Nice linens can be really expensive. So getting linens to last as long as possible is something every vacation rental should be doing. In this article we’ll give tips on keeping vacation rental linens beautiful. An added perk, your linens will last longer!
If you don’t have systems in place to extend the life of your linens, they can significantly increase your monthly costs.
Luckily with a few small tweaks, your linens will not only stay beautiful, but they’ll also last much longer.
Here are 7 Tips For Keeping Vacation Rental linens Beautiful.
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1. Ask Guests To NOT Strip The Beds At Check-Out
Ask your guests to leave the beds unmade. I know, it’s probably the opposite of what you’ve been told or thought, but when the sheets are on the bed, it’s much easier to see if there are stains.
The cleaners will be looking out for the stains when stripping the beds and can pre-treat them before placing the sheets in the washing machine.
It’ll prevent the stains from setting in and also helps the cleaners know if any linens are missing.
Take a look at tip 2 for what we use to pre-treat the stains.
2. Pre-treat Stains
Keep a spray bottle of OxiClean Laundry Stain Remover on top of the washing machine in the laundry room.
That way, the cleaners or guests (if they decide) can pre-treat stains before washing the linens.
Following this system helps prevent stains from permanently setting in and will save you money in the long run.
By following just this step, you’ll be replacing a lot less linens.
We also ask our cleaners to refill the OxiClean Laundry Stain Remover spray when it’s low, with the OxiClean Refill.
3. Wash Using OxiClean Instead Of Bleach
Don’t worry, this isn’t turning into one big OxyClean commercial, lol. We have plenty of non-OxyClean related tips below. 🙂
We find chlorine bleach is too harsh on the linens to be used in every wash. Instead, we use oxygenated bleach (OxiClean). It does an excellent job of keeping the sheets & towels white.
You can still use chlorine bleach once in a while, but we recommend not doing it too often.
Bleach wears down the linen’s fibers, which translates to replacing linens much more frequently – and we don’t want that.
Side Note: When choosing linens we’ve heard some people say they get dark colored sheets and towels to hide the stains.
Not a good idea! Stick to white linens.
Two reasons, first anything other than white linens give guests a bit of an eww factor.
Second, if there are stains, white sheets can be bleached, colors can not.
4. Skip the Fabric Softener in the Wash
Fabric softener smells great, but it has oils in it that stick to the linen fibers and make the fabric less absorbent, almost water repellent.
And that’s not good when you are trying to use water to clean them.
Instead, use 1/2 cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle. It’s a natural fabric softener that also removes any excess soap while it softens the linens.
An added perk, it’s also cheaper than fabric softener.
5. Provide Laundry Pods
Yes, it’s an additional expense, but guests love this perk. The vacation rental business is all about standing out from the crowd.
Providing laundry pods is an inexpensive way to do that.
Besides, it’s not uncommon for a little one to have an accident. 🙁 Isn’t it nicer to have the guest wash the linens themselves instead of having them reach out to you or the management company to request replacement sheets.
Providing laundry pods is a win-win. In our vacation rentals, we use Kirkland Laundry Pods.
6. Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover
On occasion, you’ll get make-up, oil or a sharpie stain on your linens or blanket.
Sometimes, it’s enough to use OxyClean Laundry Stain Remover, let it sit overnight and repeat. The stain will usually be gone after you launder it.
For more stubborn stains, we recommend Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover. Recently, we had a very large dark blue sharpie stain on one of our comforters. We tried removing the ink with alcohol, which took care of some of it, but the darn thing wouldn’t go away.
We treated the sharpie stain with Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover, let it sit for 5- 10 minutes, rinsed by hand then repeated this process 3 more times until the stain was gone.
We laundered the comforter, and it was saved. 😁 Of course, it may not work for every stain, but it’s our go-to for the really tough stains.
7. Have A Separate Red Laundry Bag for Stained Linens
We noticed that some of the cleaners would automatically throw away a stained towel or pillowcase.
We ask our cleaners to place all stained linens inside a red laundry bag we labeled “Stained Linens”.
Every so often, we check the bag with the stained linens, treat the stains and we’ve been able to save the majority of the linens.
After adding the red bag to the process, the amount of linens we were replacing went way down, which helps our bottom line.
Often, the small changes lead to big results. 😉
What to do with the linens that are beyond saving?
Great question! We go over that and more in this post, Best Airbnb Sheets and Towels: Linen Tips
8. Bonus Tip! Baby Wipes
Yup, you read correctly – baby wipes. They’re fantastic at removing stains from carpets, tile, walls, and just about anything you can think of.
Baby wipes are our go-to when we find a stain or marks around the house.
We always keep a few packages of Kirkland baby wipes in the owner’s closet for those last-minute cleanups.
What’s Your Secret To Keeping Vacation Rental Linens Beautiful?
Do you have any tips for keeping vacation rental linens beautiful that we didn’t mention?
Let us know in the comments below!
