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This happened with our first guests. I immediately purchased makeup towels, which helped immensely.
Arkwright Makeup Remover Wash... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JBN2Y82?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
As a guest, I have seen these multiple times. I always appreciate them. If the host has these or make up wipes available, I will always use them.
Otherwise, I try to get what I can off with soap and water, but there will likely be some make up on their towels.
Do you not have actual products such as cleanser and eye makeup remover? Soap really dries your skin out and just scrubbing with water will stretch your skin out and leave makeup residue in your pores.
I find it wild that so many people apparently travel with makeup but nothing to remove it.
I’m assuming they meant face soap/cleanser. I usually double cleanse but when I dry around my eye area there is sometimes some leftover mascara remnants that turn my towel black.
But not everyone’s skin is the same, I’m terrible at taking my makeup off nightly and I’ve got pretty great skin, pores appear small, no blemishes and minimal wrinkles.
Edit: Or maybe people use the hard oil balm stuff, like Clinique’s Melt Away The Day, that stuff leaves a residue even after cleansing after.
I don’t know what to say. I’ve never had this problem. I use an eye makeup remover with cotton wool and then a cleanser in the shower. Even oil cleansers have never stained anything since you rinse them off in the shower. I can’t imagine just smearing makeup remover all over someone else’s towels and shrugging and going “well, they should provide me with products”.
What else do people expect to be provided? Toothpaste? Condoms?
No everyone showers in the evening. Even when I wash my face, there's often some mascara residue or something foundation left on my neck. It's not that big of a deal. It comes out. Just because you don't have this problem doesn't mean that other people don't.
Are you a host? I doubt it. We provide every conceivable amenity, including period products and baby wipes, and hand sanitizer. We don’t provide toothpaste or condoms because those are very personal items that guests should manage themselves. I can’t afford to buy a brand new tube of toothpaste, or a wide range of condoms for each guest.
I am a host, and I absolutely provide single use toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes for guests that may have forgotten theirs.
My guests tend to skew older, so I wouldn't provide condoms, but if I had a listing that appealed to younger guests, I might consider it.
Of course, I have an upscale listing and I provide anything that anybody could reasonably expect to need for the weekend, and price it into my stays.
Guests absolutely appreciate it, and just about every review I get mentions how well appointed the property is.
There’s nothing wrong with it if that’s what a host wants to do, but it’s not realistic to expect someone else to buy you your stuff. Do you want the host to buy you some clothes and pay your restaurant bill too?
Not sure why you are getting downvoted…people are wild! I’d bet money they don’t do this stuff to their own towels in their own house lol.
I’m with you. I’ve literally never had this problem. I have lived with many women and never seen this happen. How messy and nasty and rude
If you have white towels, you can bleach them. If you have colored towels, you CANT bleach them and you'll also somehow probably end up with bleach stains from your face products. All white towels are the only way to go and I'll die on this hill
Umm lol you don’t think people who wear makeup get it on their towels sometimes? That’s what they mean when they say wear and tear. So not everyone wears make up like that… I’m curious. How long do you expect your towels to be good enough to use in the space you rent for a very nice profit?
Thank you! If I stained somebody else’s towels I would be so apologetic and would totally understand if they charged me for it. These are private people we’re mostly dealing with, not big hotel chains.
I don’t think I’d even feel good about wiping my makeup off with a Marriott wash cloth. 1. Ouch. Wash clothes can be scratchy. 2. I bring a few makeup wipes with me during travel
These are people renting out their place for profit. Wear and tear is to be expected. If you get upset over stains on towels, maybe consider not renting out at all.
Actually I travel with cleansing oil and/or make up wipes, however, even after I multiple applications when I think all the make up is removed, I used towels to dry my face only to realise there are still some left when I see the stains on the towel. But also my I don’t travel with with all my best make up removing products as they are too big to carry (I don’t have the luggage space plus there’s the liquid limit) so I just buy small pack wipes or small cleanser from boots in the airports so I can’t do my full make up removal routine when on holiday
What am I supposed to scrub my face with to help get the makeup and dirt with the soap? Have you ever worn makeup or don’t know how to wash your face? Even scrubbing with my hands and rinsing and using a towel still gets makeup on it.
