday cottage in the UK, sleeps 4 and is next to our house.

Currently have two guests staying so provided the usual 4 bath sheets when they arrived yesterday.
I received this message this morning:

Hi T*,do you have some hand towels and face cloths that you could leave for us. We will leave bath towels outside for you after use for washing and return if that's ok as we use clean towels each night,thanks."

The hand towels and face cloths are not an issue I can give them some of ours and perhaps should consider providing them anyway but daily washing/drying two bath sheets is that reasonable?

For full disclosure the listing states that there is use of a washing machine next door (in our house) and I always say to guests just let me know if you would like me to put any washing on for you.
Tempted to say help yourself to it but really don't want to have to let them in here (tidy up!)
I have yet to respond...

I run 2 holiday cottages. You really should provide hand towels!

As you offer to put washing on for them then I would just do it. I guess if they had a machine in the cottage they would wash them every day.

As others have suggested put one of those environmental notices up to stop this happening.

No-one needs fresh towels every day, so wasteful!

I run a holiday let overseas. I provide hand towels, baths sheets and face towels plus a linen cupboard full of towels so guests can change and wash their towels when they want to. I think it would be a good idea to put in a washing machine if you have the plumbing. The place I rent is a one storey eco house with two bedrooms, tv, satellite, DVD, microwave, welcome pack, bathroom, terrace, weekly housekeeping, BBQ - I charge £27 a night and have been told it could be improved by putting in a dishwasher. They'll be lucky at that price. But definitely, think about putting in a washing machine if you rates would make it financially viable.

MN tried to add the clicky links a few years ago. There was lots of shouting and they gave up. I am disappointed to see so little shouting this time.

IIRC we spoilt it for them by misspelling wasing machines

See - no link

Just dry the towels in the dryer and fold them - they'll never know! I used to do this with my husband's son who would use a towel once and drop it on the floor expecting it to be washed!

Your guests are definitely being unreasonable! Self-catering holiday cottages usually supply kitchen & bathroom cleaning equipment & cloths but you take your own towels. They are being very cheeky expecting towels to be replaced every day. You are not a hotel.
If you are being kind enough to supply towels then I think it should be one bath towel + one hand towel per person per week.

When we stay in s/c we take our own towels. If there’s a washing machine in the rental we might wash them midweek if we’ve been showering twice daily eg after swimming.

I change my towels every 2-3 days at home using two towels at a time. I always take towels with me whenever I go on holiday because many places only give you clean towels once a week. I would always air dry my towels to conserve energy if I can. Every day would be more like a hotel. BUT.
If it is a beach holiday and the towels are all sandy I may expect a bit more. But I would most likely wash them myself.
Maybe give them more towels and then do a batch. They are on holiday after all.

I’m a veteran of s/c holiday lets here and in Europe. I’ve never been asked to provide daily fresh towels in 15 years and some of our properties are high end ‘luxury’.

They’re just cheeky fuckers who don’t grasp how s/c works or they do and are chancing it.

Do agree that they need hand and face towels, but that’s easily remedied. Also agree you need to put in a washing machine. Just increase your rates slightly to cover it.

In self-catering I expect one bath towel (or sheet) and one hand towel per person. An extra hand towel in the bathroom/cloakroom is a bonus. Maybe 2 or 3 tea towels. I don't expect them to be changed or washed for me as there's usually a washing machine and sometimes a stack of spare fresh towels in the airing cupboard.

Fact is, I use the same ones all week and dry them out on the radiator, like at home. I change bedding and towels once a week unless they've got extra dirty for some reason. I must be disgusting by some people's standards but at least it's more environmentally friendly!

Your guests are being quite demanding but you did give them a loophole for doing so. Change your info to cover this possibly happening in the future and state your eco reasons for it.

Self-catering holiday cottages usually supply kitchen & bathroom cleaning equipment & cloths but you take your own towels

Used to be the case back in the day, but these days, partly due to Airbnb and Homeaway, people expect towels even in cheap places.

The only guests I've had ask me for facecloths have been American.

Are your guests form the US?

I’m the minority but always use a clean towel and thinknits disgusting not to.

No. It may not be your choice to re-use a towel but it isn’t disgusting to do so.

Increasing the times you use a towel/pyjamas etc is a really easy way to help the environment. So you may still fly/drive a diesel/run a tumble dryer but it's about taking steps to help.

No one needs a fresh towel each day. A clean body with clean water on it which is absorbed by a clean towel and then aired isn't causing enough mess to require laundering. It's like swapping to paper straws. It's easy. So let's just effing do it.

Just reply. We only supply a set of towels per week.

@GeorgeTheFirst
Thanks. I had no idea the clicks links were deliberate. I thought it was another computer glitch. Wazzing machine also works.

Not only is it a waste of electricity and water to wash things after one use, there are also plastics in some materials like polycotton. When washed these fine plastics end up In the water waste. This water can end up in the seas which fish etc then digest.

Therefore you should only wash things when absolutely needed and if possible by things made from natural fibres.

I would just smile and just do it as they could leave a bad review. It's warm so you can dry them outside which is the expensive bit. In a hotel you can get clean towels by chucking the 'dirty' ones in the bath. Most people use the towels a reasonable amount,so its unlikely to happen often, and you can change the wording on your site. After all, they're only here for a week.

In a holiday cottage I would just expect facilities to wash the set of towels provided, but I'd always bring a few of my own towels.

Daily towel change is usually in a hotel or b&b - I wouldn't expect that in a holiday cottage and have never come across it.

Just come back from a week in a cottage. Hand towels provided in both shower rooms. Bath sheets also provided, I was there all week so used my bath sheet all week and the hand towel in my shower room. Two other people staying odd nights so used other shower room hand towel and a bath sheet each. Fourth bath sheet unused.

So far none of us have died of used towel induced disease. Probably because we washed thoroughly/showered before using the towels for DRYING our clean bodies rather than smearing our filthy unwashed persons with them in the mistaken belief that that would clean us.

PS we always take our own beach towels because I don't expect them to be provided, it's a nice bonus if the holiday cottage person leaves a few old towels to be used for the beach. I would never take their decent towels on the beach, height of CF behaviour IMO.

Last holiday cottage I stayed in gave you the choice or bring your own towels or you could rent them for your stay. For a two night stay renting them cost €5 and you got a bath sheet, a mid size towel, a hand towel and face cloth. Two kitchen towels were included regardless of whether you rented the towels or not.

Nobody needs a new towel daily. It’s ridiculous. An d OP says she provided 4 bath sheets for 2 guests. So that’s more than enough. I can understand them asking for hand towels l, but that’s it l. I’d direct them to the washing machine and say if they need fresh towels daily they can see to it themselves!

Most holiday lets I've been to provide one bath towel (never had a bath sheet) and 1 or 2 hand towels per person for a week's stay, sometimes flannels.

Using a fresh towel every day is shockingly wasteful. (And over-washing gradually wrecks the towels too, meaning they need to be replaced sooner). I presume our climate-change-afflicted grandchildren will look back in horror at us.

Even hotels don’t provide fresh towels daily! Haven’t any of you (who want fresh towels every day) seen the signs in hotels about trying to use your towels as often as you can due to extra washing damagingly the environment? We are a family of 4 and share our towels in a hotel and we are CLEAN when we get out of the shower!

Hand towels should be provided - especially when you’re left with a limited supply of towels and want your bath towel dry by next use. Maybe the bath sheets (big?) don’t dry out (probably no heating at this time of year) and using a damp towel is a bit grim. Maybe you could tumble dry their towels daily? But if you offer laundry you can’t then refuse to do it!