Linen cleaning practices

Discussion in 'Airbnb & Short Term Letting' started by Sal2021, 31st Mar, 2021.

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Should doona covers (or doonas/blankets used in triple sheeting) be laundered after EVERY stay?

  1. Yes

    20 vote(s)
    100.0%
  2. No

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  1. Sal2021

    Sal2021 New Member

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    We have a short term rental property on NSW South coast.. A couple of years ago it came to my attention that cleaners do not change doona covers after every stay. They only change them if they are stained. Is this common practice? Is it acceptable?
    I now squirm when I stay in a hotel or rental property. Similarly with triple sheeting. For some reason proprietors/cleaners think it is not necessary to wash the doona after every stay when there is a sheet between the sleeper and the doona. How many people sleep without moving in a bed? The sheet between me and the doona inevitably ends up at the end of the bed. Resulting in an unwashed, uncovered doona against my skin (the last time this happened in a hotel room, the stains on the doona were enough to turn my stomach). We are booked to stay at a bnb in New England area next week. I checked on their linen washing practices. They triple sheet. They wash the doona every 2 weeks or so, no matter how many people have stayed in that bed. That means I could be sharing an unwashed doona with how many people?? I am taking my own doona and doona cover.
    At my rental property, I demand that all linen, including doona covers, is changed after every stay. Am I over reacting?

    Interested to hear what others think.
     
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  2. Terry_w

    Terry_w Lawyer, Tax Adviser and Mortgage broker in Sydney Business Member

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    I would think not every day, but certainly between every new client comes in.
     
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  3. Shazz@

    Shazz@ Well-Known Member

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    OMG.. gross! I hope this isn’t true. I practically lived in hotels pre-COVID.
     
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  4. Sal2021

    Sal2021 New Member

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    Hi Shazz. I am sure it can't be true for every property. But I have interviewed 3 cleaning contractors over the last few years and each of those have said they don't change doona covers after each stay as normal practice. I have to insist on it and pay extra for it. One cleaner said she has owners who don't want the covers changed each time. The last cleaners I interviewed a few weeks ago said that they change doona covers every second stay - just turn the doonas over in between. I don't see how turning the doonas over stops remnants of bodily fluids, skin fragments etc being shared. Nor can I see how they remember which house needs changing or turning in very busy periods.

    I agree, it is gross. I just thought this was a good forum to find out if my expectations were unrealistic. And, to make the practice known, if there are owners out there who, like I was, aren't aware this could be happening in their short term rental properties. Might be worth asking the question of their cleaners. And of agents when booking a short term rental or hotel/motel (which I now do).
     
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  5. Terry_w

    Terry_w Lawyer, Tax Adviser and Mortgage broker in Sydney Business Member

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    I guess if the landlord is not staying there they don't care - they can save money. But you could use it as a selling point. I know someone who takes his own sheets when travelling. Now I know why
     
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  6. luckyone

    luckyone Well-Known Member

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    I'm never lying on top of a doona in a hotel/motel/airbnb again! Yuck!
     
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  7. Terry_w

    Terry_w Lawyer, Tax Adviser and Mortgage broker in Sydney Business Member

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    I will take a sleeping bag!
     
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  8. Paul@PAS

    Paul@PAS Tax, Accounting + SMSF + All things Property Tax Business Plus Member

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    German practice is for all doonas to be laundered and be left in a sealed bag even in winter and changeover occure for each occpancy. For long stays (rare) it is changed each 7 days and the occupany is asked to nominate a preferred time for cleaning and if they decline no clean occurs. Linen (two sheets contrary to German preference for just one) is changed and bagged doona left to show its is cleaned. Some like it snug and others like it loose. Extra blanket / doona as well. All pillows are double covered too. The inner zip cover is laundered and replaced and so is the linen slip. Pillows regularly replaced as they are a high wear item for laundry. The cleaners leave a small slip of paper beside each bed that indicates what was cleaned. It also mentions all tea towels, hand towels and bathroom items in the property is freshly washed and steam laundered and replaced after each stay and this applies to all beds even if they look unused. The local laundry provides these in German, English, Italian and French...Was talk of arabic / mandarin coming but with covid I dont know.

