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'd like one bath sheet and one hand towel pp, changed once during the week

In that case, bring the second set yourself.

You've made a rod for your own back here, OP. Your listing stated use of a washing machine so that's what you should have re-iterated when you saw them, not offered to do their washing because they're on a 6 week holiday. Give an inch, and people will take a mile.

Tell them there's been a misunderstanding and they're welcome to use the washing machine but need to provide their own detergent.

If there is no laundry facility within the property then you need to provide fresh towels daily. If there's two of them then obviously they're going to need two towels every day?!

Get yourself to B&M or Poundstretcher.

No you don't. Tell them for environmental reasons they should hang the towels to dry and reuse them. And to stop being so wasteful themselves at home.

I'm buying the detergent and paying for the electricity, so I'll use it as I please. I'm not about to leave damp towels lying around and I'm not about to dry myself on anything other than a fresh, clean towel.

But you're not paying for the damage to the environment.

Why are your towels unclean after you've used them? Don't you wash properly when you're in the shower?

I wouldn't have towels hung around the room. Looks scruffy

What do you imagine towel rails are for?

You should provide hand towels. But I would say that as it's a self catering cottage, and you are environmentally conscious then if they need clean towels every day then they will need to wash them themselves. Are they expecting clean sheets every day too?

Or, if they are insisting on clean towels, give them an extra charge for them, that will cover the cost of buying new ones.

I think the guests are being unreasonable and demanding. They're in a holiday cottage, not a hotel.

you need to provide fresh towels daily.

Please. What a waste of resources.

I think Pinkyyy is the same poster who uses bleach in her washing up? Apologies if I'm wrong.
It's hardly surprising then to read about daily towel changes.

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

Yes because it’s a wasteful use of resources to wash them that often.

Like another pp, when I have rented cottages in this country (uk) we have had to supply our own towels. Haven't rented for a few years though, so perhaps expectations have changed.

Why would you want clean towels every day anyway? I have a friend like this who washes them after each use. I find it batshit TBH. All that wasted water

Entitled jerks. Explain that that goes against your policy on environmental sustainability.

It’s disgustingly wasteful and posters who genuinely do it should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves - it’s a proper i’m alright and couldn’t care less about the impact on anyone else attitude, mostly particularly our children, future grandchildren etc. Selfish. I am also completely baffled by what posters think is going to happen to them if they use one towel per week - really, what do you think you will contract?!

Mumsnet makes me think we're all doomed- people who refuse do do anything but flush their tampons/towels, demand a clean towel every day, like why am I even bothering trying to reduce wastage when this kind of crap is even REMOTELY acceptable?

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.

I think this is the issue you have. You offer a washing service and it doesn't mention what or how often.

In most rental properties we've stayed in you do usually get a bath sheet, hand towel and flannel per person. I only really tend to stay in places with its own washing machine so would just wash the towels once during the week perhaps, if we were showing more than usual if hot, etc. But normally I'd manage a full week with the towel.

Ive never had people come in mid week to change towels, etc. TBH Im glad - I don't really want the hosts coming in mid week during our stay. I think its different in a hotel.

No I don't believe I've said I use bleach in my washing up, although I do use it for other things. I like clean towels, surely that's not a crime? Same as I wear clean pyjamas every night. Each to their own I suppose.

When I'm done, both go in the wash.

A big waste of water and electricity. It also takes time - I really don't have time to wash and dry towels after a shower every day! It's just not necessary.

No wonder the planet is wrecked

I do my recycling and try to produce as little waste as I can. Forgive me if I do a few extra washes because I enjoy fresh towels.

Wouldn't you just buy plenty of towels so you can provide clean ones each day? Then you're not doing washing every day. I wouldn't expect a clean towel every day but some people do, I think you have to expect that unfortunately

This has made me go and check the details of the holiday cottage I’m staying in soon. Sure enough, it says “please remember to bring your own towels.”

Thought I was going mad for a second there.

I'm currently in a 5* hotel and there's a note in the room about not changing the towels unless needed due to the environment. Quite right. At home a towel lasts a week normally.

Recycling is not enough, obviously. We also all need to use less water and less electricity. So no, I don't "forgive you " for washing towels every day.
This is not a hotel. 1 to 2 towels for the holiday is the norm.

Lots of rental cottages don't even supply towels, you have to take your own.

No one should be using a clean bath towel/sheet every day. That is such a ridiculous and needless waste.

I do think if you are going to supply towels you should supply hand towels but 1 bath sheet/towel per person is ample. In the summer if they get damp people can hang them out. I can never understand how people say the towels they use get soaked. I dry myself on a bath sheet every morning and my towel gets damp but certainly not wet or soaked

Forgive me if I do a few extra washes because I enjoy fresh towels.

It's thousands of extra washes you are doing over your lifetime, not a few. My towels are hung over the towel rail and in this weather they dry very quickly and in the winter the towel rail radiator is on so they also dry very quickly. How dirty do you think your towels are if you have showered properly?

No wonder the planet is fucked.