Airbnb host requested £200 reimbursement fee for makeup/fake tan on linen

[Candlelight10]

To preface this, I paid the £200 because I couldn’t be bothered with the hassle, and it was otherwise a good place to stay. But, do you think this was a reasonable request for makeup on a towel and some fake tan residue on the white bedsheets, which will almost certainly come out in the wash? I’d have thought that comes with the territory of hosting an Airbnb? Really puts me off staying with an Airbnb now

In my experience, fake tan can be a nightmare to remove from sheets etc.
If it didn't come off and they were decent items, I'd say £200 (including their time dealing with it) isn't the end of the world, but it's a bit spendy if they managed to clean the sheets and towel.

The easy way to avoid it is not to get makeup and fake tan on linen - neither of these are normal things to get all over their sheets and towels.

I wouldn’t have paid, they have insurance for accidental damage and that’s what they should do and make a claim.

If you saw your stained their sheets did you not try and clean them if you're so certain it would come out?

There can be limited success removing fake tan and makeup
bed linen has to be pristine

any hint of fake tan on clean sheets and guest would be leaving reviews about skid marks on sheets

@SgtJuneAckland it was a glamping pod so there were limited facilities for washing a big sheet. I use fake tan every day and get it on my own white sheets at home and it just comes out in the wash with normal whitening detergent. Anyway, it’s been paid now, I can understand maybe £50 to replace the bedsheet (which was just a thin cheap thing), but £200 just seems excessive

Many places like this use laundry services and are charged if the sheets and towels are stained for replacement, either way stained stuff can't be used for other guests, they need to be spotless because although you say it comes out of your white sheets, is it to the standard that would be expected somewhere like an air BnB?
My towels and sheets are clean but they're not at a standard most people expect from a hotel or holiday cottage.
People would absolutely kick off if presented with stained sheets and towels when staying somewhere so in order to preserve their hygiene and cleanliness they need to replace them.
You stained them so yes, you should pay for them.

Maybe it didn't come out of the sheets as the host didn't use a special whitening detergent?

Personally I would not be too impressed if you slept on my sheets when you know you are going to stain them.

Its a bit steep but you use it every day and no it comes out on the sheets, and that you were staying somewhere you couldn’t clean them, so it’s fair enough really. Next time maybe take your own sheets or forgo the fake tab for a couple of days.

I think it’s quite rude to leave make-up and fake tan on their sheets.

One of my DDs uses fake tan regularly and her bedsheets are often minging. I hate it when one day after fresh sheets she's turned them orange again, and it sometimes goes through the sheet and stains the mattress cover. I would not be impressed if I had an Airbnb and someone left the sheets covered with fake tan.

I use fake tan and if I use it then go to bed, it marks the sheets a very unattractive browny orange. It washes out right back to white though.

if I sleep on clean sheets, I get very light marks on the sheets that just look like you’ve sweated on them, but not enough to really notice if it was just one night

either way, it should wash out, or to replace the sheet id think £20 would cover it

Sorry that’s disgusting I wouldn’t know the difference between fake tan and shit smears.
I’m sure glad I don’t work in that sector!

I own holiday cottages and I'd be very annoyed if someone left sheets covered in fake tan. It's also annoying when people wipe their makeup off with towels. Both really difficult to wash out so you're basically writing off their bedlinen. If you have to use fake tan then take your own linen.

I can't understand a mindset where you knowingly/deliberately leave someone else's sheets in that state. If you have to use fake tan take your own sheets.
Having said that I wouldn't want to sleep in make up covered sheets every night either, so maybe I just don't get it.

I do understand perhaps asking for some reimbursement (e.g. £50) but they weren’t “covered” in fake tan, just a couple of pink marks on the pillow and bedsheet from where there’s been some transfer. Anyway, it’s been paid now.

So a towel, a bedsheet and a pillowcase potentially needing replaced. Maybe a duvet cover too? You're reimbursing for the cost of the items (perhaps the cost of a whole matching set) plus the time to purchase new ones and an admin charge for the inconvenience. Are you sure the duvet, pillow and mattress cover weren't marked also?

Host here.

A message to those who think its no problem (not necessarily OP).

You are right it is no problem and washes out,, sometimes. But sometimes it needs stain removers, sometimes vinegar, sometimes bleach with an overnight soak, and sometimes the sheets just have to be binned. What was a 2 hour job just turned into days.

Funny thing is it also often takes twice as long to clean the property after the same guests.

Today we just threw out £90 of linen (two separate beds same party), this is after 2 washes/dry cycles and a load of extra time. The linen was less than 2 months old. In cases like this we do try to charge, but often don't get anything back.

These things are the 'cost of doing business'. But do you know what that saying really means? It means that its the other customers who end up paying, they pay to clean up after the mess of the few.