Save with These Airbnb Laundry Service Tips
We worked with some of our most frequent Airbnb linen service customers to find out how they maintain high quality with their laundry and linen cleaning.
Tips for Maintaining High Quality and Saving Time
- Invest in quality linens.
- Maintain 3-5x inventory turns.
- Secure extra linens.
- Request preventive stain and damage treatment.
- Know your laundry service.
- Track damaged linens.
1. Premium, hotel-style, fast-drying, white bedding, and towels for a valuable return on investment.
The term “hotel-style” doesn’t always translate to “hotel-price.” Keep in mind that you don’t have the advantage of a hotel’s bulk purchasing power or budget.
Invest in high-quality, hotel-style, quick-drying, white bedding, and towels for a worthwhile return. Hotel-style linens are defined in two ways.
- Pure white color: Easier stain (bleaching) treatment and lower costs than colored linens. Black makeup towels are an exception here.
- Standardized size: Prevent frequent replacements, maintain 4-6 items/room instead of 10-15. Using one size for the master and another size for guest baths and one is missing or damaged, replacement can be challenging. You’ll likely need to buy more than one.
Consider doubling up on flat sheets. This can give you a safety net if you lose a fitted sheet. In a pinch, you can tuck the flat sheet under the mattress. You can relax without the need to rush an order with your Airbnb laundry service. Fitted sheets are most likely to be permanently damaged by stains.
Use a duvet cover for your comforters. These are a must for protecting your comforter and much easier to replace if they get stained or damaged. A clean duvet cover protects not only your comforter, but also your guests.
2. Maintain sufficient inventory for just one laundry round every couple of Airbnb turnovers.
Miscommunication arises when complexity increases. If you have just enough linens for one turnover at your Airbnb rental, it complicates the cleaning process, imposing strict timelines on yourself, your house cleaners, and your Airbnb linen service.
Maintaining only a few laundry sets means frequent laundry rounds, incurring higher cleaning costs with most Airbnb laundry services. Purchasing enough linens for a couple of turnovers saves money, grants flexibility to house cleaners, and ensures beds are never left without sheets.
Managing limited inventory can be highly stressful for hosts and cleaners. Keeping extra inventory on hand offers a simple solution often overlooked by rookie Airbnb hosts.
3. Secure additional Airbnb laundry and linens in a locked storage area, away from guest access.
As a seasoned Airbnb host, you’re well aware that guests will explore every drawer, closet, and storage space during their stay. This tendency increases, particularly with guests staying multiple nights.
To prevent your extra inventory or safety stock (as mentioned earlier!) from being used unintentionally, store them in a locked closet. Towels, in particular, tend to be the most commonly used items.
Make sure only you, your house cleaning team, and your Airbnb linen service have access to these items.
4. Stains and bleach treatments.
Interestingly, Airbnb guests have a lower tolerance for stains compared to hotel guests. Though counterintuitive, it holds true. Hotel guests understand that linens are used by numerous guests, subtly adjusting their cleanliness standards. Conversely, Airbnb guests seem to raise their expectations, envisioning a private, boutique experience.
To maintain white laundry, which we recommend, communicate with your Airbnb laundry service to add bleach or whitener. You could request a 15% bleach, which is what hotels use. However, microfibers and polyester fabrics break down much more quickly when laundered with bleach. Consider an oxi based whitener in those cases.
Also, factor in allergies when setting laundry service preferences. We advise using free & clear detergent without perfumes or dyes to safeguard your guests from potential reactions to bedding.
5. Understand the distinctions between an Airbnb linen service, a third-party provider, and a local dry cleaner.
In a world of endless apps, consider their implications.
You may not be concerned about who delivers your lunch or newspaper, but knowing your Airbnb laundry service provider is important. Middle-man apps promise the closest, and cheapest provider, but the actual quality remains uncertain. Who picks up, cleans, and delivers your clothes may vary each time, based on app scheduling. You want consistency.
Some services use individuals who launder in their homes. Find a genuine Airbnb linen service that handles your laundry professionally with industrial equipment in their own, purpose built facilty. Don’t fall for app-based intermediaries that double the cost. Research or inquire about the actual laundry service.
Remember, there’s a distinction between dry cleaners and laundry services. Dry cleaners tend to be much pricier (3-4x) and focus on large volumes of small garments. Opt for an Airbnb laundry service for small volumes of bigger items like sheets and towels, minimizing wear and tear over a dry cleaner. Check linen care tags and dry cleaning receipts carefully before using a dry cleaner.
6. Implement a charge for damaged linens and promptly replace them to ensure a smooth circulation.
Banish damaged and stained linens from circulation without extra costs. Charge guests for damaged linens to avoid depleting profits on replacements. Never recycle stained linens for guest use.
A reliable Airbnb linen service provides both stain treatment and stain management. Packing damaged or stained inventory separately ensures they won’t re-enter circulation. You’ll have easy access to pictures of damage, enabling you to show responsible guests. Also, you’ll know the exact number of items to replace for restocking.
If direct charging feels excessive, consider including it in your Airbnb profile or rental welcome kit as an option.
Ready to Hand Off Laundry Duty?
The Wash Crew is ready to make you proud. Let us take care of your family’s laundry and reclaim your time for more important things. We’ll deliver clean clothes you can count on.
