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...

The clicky link is something MN are trying to implement.

Yesterday there were links to alcohol and piles of dresses and boots and constipation and car seats too but I think some/all may have been removed by now. Posting the list to check.

OP. When we stay in a holiday cottage we expect 1 hand towel and 1 bath towel/sheet per person. And we expect them to be used for a week.

Bedding is also a clicky link?

I'm leaving the thread before irons get involved

Oooh wait, bedding.

Why? Once a week is ample.

I don't think it is - but in any case the host should make it clear, so at least people know what to expect.

I'd never get my towels changed in a hotel after one night - what a waste of resources.

I also don't think once a week is ample.

Make it clear in your listing what you are willing to provide in terms of fresh bedding and towels, for longer lets just have available more sheets if they want to change the bedding it's up to them.

Definitely a hand towel per person along with body towels.

And a few tea towels, stayed in a self catering place in Cornwall with an abundance of towels and just one tea towel for a week.
Also stayed in an Airbnb in Ireland where no towels were provided (booked by friends who didn't mention that to us) and a 'luxury' villa in Italy with towels probably dating to when the house was built! Though the house itself was lovely the towels and bedding were surprisingly crap.

If people need fresh towels every day then people are not washing properly
I like that now in hotels you have the option because washing towels everyday is such a waste

Oh well, I guess you will get all sorts OP

I’ve never had towels provided by self catering cottages. I’d adjust your listing to say bring your own and remove the offer of a washing machine or put one in the cottage.

DH and I recently stayed for three nights in a B & B and every morning the owner of the house asked if we wanted clean towels.

We didn't - and I was surprised that she offered - but having read some of the replies on here, I imagine she has had guests who do ask for fresh towels daily.

It's unnecessary and so bad for the environment.

I would expect at least two bath towels per person and a hand towel. I shower and wash my hair every day and need a towel to wrap around my hair and one around my body and a hand towel is obvious.

I would provide more towels and you have already said that you will put a wash on so they're not being U.

If you've offered then obviously you have to do it for them. Maybe change your literature in future to say " there are no washing facilities at the property, clean towels will be provided once during your stay so please bring with you whatever you will need". I'd buy a few more towels though, they're not expensive and people like a bit of luxury on holiday...like a clean towel.

@lightningstrikes you've summed up my feelings, it's that assumption.

Also minor drip feed, these guests don't like things to be tumble dried so it would be a day of line drying.

I like to think I'm pretty accommodating I've picked guest up at 2am from festivals, minded dogs for weddings, cooked for guests even hosted an 11 strong film crew and I love it.

We get great reviews and full stars partly I think because we are really laid back and don't have signs and rules everywhere.

I guess this is the downside and you can't gel with everyone.

Off to tidy the laundry

I'd expect hand towels but not a new bath towel every day.

You offered...

I'd be tempted to add to your info: washing machine facilities available for a small charge. You could then tell similar guests it's £5 per wash.

In reality I'd suck it up and hope they don't return!

I visited a friend for a weekend as a student, so took my own towel. My friend packed a towel for each night she was there (about 4 nights).

I've never had towels replaced when staying in a self-catering cottage. If they can get use of a washing machine then they can wash them themselves. That's what we do when we stay away. But we wouldn't be washing them every day - that's just ridiculous.

'We use clean towels every day.' Well bring your own then.

I would stick them in the drier for 5 minutes and return to the guests.

Hand towels should be provided.
He fact you provide bath sheets not bath towels is fantastic.
Lots of large hotels do not provide fave cloths- the one I worked in was not allowed to due to borough hygiene restrictions of transmussion of germs like herpes virus which are hard to look by washing. (Different boroughs even gave different rules about how glasses in restaurants are dried so there is enormous variation. ) I wouldn't provide these at all.
I don't was my bath towels very day. I dry them in between uses.
It's incredibly wasteful of them ( and lazy) . They are self catering too and not paying for full linen changes. The weather is hot the towels will dry.
Change them this time but say I don't normally change towels due to environmental reasons etc. You can try them here...(airer).
2 towels on rotation would each last for a few days days each so I think they're being weird. If its really damp the towels might not dry. sometkmes in hotels i do have to request an e tra big toerl as i gave rwally long hair and i need to use it for washing it. It gets saturated. In a rental I wouldn't dream of asking

said if you have any washing I'll pop it on for you and leave it outside your door in a basket
You said you'd do "any washing" for them, and now they are giving you some washing. And you are going on MN to complain.

What I'd suggest is: if you just mean e.g. a single washload a week, then tell that to guests. And if guests ask you for a service you don't provide, just say "Oh, sorry, I don't provide that service. Maybe you could do X instead." Nice, simple, friendly communication.

Also minor drip feed, these guests don't like things to be tumble dried so it would be a day of line drying.

How ridiculous to think they can specify how you dry the towels. They sound like a complete pain in the backside. I'd tell them we don't offer a daily towel changing service and suggest they hang them up to dry. I'd change the towels a maximum of once midweek.

I would expect at least two bath towels per person and a hand towel. I shower and wash my hair every day and need a towel to wrap around my hair and one around my body and a hand towel is obvious.

You don't need a bath towel for your hair each day. Bring your own hair wrap. How utterly self absorbed can a person be to think that washing a bath towel that you've had wrapped around your hair for 15 minutes is acceptable? Also bath towels are capable of drying hands.

I would imagine that the guests meant they didn't want their clothes to be tumble dried? They're clearly not avoiding tumble driers out of eco-friendliness, so maybe they're afraid of their lacy undergarments being damaged?

Are people actually being serious about not using fresh towels every day?