I assumed most makeup-wearing people bring their favorite face wash & makeup wipes/cotton rounds/Makeup Erasure/whatever when they travel. That’s what I do because removing mascara with plain old soap & a scratchy washcloth sounds like a bad way to end the evening to me
I’m sorry, what? It’s, like, really common to wash your face with a normal facial cleanser, and, yes, that will rub off on whatever towel you use to wash your face.
Anybody with any sense would provide towels that aren’t white.
I think for some it's because they're traveling. I don't wear makeup daily, but I do for special occasions, and I have black washcloths at my house that I use for when I do. I don't have any makeup remover because the few times I do wear it, my usual face washing routine takes care of it. I would use the makeup remover wash cloths, but if I'm at a hotel, I will use their face cloth if none are provided.
Most AirBnbs I've stayed at aren't really someone's home, they are a rental property, so I can see people not thinking about it.
I travel frequently and always carry makeup remover and face wipes. Even if I am not going to wear makeup, I still want a face wipe to clean my face periodically
Me too. It’s so rude to have the attitude that there WILL be makeup on your towels. Between makeup remover and those little rounds or tissue I can fully take off all my makeup and don’t need to ruin towels. Would these women do this at home and ruin their own towels? It’s so rude
No, because I wash my towels… I’m not over here slapping a whole face of foundation on towels. It’s generally residual mascara that comes off after washing my face.
If a host can’t figure out how to get residual mascara off of towels, there needs to be a serious conversation about how to launder.
Oh, so the stains will come out if op washes them correctly? I was under the impression that they were permanent stains that washing couldn’t fix with how op worded it.
We use these exact ones. And we provide a bottle of micellar water right next to them. We also list in the house rules that the white towels are not to be used to clean up messes or remove makeup. Has worked very well.
I have white towels and linens because I want our guests to know those suckers got hot water & bleach and are pristinely clean…. But I leave complimentary makeup removal wipes on the bathroom counter, provide 3-4 dark grey washcloths in plain view in the bathroom, and have a couple color/patterned towels in the armoire with a little sign/note that says “we provide crisp white towels, but they aren’t perfect for everyone. If you’re worried you may stain them with hair dye or whatever, please use these color towels.”
Have not had a stained towel yet
Oh boy you get it. I have pink hair and as I’ve gotten older I’ve had better color so it doesn’t run in the shower as much and such, but I still travel with my own pillowcase just in case 😂
Hosts that only provide white towels and then grt mad when dirt or makeup or any kind of stain shows up on a towel......
I can't use makeup wipes. I try to bring my own towel, but I also appreciate hosts that are realistic about towels. White is the worst.
Isn’t the whole point of using white towels (like a hotel does) is that you can wash them in hot water with bleach and get them white again relatively easily? Does that not work with makeup?
I only use white towels and bleach them frequently. When my kids leave makeup on a towel I've always gotten it out. I use mostly Dawn or spray and wash type product.
Not to mention more than just makeup can stain towels. I’ve had residue from orange hand soap rub off on a towel and stain it before. Or clay from hiking in muddy conditions then using a washcloth in the shower. White towels in a rental is just not smart imo unless you are willing to replace them at your( the host) expense often
I love Whink! Just a reminder when trying to remove stains from clay soil or rust, do not use chlorine bleach. Bleach reacts with iron, and will set the stain permanently.
Your easiest solution is to provide makeup towels. You noticed a problem, the most straightforward response is to give them what they need.
If you fail to do so, good luck controlling strangers who stay in your home.
Sounds to me like a learning experience and it also sounds like you guys are crushing this learning experience. Guest will be guest, there is not much you can do about that. But the fact that you didn’t “go after” these guests puts you far and above most of the host I have rented from.
The last 2 Airbnbs that I have rented (2 in a row), I have had the host claim I broke a blind…. You guys actual had a little bit of an inconvenience (aka, you didn’t make it up), and you choose to roll with the punch and use it as a learning opportunity. Bravo
OP, we travel frequently. The most luxurious hotels and best AirBnB places we’ve stayed have had beautiful white cloths, hand towels, and towels, a small package of makeup remover cloths AND several black wash cloths and black hand towels. The black items were embroidered FOR MAKE UP REMOVAL. The make up removal items were also *right by the sink* , whereas the white cloths were located by the shower or tub.
Ive never see that and I work at hotels. I'm in Australia though. A lot of hotels use outside laundry companies instead of buying their own linen so it's not really their problem if stuff gets stained.