    Kitchen glassware and items are expected to be run and left in dishwasher which has a childlock that stops anyone using a rinse only cycle. It is locked to a 60min eco cycle. That way cleaners just remove, dry (remove water spots) and pack away. Many people run it and pack away before they leave so they always check qty and cleanliness and replace as required. All food items are rotated for hygeine and freshness incl salt, pepper, sugar, sweetener etc. eg small heinz ketchup. No opened food is even left. If seal is broken it is replaced.

    Rug and curtains are done once a month as windows are commonly left open. External glass and balcony is not cleaned in winter

    Short stay hygeine practices can be costly and hard to manage. I now someone with a pool under Airbnb who MUST have it cleaned by a pool maintenance company prior to each new stay. Adds $100 to each stay. Pool is rural and had no fence and Airbnb required it fenced to Australian Standards too. They have to give Airbnb a certificate of compliance once a year
     
  9. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    Probably should take your own TV remote, too. I remember a story some years ago where they found TV remotes in hotel rooms had more germs on them than toilet seats.
     
  10. Terry_w

    Terry_w Lawyer, Tax Adviser and Mortgage broker in Sydney Business Member

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    I might just go in a body suit with gloves.

    Its probably best not to think too much about this otherwise you will never be able to stay anywhere again.
     
  11. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    I knew someone years ago whose husband was a council health inspector. They never ate out. Anywhere. Ever. I think she left him - and probably ate out a lot afterwards.
     
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  12. moridog

    moridog Well-Known Member

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    When we had our Airbnb the doona and cover were changed between EVERY guest! As was the mattress protector and sheets of course. I had those big candy stripe bags with fresh doona in cover in them and straight onto the bed whilst the previous one was washed. And fresh pillow protector covers each stay.
     
  13. spoon

    spoon Well-Known Member

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    I was taught to look at the bedsheet and if it has folded marks, it's clean. If it is smooth, you have an earlier user. BTW, don't lift the bedsheet and look at the mattress. You will never stay in a hotel anymore... :eek:
     
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  14. spoon

    spoon Well-Known Member

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    And at one stage they filmed what they used to dry your rinsing cups and mugs. :confused:
     
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  15. Paul@PAS

    Paul@PAS Tax, Accounting + SMSF + All things Property Tax Business Plus Member

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    CSI blue lights. I will say no more.
    COVID has probably seen a improvement to some hotel cleaning practices

    [​IMG]
     
  16. Islay

    Islay Well-Known Member

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    wish I could "unsee" and "unread" this thread :(
     
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  17. jaybean

    jaybean Well-Known Member

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    If you guys think that's gross, let me rock your world.

    You know those communal buckets of rice you get at Chinese restaurants? They often go back in the "pool" after the table is cleared.

    Some restaurants take this a step further - if you've only just pecked away at your bowl of rice and it seems otherwise clean (which is me as I'm on a low carb diet), it can end up back in the pool as well.

    Ha.

    I'm Asian and have spent a lot of time in Chinese restaurants and with people who work in them.

    It's no coincidence that both SARS and Coronavirus both came from China. lol
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 2nd Apr, 2021
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  18. Shazz@

    Shazz@ Well-Known Member

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    So are Chinese people okay with eating rice that’s been mixed in from leftovers? I presume this is what they use to make fried rice as well.
    I judge an asian restaurant by how many Asian people actually eat there.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 2nd Apr, 2021
  19. jaybean

    jaybean Well-Known Member

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    No one can tell, and even if they could, it's not really in them to be confrontational.

    I just stick to Hong Kong restaurants. HK restaurants are more likely to be run by immigrants that have been around since the 80-90's and by virtue of being here for longer and also coming from a first world country to begin with, they tend to have higher standards. Plus what you know as Chinese food is likely HK / Cantonese food anyway...most food from mainland China is quite different from what the mainstream knows as "Chinese" food. You probably wouldn't even like it if you tried it. It's not the same.
     
  20. spoon

    spoon Well-Known Member

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    I was told fried rice was leftover rice from the day before. And ingredients are leftover from others dishes ?:eek:
     

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