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?!

I see this as absolute nonsense.
It’s incredibly bad for the environment to have hundreds of little plastic bottles, so that’s a bonus on your side!

There are suggestions that topping up toiletries ( and not washing out the container in between top ups) can lead to contamination and a buildup up of bioforms and mould. - so I guess this might me the suggestion it is ‘ unhygienic’ can’t say it would bother me but that being said I always bring my own toiletries to airbnb but would have happily used the supplied Aesop instead of my own.

Good idea

Me too. And some guests may prefer the large bottles on environmental grounds..

Ive just come back from a stay at an upmarket hotel. The shampoo/Conditioner/Body wash were all in pump containers that were attached to the wall in the shower.
I wouldn't worry too much about her review, some people like complain for the sake of it! Your place sounds lovely 😍

It's soap. It is antiseptic. No germs. It kills them. That's the point of soap.

Me too. Most high-end hotels do this now. I am sure they have to to satisfy certain environmental credentials. Your Airbnb sounds amazing!

They would get taken home though.

So all the people saying they wouldn’t use because other people have, do you not use the soap dispensers in public toilets either? The product inside hasn’t been used, then put back for goodness sake 🤣

The OP should not have to do this to pander to strange people. Good chance too that some people would steal the travel bottles so she would be forever buying new ones.

You may see their point but by far the majority on this thread do not and, as I and a few others have said, if you feel that way take your own toiletries.

Can see both sides to this! If they are in “locked” pump containers then no problem but if they were in standard bottles like we have at home, I would be worried in case someone had put something in it! I always take my own regardless but I am quite happy to use ones with the pump if the customer can’t open them! Personally wouldn’t stress over her comments!

To quote the much missed Sean Lock "that's a challenging wank!" 😀

Having spent a summer working in a hotel, if it's not bolted to the floor people will try and take it.

I have stayed in many AirBnbs where there has been no soap etc at all. If I'd come to yours I'd have been delighted! It sounds a lovely property and I am sure the other reviews and photos speak for themselves. Sadly, despite all your efforts there are always going to be one or two who find fault. Continue what you are doing and try not to let it bother you. I have seen exactly the same set up in hotels so can't see any problem myself. If they are that fussy then they should bring their own!

Hope you have an alcohol licence if your leaving alcohol.

What do you think the odds of them still being there at the end of the stay are?

I don’t know whether someone else has already mentioned this… a bloke was in court for wanking into bottles like this. Grim. It was only discovered because of CCTV of some kind, I don’t remember the details.

Most of us can ignore that risk. Some of us are now twitchy forever more!

Lots of major hotel chains have the big bottles with screw holders screwed to the wall. I don’t see the issue. It’s not like you’re telling them to use a bar of communal soap on their bits! The products are in bottles! I really don’t see their issue tbh

I would include photo in description on your Airbnb page so people can see what to expect and then can pack their own if they arent happy. I wouldn't change what you supply.
The 1 star knocked off is petty.

I’ve stayed in a lovely spa hotel where there were free standing large bottles of Temple Spa toiletries in the bathroom (along with a pointed notice asking guests not to remove them and that they could be bought from reception). It honestly did not cross my mind that they might have been tampered with.

I am interested to know if the posters who would not use these toiletries ever eat out?

I would be far more concerned about the state of some kitchens plus the possibility of someone spitting into your food.

I could understand it with a bar of soap that touches your skin, but you use the shampoo after it comes out of the bottle. Your skin or hair at no point touches anything that's left in the bottle.

I don't see it as any more unhygienic than washing your hands in a public toilet with the communal soap they provide.
It's far more hygienic to provide them than not to wash your hands after using the toilet for example.
Many hotels i have recently been to now providing big bottles as it's kinder to the environment.

She is being ridiculous. I’ve had the good fortune in life to spend a lot of time with microbiologists and there is nothing unhygienic about those large dispensers. People with daft notions are just making life more difficult for themselves, which is their problem. She shouldn’t have removed a star just because she is daft!

Increasingly hotels use the larger bottles- much more environmentally friendly. I wouldn’t have a problem with it and would be delighted with Aesop toiletries. It sounds like a great set up!