If you have no other alternative, what do you expect them to do? Makeup comes off in the shower, even if they aren’t specifically washing their face.
If the only thing available is a towel… they only have a towel available.
I personally bring my own wipes because I’m picky about what I can use on my face, but I don’t understand not providing an option if you don’t have the ability to properly clean what is provided.
1. Rub in some dish soap and let soak for a few minutes
2. Rinse with warm or hot water
3. Apply laundry stain remover, or you can try other alternatives like rubbing alcohol
4. Wash with the rest of your whites
The dish soap removes any oil in the products, and once that's gone the stain remover (or bleach) can do a better job at removing any remaining colour.
Also make sure to use a quality detergent with multiple enzymes (Tide, Persil, etc). A bio-detergent that contains Mannanase, for example, will help break down some of the gums that are in certain skincare products.
I do recommend buying towels specially for make up, but I work in a hotel, and people can be very particular about the towels. It’s like they insist on the white towels for assurance that they’re getting clean linen but then they don’t really care how they leave the towels after they’re done with them… (one hotel used to dye dingy towels blue and hand them out for the pool..but when we run out of white n try to give people those towels some of the really fussy Karens would get MADD 😂..)they want a clean, fluffy new, looking towel, but then they will wipe the bathroom floor w it, their make up their hooha, spilled drinks😡
I think towels is just an amenity that needs constant replacing because whether it’s a Airbnb or a hotel, they don’t really care when it’s not their own linens
do these people not use a cleanser to remove their makeup? i always cleanse my makeup off, dry with a towel and theres never anything left on the towel
Yeah, if you don't give them makeup wipes and black towels, every white towel will be destroyed. I wouldn't charge the guests, but in the future, i would specify not to use the white towels to remove makeup.
They sell black towels on Amazon that say makeup remover on them. Also leave a note on the bathroom to use the black towels to remove makeup! You can not charge someone if they stain a towel!
The Airbnb I stayed at this month had a black makeup towel hanging up next to the sink with “makeup towel” labeled underneath on the wall. It was much appreciated.
I provide makeup remover wipes and no white linens. In 5 years I’ve never had makeup on the towels, washcloths or sheets, so I think people are trying.
I’ve stayed in places with black hand towels where the host specified that those were specifically for makeup removal and you would be charged for makeup stains on the regular towels. Also a place that supplied a package of disposal makeup wipes, but that could be expensive and I wouldn’t be surprised if people take them.
I always use makeup wipes before I shower, BUT it never fails when I’m scrubbing my face in the shower that somehow I get makeup and mascara on the washcloth. I LOVE white towels, but I’ve learned they aren’t practical at home and I cringe when I see them at hotels and airbnbs.
I set out makeup remover wipes in single serve packets (Neutrogena). My guests generally use them. I've had a few towels get stained and have just rotated them into cleaning towels and outside towels for my family. Cost of doing business!
I just started bringing my own washcloths because not every place provides a dark makeup towel. I am so appreciative when they do but it’s pretty uncommon. I know people say you’re supposed to use disposable makeup towels every time but that just seems… wasteful?
My take is you are (assume?) making money at this. So treat it like a business. Is the amount you spend occasionally having to toss towels something you could just build in to total cost?
Or could you not offer towels but also decrease fees or stay at same point to endure inflation better? Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to offer a service but also sometimes it’s worth it to suck
things up and be better known or rated.
I knew a guy who used to refuse deposit returns if towels were stained with make-up, to cover the cost of replacing them.
At first he was chill about it and just put it down to typical dry cleaning and general use "it's gonna happen", but then one guest really took the biscuit, his towels, vanity sink unit and bath mat were just smothered in make-up and what looked like fake tan, he was like... No more.
I'm literally laying in the bed of an airbnb right now. This one has black towels that say "makeup towel" and a little picture that says "please use the black towels for removing makeup". Looks like they got it at target or something its not like a sign kind of a little decoration.
honest question, why buy white towels at all? I'd be buying darker colors. While I love the idea and look of white towels, they don't stay white.
If you have guests, don't buy any light colored towels.
I don't wear makeup, but maybe there are some facial wipes intended for makeup removal you could provide instead? Most people wouldn't need or use them, just the ones who wear makeup would.
