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...

@ravenmum could you please point out where I swore at you?

As for OP, IMHO (Anronyms) she sounds great and very helpful.

Other MN acronyms can be found here: www.mumsnet.com/info/acronyms

If I were staying for more than 2 (or 3) nights, I would expect the bath sheets to be changed, or washed, or more than 1 per person provided. The guests could use the washing machine, however.

But why didn't you provide hand towels, OP? It was not unreasonable of the guests to ask for those (and it was U of you not to provide them in the first place).

I’d expect clean towels every day when staying in a hotel, not sure how cottages attached to people’s houses work but I’d expect the same unless I was told otherwise.

Self-catering accommodation = do your own laundry, thats the norm

I change my bathroom towels (1 bath sheet, 1 hand towel and 1 inbetween size towel) every 3 days. I change the bath mat once a week. I change the kitchen hand towel every 3 days too.

I only wash them when I have a full machine load. No way am I running the washing machine with only a couple of towels in.

In the winter I put the towels over the bathroom and spare bedroom radiators. In the summer I usually hang the towels on the line or just on the towel rail.

I don't find the towels actually get that wet. My hair is very short so that towel doesn't get that wet but neither does the bath sheet. It gets a bit damp but that is all. I don't honestly see how people say their towels get really wet.

I would expect hand towels and bath towels as standard. I would also expect them to be replenished unless otherwise stated. I would state in future no towels provided. Do you provide bed linen? If so how often are they changed? If towels are provided I would expect them to be changed daily (just state no towels provided in future to prevent the bother)

Your place sounds amazing OP and you a fabulous host- are you allowed to link to it?!

FWIW I would love access to a laundry when we are away- being able to wash a few bits of clothing (especially the kids stuff) and not have to lug piles of grubby washing to do on arrival back home would be a bonus.

not sure how cottages attached to people’s houses work but I’d expect the same unless I was told otherwise.

But why would you? If a cottage is advertised as self-catering why should a party wall shared with the owner’s house have any impact on that?

Unless you are staying at the Mandarin Oriental it's unreasonable to expect clean towels everyday.
If they have excessive expectations they shouldn't stay in a holiday cottage.
No wonder the environment is such a mess.

Also, if you use towels to dry yourself when you're clean they are not getting very dirty.

I wouldn't expect clean towels everyday even if they were offered.

However perhaps a notice is the way forward and provide hand towels

I expect to be waited on when I go away and not lift a finger to do any domestic activity

Really? Self catering is going to be a massive disappointment!

Anyway I am sure you don't book it. Horses for courses and all that.

Wait! This is a genuine question, do people not wash their towels after every use? Like After a shower or a bath do you hang up your towel to dry and use it again? Like at home not on holiday Is this a thing?

Bloody hell. Like.

but I’d expect the same unless I was told otherwise.

😂😂

How the other half live!

stayathomegardener I wouldn't expect towels in a holiday rental, it's an added bonus if there are. Your place sounds lovely, do you have any availability for the summer holidays?

For all the people washing towels after every use, I am completely flabbergasted. STOP WASHING EVERYTHING EVERY BLOODY DAY!!! THE PLANET IS FUCKED ENOUGH AS IT IS WITHOUT THE SELFISH DEMAND FOR CLEAN TOWELS AND BOTTLED WATER EVERY DAY. A bit of your own diet really won't kill you. My towels are lucky if they see the washing machine once every two weeks.

Would it be possible to fit a washing machine in the holiday cottage?

That would solve everything.

We stayed in a holiday cottage last week and had a supply of bath sheets, plus hand towels too. We didn’t have flannels but I didn’t miss those.

However there was also a washing machine and tumble dryer so we could wash and dry the towels midweek .

Depends where you are. Our nearest laundrette is about 40 miles away.

Even more reason to point them in that direction.

I didn't realise it was self catering. I would never do a self catering holiday. As I said, when I go away I want to enjoy the holiday and not domestic duties

I would put up an environmental notice stating that you only provide clean towels once per visit. Who the hell uses clean bath towels every night???

@IceQueenCometh An acronym is a type of abbreviation. Your list of acronyms includes the sweary one you used on me.

Everybody uses RTFT.

If you prefer/are easily offended you can look at it as Read The Full Thread.

I always thought RTFT was, read the full thread,
A little light has clicked and I see now that it could also be read the fucking thread??

Also....for those of you who like seperate towels for your hair, take your own turban towel, Amazon do one, think they are called relux. They are fantastic, I've got long very thick hair and it takes so much moisture out.

I've always used 'haven't RTFT' to mean 'I haven't read the full thread' if I want to suggest something but haven't waded through a zillion previous posts.
Bit of a shock to look at the MN acronym link you posted @IceQueenCometh to find that MN says it means 'read the fucking thread'

We always stay in self-catering accommodation and quite a lot of the time, towels are provided, but just at the beginning of the booking. I'm not expecting any form of contact with the owners at all unless there were any problems, and I certainly wouldn't expect anyone to provide laundry services. One time we stayed two weeks, we were delivered clean bedding and towels in the middle weekend, but it was up to us to change the beds. It's self-catering. You're supposed to be self-sufficient. I do appreciate a washing machine and a dryer though, especially here in Scotland as getting wet on the hills is pretty much a given....

I'm not easily offended, I just don't see why I was told to RTFT, which you usually say in some annoyance to someone who's obviously missed a key point - that didn't apply to my comment at all.