Is this unhygienic?!

[loislaneloves]

I have an Airbnb on my property. It’s basically a tiny home at the bottom of our large garden with an amazing view. Most people come for the weekend by train and I don’t want people to spend their holiday shopping for stuff like coffee, tea, milk or having to cram suitcases full of toiletries or beach towels so I provide all of those. I also provide a little evening snack (crisps usually) some wine to watch the sun set on the deck with and fruit from the garden and a croissant and jam for breakfast. People love it and I make it quite clear on my ads that these things are provided.
Just got a review from a couple who stayed with us a few days ago. They gave us a good review but took one star off and in her private message to me she said ‘We loved our stay with you but we weren’t very happy that the toiletries are in big shared bottles rather than individual use. This is obviously very unhygienic (we don’t know who has used them!!) so we had to make the trip to buy some for ourselves which was an expense and effort we weren’t expecting’.
To be clear I offer Aesop Shower Gel, Shampoo and Conditioner in the shower and Aesop Hand Wash by the sink in 500ml bottles. They get replaced when empty which is usually about every 10 months
AIBU to think this is not unhygienic?!

Pretty much all of the best 5 star hotels I have stayed in have big shared bottles of shampoo and conditioner….

And to put it on your back you use hands that perhaps haven't been washed for a while.... Then you touch it again immediately making your hands dirty with the same germs.

Sorry if this has been said already but large bottles are much better for sustainability than little individual ones- maybe you can highlight this? I don't see how it is unhygienic- in any public toilet you would have a common soap dispenser, for example. And as PPs said common in hotels for toiletries too.

That’s ridiculous. We stay in 5 hotels frequently, and over the past few years many have swapped over to the bulk dispenser system. Of course, they promote it as for environmental reasons but obviously it’s financial. Irrespective, it’s what most 5 are moving towards so these people seem odd.

You rinse the top of the bottle off? With water?
What good will that do??? 😂😂😂😂

Of you think rinsing a bottle top off with water cleans it enough to kill any lingering germs ... Then you think rinsing hands with water is enough 😂😂😂😂😂😂

What do you do with those ones that are wall mounted? That you can't clean?

Another thread on MN to demonstrate just how completely batshit some people are.

Absolutely nothing wrong with it. Most hotels have switched to this because it's more sustainable.

One final point, if anyone really is that precious about "germs" wouldn't they bring their own toiletries including shampoo and shower gel?
Does anyone really go on holiday without a "wash bag" ?

My hands are washed regularly, at the moment every hour at the very minimum as my diabetes is currently working over time to irritate me.

Plus the point wasn’t about me having hygeine issues (I don’t), but a poster who felt putting their dirty hands in their bag and all over their belongings after using a public toilet, was cleaner than using soap in a public toilet to wash their hands.

She's a fusspot and completely unreasonable. Hotels, restaurants, all kinds of places have these large refillable toiletry bottles. If you don't like them, or have particular needs, then you take your own.

It’s perfectly normal and I’d be delighted to use such lovely luxuries.

Some people are just never bloody happy.

Bonkers!
ive recently stayed at a very top end expensive hotel and all their toiletries were in big pump bottles. In fact I can’t remember the last time that any hotel I stayed in offered individual small bottles. I often take my own bar soap because I prefer it. Sometimes my own shampoo because I have a sensitive scalp. But nothing to do with germs!
In my own holiday cottage you just get a refillable bottle of Smol hand wash. It’s self catering.

yes, but in that 45 minutes you will have possibly touched your previously dirty bag, handles, your face, walls/doors/tables, other people, cutlery, menus, handrails etc.... then you haven't washed your hands for 45 mins+, then you sling your dirty bag on your back, go to toilet touching more dirty things, wash your hands and then immediately touch door handles, maybe your bag, other people, hand rails etc etc

But you're worried about a soap dispenser pump, and that's a germ too far?? 🤔🤔🤔🤔

Definitely not unhygienic in this set up. That's a harsh mark down.

@loislaneloves You have a right to reply, so tell them you avoid using individual sachets for environmental reasons!

They’re being unreasonable in removing a star for your kindness in providing the products in the first place!

They are soap, which is the opposite of unhygienic. I sometimes suspect people do not realise this.

Make sure you have a photo of your complimentary shower gel in your listing photos.

That way you can weed out the crackpots.

I was reading something a while ago, maybe Dr Mark Porter in The Times who said the dirtiest part of a shared sink/ loo is the taps, and the door when you leave the room.

People tend to turn taps on with dirty hands before washing their hands. That's the old style that are not activated automatically.
That's why when drs scrub up they turn the tap off with their elbow or get someone else to do it.

I’m not concerned about a soap dispenser, I never have been and I have never claimed to be, so why are you saying I am worried about a soap dispenser?

I’m not a giant toddler smearing my hands everywhere 🤣

The OP said that they weren't specific in the review, just complained about hygiene. The details about the shower gel weren't in the review but emailed separately.

I'm the same as PP. I don't use them and always bring my own. But I wouldn't take stars off a review.

My mistake

Ah, ok. Fair enough.

I'm another who wouldn't use them, I always take my own toiletries with me for that reason.

The problem for me is that I don't know what's in them. Has the host cheaped out and replaced them with something else, with different ingredients, or have they watered them down.

Or more concerningly, has a previous guest been able to access them. There's some sick fucks out there, and while the chance is unlikely, theres always a possibility that someone has opened them up and spat, pissed or jizzed in it as some kind of sexual fetish.

I'd rather not take the risk.

My Mistake

Just stayed in an air bnb and they also had giant pump bottles. I was just happy they were provided. It's not unhygenic unless you think someone would tamper with them which is very unlikely. It isn;t shared food so |I don't see the problem.