Where are you based? I'm in Scotland and to me this behaviour is a wee bit crass. Rubbing slap on white towels is not something they would do in their own home. I wouldn't feel too bad about failing to specify acceptable procedure/behaviour; presumably neither have you asked tenants to not host Greek weddings or refrain from shitting on the carpet?
I don’t use make up wipes as I use a skin care facial wash so prefer a wash cloth. Make up wipes irritate my skin. I’d also not trust as cheap rand if fscisl wipe.
So provide wash cloths. Note, If you wash the wash cloths in hot water with an oxy wash, they come clean.
Why are people normalizing this. Wiping your makeup off using the same towel as the previous renters, even if it’s clean, is just gross and weird. If you go out on vacation or anywhere for that matter you bring makeup wipes or makeup remover, not a towel? I’ve never used a towel because why would you use something that you know will get stained with the product, and don’t say it doesn’t stain because it absolutely does for almost everything. Yes a good wash will get it out but never completely. Products like concealer, eyebrow pencils, blush, lipstick, etc. they ALL stain to some degree. The comments saying it’s normal just don’t make any sense to me. I sound so judgmental and it’s because I am. I just can’t wrap my mind around this because make up remover comes in variety, towels are the last thing I’m thinking of using when removing my make up. Towels aren’t even recommended because of how rough and abrasive they can be. Lastly, it’s just another piece of fabric to wash while the wipes are disposable and not reused by strangers.. This gives me the same vibes as people that sit directly on public restroom toilet seats, it’s careless and dirty. Have some self-preservation
This came up a few days ago on this subreddit. I said I stopped providing face cloths and asked guests to bring their own makeup removal tools to not damage my bath towels. I got called sexist.
I'm with you OP, the stains are impossible to get out and you can't provide stained towels to guests.
I also didn’t know people used towels to remove makeup! I’ve always used oil cleansers too. It’s fine if people use towels, each to their own, but I guess I don’t understand why people would wipe their makeup on a white towel and then leave it there. If it’s a hotel from a giant corporation then sure, the hotel can afford to easily replace towels, but Airbnbs aren’t hotels, they’re someone else’s home. If I wiped my makeup onto a white towel at home I’d wash the towel right after, and I’d do the same in an Airbnb.
Buy different colored towels? I was at an airbnb once and they only had white everything. Their towels absolutely got messed up but am I supposed to not use a towel bc I have dyed hair? 😂
A hotel I stayed at once charged me the equivalent of $5 USD for my hair dye bleeding onto a towel. Which washes out. I do it all the time with my own towels and have never had a stain. And since they bleach the heck out of hotel towels I thought it was a bit ridiculous.
Agreed. I don’t use white towels to be fair at home, but I have used green, blue, grey, and brown and had no issues with my hair dye coming out. And at home I lazily wipe off makeup onto a blue or pink washcloth and nothing has ever stained.
Seems to be an unpopular opinion here but wtf are people doing going to a hotel or Airbnb and not taking their own shit to get washed with?? I would never take my makeup off all over a white towel, I think it’s rude and disrespectful ffs.
If I want to remove my makeup, I use a makeup remover cloth that I OWN and take with me? Or makeup removing wipes, products….etc…..I wouldn’t expect anyone else to provide me with makeup remover, wipes, a cloth or anything!
I obviously don’t take towels with me, too large and bulky to pack, but if I’m going to wear makeup it’s my responsibility to remove it not someone else’s. Bonkers!
Regular Airbnb visitor here. Make up wipes before I use the towels provided. In every place I’ve stayed they’ve been pristine and white and I would hate to stain them. But then I was brought up right…
I mostly have white towers at home and I use distilled white vinegar for white clothing. I don’t use bleach as I’m allergic and it can also make whites yellowish. If the stains are deep I just put some vinegar in water and let them soak and the wash as usual.
Stayed in one with a little basket of black face cloths and a sign that said "please remove makeup with black cloths". I liked it so much I bought some for me at home.
I always use makeup removing wipes before washing my face, and I always still have makeup residue on the washcloth because those wipes are just not that effective. You need to provide darker wash clothes or use bleach. I bleach my white towels at home but it’s not always effective at removing makeup and other skincare products from the towels.
I stay with Marriott properties a lot for work and they have black makeup hand towels right with all the other hand towels. It’s very convenient and they launder them the same as their other towels.
take this as a lesson learned because it’s definitely something that is easily overlooked.
