Best Towels And Washcloths For Short Term Rentals
Remember that fresh towel smell at a hotel? Someone works really hard to get you freshly washed towels every day. A lot of care goes into the whole hotel experience. When you are in the service industry you should consider even the smallest details could be a make or break proposition. Selecting bath towels and washcloths for your short term rental property may seem like a very small task but doing it right will ensure that you check all the boxes to a perfect Airbnb stay.
Consider this as a lesson in being detail-oriented. The little things matter! Let’s see how much work goes into selecting the right accessories for your Airbnb. You should use this as a pointer to improve all other areas of your service.
What to look for?
First, let us understand the grading system of towels. They are measured in GSM or grams per square meter. It is a measure of how dense the towel it. Think of it like thread count but for towels. The higher the GSM, the more absorbent that the towel is, the higher its weight and the more expensive it is. You have to pick out towels with different thread counts for different purposes. Need a gym towel or a kitchen washcloth? Make sure you get something with a lower GSM. Need a beach towel or bath towel? Go for a higher GSM. Want to spoil the guests and give them the five-star experience? Go for the highest GSM you can find. They all have their own strengths for their own purposes.
Towels with a lower GSM dry quicker because they are generally thinner. They are great as table cloths in the kitchen or a towel to take along with you on a run. For a bath towel, you would want something soft and absorbent. If you cheap out and get a towel with a low GSM for the bathroom, guests will see that as a cost-cutting measure. You don’t want to give an impression of being cheap to your guests. They might leave you a bad review or not consider coming again.
When selecting a towel, be aware of the fabric that is made of. Polyester towels are for the kitchen or gyms. They are not very absorbent and feel cheap. There are different kinds of cotton towels. They vary in quality based on where the cotton is sourced from. You don’t need to get expensive Turkish or Egyptian cotton towels. Something like Pima cotton towels should be more than enough. If you are marketing an eco-friendly Airbnb then you can get Bamboo towels.
If your property is next to a beach consider giving your guests a beach towel to carry with them to soak up the sun.
Don’t spend more than 40 dollars on a towel set. Guests are going to handle them roughly. They are going to get stained and stolen. Think of them as a recurring cost of doing business.
Keep a set of trusty old paper towels so that the guests reach for them before a cloth towel if they make a mess. That way you don’t have to clean the towels very often.
Suggestions:
AmazonBasics 6-Piece Fade-Resistant Bath Towel Set
For a no brainer decision on bath towels and washcloth set, pick up this AmazonBasics set for under 20$. They come in a complete set so you can plan to get one set for every person your Airbnb has space for. This set is very convenient as you will find a piece for every task around the house. It is made of 100% cotton and is tear-resistant.
Pinzon 6 Piece Blended Egyptian Cotton Bath Towel Set
This towel set is made of Egyptian cotton for softness absorbency and durability. They are OEKO-TEX standard 100 certified. This is a slight upgrade over the Amazon basics set for not a lot of money. They come in over 9 colors.
Hammam Linen Ultra Soft Turkish Bath Towels
For a little more money you can go with this set made of Turkish cotton. They are absorbent and eco-friendly. They are machine washable and tear-resistant with great water absorption. Though there is not enough variety in sizes in this set, it should do for a dedicated task like bath towels.
Precautions to take:
Make sure you have enough space to dry the towels that you provide. There should be a towel rack or hook in the bathroom. If you have a dedicated drying area in your property that would be even better. Wet towels are not much use to anyone.
Always have backups for when the guests might need more. Keep them with you and only give them to the guests if they explicitly request them.
Plan to leave a towel out for the guests when they check-in. That way the first thing they see when they walk into the room is something to clean themselves up with after their long and tiring journey. Towels should be part of a welcome kit that is ready to be handed over to a guest. It can contain other essentials that you may want to offer.
Have a strict policy on how often the guests will get fresh towels. If there are many days between the towel change then the towels might get moldy and may smell. If it is too often then you might have to work too hard to just clean the towels. Find a sweet spot and then make that clear to the guests.
Some guests might attempt to steal the towels when they leave. It happens. It is just the cost of doing business. Don’t let it discourage you from putting your best foot forward with the next guests.
If your towels get stained, then you just might have to replace them. We understand it can be painful to accept but a stained towel will just get you a negative review. Plus it is not very hygienic. If you can get the stain off well and good but if not, whip out those spare backup towels.
Love,
Scooch and Steve
