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?!

What are you worried about?

Apologies if you've later been asked and answered this

I'm struggling to understand this. Can you be specific about why you wouldn't? They are pump bottles if their Aesop - what are you imagining has happened to the product inside by someone pumping them to get shampoo/soap/etc? Genuine qs to help me understand such a different viewpoint.

Not even long dead!

I’ve tried to read as much as I can. For those that have an issue - have you explained why? I don’t understand. It’s the same set up as in a hotel? Or when you wash hands in public?

Would you complain to the hotel? And say unhygienic?

Is it because someone else has touched the top? Seems weird…!

And I say this as someone who never touches door handles..

That's what I don't understand! Every hotel does this now.

It’s a nice thing to leave and the majority of people won’t have an issue with it, I always take my own toiletries but that’s personal preference. I certainly wouldn’t have made a special journey to get some if you’d left Aesop toiletries out!

I'd hope it has a mattress protector that gets washed regularly.

How would you ever know? Any more than whether the pump handle has been wiped clean?

I recall seeing piles and piles of sheets and duvet covers being pushed up and down hotel corridors, but I can't actually recall any mattress covers.

I suspect if it looks ok, they leave it. Perhaps an ex-hotel manager/maid can chip in here...But I'd be surprised if those relatively heavy mattress protectors get laundered and tumble dried for every one night stay.

Last hotel we stayed in, everything in large containers fitted to the wall.
And this was Norway....in no way a dirty place.
These people are pretentious idiots.

Most hotels do this now have have ditched the miniatures because it's not environmentally friendly

Bluestone do this, they just refill them. Much less waste. They don’t have to use it!

😂😫

You touch the pump part of the dispenser - and then wash your hands thoroughly- the soap and water hopefully cleansing any harmful bacteria away.You don’t touch the dispenser after that.
Makes no sense to say it’s unhygienic.
And many surfaces and things we will touch through the day will be covered in bacteria

Hey now, Chanel absolutely do a bright pink pearlescent hand soap....

I'm pretty easygoing about this stuff, but I wouldn't use a bar of soap that had previously been used by another guest. I'm sure you're right that it's hygienic, but the idea is gross!

Can't be bothered to see if we've had this clip already but it's absolutely what I've been thinking of:

What do you think they have done with them?? If they are still in the dispenser, they haven’t been used… Sounds much better than using tiny single-use plastic bottles.

Exactly this. Most people who have strong feelings about ‘previously used’ bottles pop some miniatures in their wash bag to be on the safe side.

I’m no eco warrior but those miniatures are terrible. I use the silicone minis when going away which can be washed out and used again. Also much cheaper as I decant from my big bottles at home.

Okay, I'll admit, I've only read the first 7 pages, but two posters have already mentioned the issue.

It's not about touching the pump bottle, it's about what may just possibly be inside the pump bottle.

Someone who worked in a hotel already said it, someone had pissed in a shampoo bottle! People are fucking disgusting, but worse, some people have weird fetishes. Another mentions other 'surprises' being added to these bottles. To spell it out, we are talking about piss, spit and semen! Especially semen! I believe there are places online that these freaks even post about what they have done, for some sort of added thrill.

I always take my own shampoo and conditioner because I prefer them, but my DH is happy to use the individual bottles or a pump dispenser, as long as the pump dispenser is the sort that is locked to the wall and much harder to tamper with.

Hand was dispensers in public washrooms don't bother me so much as these are fixed to the wall, and usually busy enough that nobody is tampering with them. Pump soap at a friend's place, no issue as I know them and they're not weirdos.

So, it's not the dispenser itself, I'd assume the cleaner has given it a wipe over, it's about the small chance of pumping something out after a fucking weirdo with a fetish has been in there.

That said, I take my preferred shampoo and conditioner with me anyway and none of these options are something I would be basing my review on. I think you just have to let it go OP.

In most hotels I've been in recently they have switched to pump bottle toiletries. It's not like an air bnb I went to where there was a shared bar of soap,now THAT was very grim .

Plenty of high end hotels now have refillable bottles of these types of products, what you do is a lovely gesture and also very eco friendly. They’re being really precious.

Exactly and it's far easier to do in a property that you've had to yourself for sometime vs a public toilet where you might get caught.

I'm not saying it's a common risk or that I take my own soap etc, but it's happened enough that I've heard people experiencing it.
Same with hotel / airbnb kettles too but let's not get into that.

I think this sounds absolutely lovely! I would love these touches.

you can’t please everyone.