The Ultimate Airbnb Laundry Guide for Hosts
Maintaining fresh, spotless linens is essential for guest satisfaction in an Airbnb. Over my ten years as an Airbnb host, I’ve learned that laundry can be one of the trickiest aspects of hosting, especially during quick turnovers. With the right equipment, products, and laundry system in place, managing it becomes much more efficient. This guide will give you everything you need to streamline laundry and ensure your linens are always guest-ready. And if you’re looking to master all aspects of setting up your property for guests, my online course The Short Term Rental Lab walks hosts through each step of preparing a property, from setup to guest satisfaction.
Choosing the Right Equipment and Maintenance
A high-capacity washer and dryer are essential in a busy Airbnb to handle multiple loads quickly. I recommend top-loading models as they often hold larger loads and are less prone to odors. The right equipment combined with a routine maintenance schedule will extend the life of your machines and keep them running smoothly.
Washer and dryer Maintenance Tips: Avoid overloading machines, as it wears down the motor and reduces cleaning effectiveness. With a solid maintenance routine, your washer and dryer will handle your Airbnb’s demands reliably. Here are a few products to help you maintain your washer and dryer.
Monthly Deep Clean: Run an empty load with vinegar or a washing machine cleaner to keep the drum fresh and wipe down the dryer drum regularly to avoid buildup.
Empty Lint Trap After Each Use: Remove lint after every load to prevent fire hazards and improve dryer efficiency.
Quarterly Check-Up: Check hoses and connections for any signs of leaks. Keeping the exhaust vent clear with a vent cleaning kit helps prevent clogging and maintains optimal dryer performance.
Communicate Special Instructions With Labels: Are guests putting fabric softener in your bleach compartment? Communicate with any special instructions with a small label.
Essential Laundry Products for Airbnb Hosts
Having the right laundry products is key to maintaining the quality of your linens. Here’s my go-to list:
Laundry Detergent: Opt for a strong detergent that removes stains and preserves whiteness.
Bleach: Necessary for keeping whites pristine, but use with care to avoid damaging fabrics.
Shout: Stain remover to spot treat sheets and blankets.
OxiClean: Excellent for spot-treating stains before they are set or for longer soaks to remove tough stains.
Dryer Sheets: Prevent static and add a light, fresh scent to linens.
Dryer Balls: Reduce drying time and fluff up linens for a luxurious feel.
Depiller: Removes pills from fabrics and leaves them looking new again.
Sweater Shaver: Keeps blankets and throws looking new by removing lint and fuzz.
Lint Roller: Removes stray hairs.
Steam Iron: Use a steam iron for a crisp, hotel-like finish on sheets.
White extension cord: Use this so the Iron can reach the entire bed.
Drying Racks: Indoor and outdoor drying racks are useful for air-drying delicate items and are easy to store.
Selecting and Organizing Linens for Your Airbnb
Choosing white linens for your Airbnb bedroom gives a clean, cohesive look and makes spot treatment easier with bleach. White linens also provide that high-quality hotel feel, but a few colorful accents like throw pillows and blankets can tie into your Airbnb’s interior design and make spaces feel welcoming. Here’s how I organize mt Hawaii Airbnb Kona Landing to simplify laundry.
white whites
Bedding Essentials
Opt for white sheets, pillowcases, and duvet covers. Each bed size should have three sets of sheets: one on the bed, one in the wash, and one spare. If you’re using all-white linens, mark each set by bed size (for example, with a “Q” for Queen) to avoid confusion.
Bathroom Essentials
Stock towels, bath mats, and washcloths in white whenever possible. For makeup removal, provide black washcloths and makeup wipes in each bathroom to keep white towels pristine.
Kitchen Towels
Keep a stock of white kitchen towels for ease of bleaching.
Decorative Colored Items
Choose throw pillows and blankets that complement the room’s decor. These add a pop of color and texture to the Airbnb living room and make the space more inviting.
Consider adding a special laundry basket for colored linens to keep darker items separated from your whites, which helps avoid accidental damage and makes sorting easier.
Stain Prevention Tips for Your Airbnb
Simple prevention steps will help you maintain linen quality and avoid constant stain removal.
Pre-Treat Stains: Cleaners should inspect bedding while it’s still on the bed, as stains are easiest to spot this way. A Tide Pen or Shout works well for quick treatments.
Provide Luggage Racks: Avoid dirty suitcase wheel stains on beds by providing luggage racks in every room.
Feminine Products: Keep feminine hygiene products available, and use two mattress protectors to safeguard against unexpected stains.
Makeup Towels: Supply black washcloths for makeup removal, paired with makeup wipes to save white towels from stains.
Towel Hooks: Install hooks in each Airbnb bathroom to keep towels off the floor, reducing dirt and wear.
Additionally, stock the property with Swiffer pads, paper towels, and kitchen towels to prevent guests from using linens for spills. By organizing these items thoughtfully, guests will have everything they need without using towels in unintended ways.
Detailed Laundry Process for Quick Turnarounds
Quick turnarounds are one of the biggest challenges in managing an Airbnb. With only a 4-hour window, typically from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., between guests, getting all linens washed can be daunting, especially for a larger property. Each load of laundry can take up to two hours, so here’s how to make the most of your time.
Bedding Change and Inspection
Cleaners should strip all beds, inspecting for visible stains, and treat them with Shout or OxiClean. Each bed size should have designated sets to ensure linens don’t get mixed up, and marking them by bed size helps identify which sheets go on which bed.
Organizing and Storing Extra Sets
Keep three sets of sheets per bed: one on the bed, one in the wash, and one spare. This system is especially useful for managing Airbnb bedrooms during back-to-back bookings.
Towel Management
Adjust how many towels you leave out based on guest numbers, creating a welcoming touch without overstocking and increasing laundry loads. For larger properties, consider asking guests to confirm their numbers to gauge how many towels you’ll need. A balance of too many versus too few towels will save laundry time while meeting guest needs.
Off-Site Laundry and Catch-Up Days
If your cleaner can’t finish all the laundry within the turnover window, consider off-site laundry options or schedule quieter days as catch-up days. Make sure the process is outlined so everyone knows when and how linens will be cleaned. Having a structured laundry routine helps streamline your Airbnb bedroom and bathroom setups, ensuring a seamless guest experience.
Implementing This Guide in Your Airbnb
With the right laundry setup, you can streamline one of the most time-consuming parts of managing an Airbnb. A comprehensive laundry regimen with quality products, a structured routine, and regular maintenance helps keep linens in top condition, enhancing the guest experience. For a handy reference, get my Airbnb Laundry Guide PDF with a checklist and maintenance schedule to help stay organized.
With this guide, you’ll maintain hotel-quality linens, extend your equipment's lifespan, and create a space that every guest will love. And if you're looking to set up your property from start to finish, my course The Short Term Rental Lab covers everything you need to know to get your Airbnb fully guest-ready.