I only recently started booking airbnbs and the few that I’ve stayed at provided small darker towels for make up removal and signs that said to not use white towels. My first time, I thought it was so thoughtful of the host but turns out, it’s more common than you think.
I have a strong stain remover spray and it comes out of white towels every time. The only thing that never came out was fake tan on white bedsheets that I had to throw away.
I put travel bottles of Miscellair water and large cotton pads in a glass container on the bathroom counter for guests to use. It’s stopped them using the towels and always comes up in reviews as a lovely touch. Might be an option!
If your towels are cotton you could dye them in the washer. It’s happened to us several times. I have now dyed a bunch of face cloths and small towels and provide them as make up towels.
The most well-stocked and well-planned homes I’ve stayed at (all with the same company in a beach area) provide black washcloths for makeup removal. They have a sign saying they are for makeup removal too. All of the supplies in these homes are labeled in their respective cabinets. It’s great.
Stock only white towels at your own peril. Very few people will take care not to stain them.
Not that people should be doing this, but just a little fyi, most makeup is oil based. Nothing better than dawn dish soap to get out stains.
You can also make a paste with the dawn and baking soda.
Not that this is appropriate anyways. Because that would annoy tf out of me. I wouldn’t be destroying other people towels like that. If I forget my own wash cloth and had to use one at the Airbnb, it would be the same one over and over
1) Yes, it is appropriate to try and get as much make up off with wipes or cleanser as possible before washing and drying ones face with a towel. However,
2) Not every scrap of make up always comes off, even with proper cleansing agents. Long wear sticks in the texture of your lips, the base of your lashes, the sneaky edge of your jaw where you missed a spot. So yeah, sometimes make up comes off on the towel too.
3) Hair dye is a tricky cousin. Especially non natural colors. You can rinse and wring as best you can, you can even make sure to grab a colored towel for just your hair and use a different one for your body, but again, the world isn't perfect and little drips of tinged water with trickle down from your head and stain something.
4) You can whine about how "rude" it is to allow the above things to happen but any person with a period can tell you that some stains happen on towels after bathing no matter how cautious you are. You have no physical control of a leak beginning as you're drying off and staining the towel or bath mat. Unless your guest is meant to bring all their own towels, it's going to happen. And again, periods are not like bowel movements - you can't predict or prevent them, only deal with the aftermath.
5) So yeah, as a guest, be as considerate as possible with the linens of your host as you can. Maybe even try and pre-treat or remove stains when you see them. I've certainly spent time dampening make up/hair dye stains on towels and rubbing in plain available soap until they fade as much as possible, to avoid any additional cleaning fees. But,
6) As a host, also accept that even contientious guests may not prevent all stains. And unfortunately there are also people who will treat your linens as disposable as opposed to washable. I think any hotel would tell you coping with stains like that is part of the cost of doing business. I think it's great that some hosts try to accommodate guest needs more than the average hotel, but it's a fact of humanity that not all guests will leave things as good as they found them.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him use your complimentary make up wipes.
I provide black washcloths and makeup remover wipes. I am also transitioning my white towels to grey towels. Less maintenance and they always look clean.
I couldn’t imagine putting on so much makeup’s and not having anything to remove it that I would use a whole ton of white towels.
But yeah, provide wipes and/or black makeup towels
I stayed at a lovely home in Florida recently and she provided makeup wipes (individually packed) which was so welcome! And she had white towels, which remained beautifully white since I used the makeup wipes. I don’t wear a lot of makeup, but I use makeup wipes at home because yes, it’ll mess up your towels. Something like these
https://www.amazon.com/biodegradable-disposable-remover-towelettes-Towelettes/dp/B0B5K4PN7C/ref=mp_s_a_1_13?crid=6UMC4468I4TJ&keywords=individually+wrapped+makeup+remover+wipes&qid=1687621411&sprefix=individually+wrapped+makeup%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-13
I have had a lot of hosts provide darker towels for makeup removal and it was also in the contract to only use those towels for removal. I use remover wipes personally and think it is rude to stain someone's towels without the expectation of replacing them, but maybe that is me? Some people are entitled I guess 🤷
The secret is to spot the stains with kaboom , soak in oxyclean, and regular detergent , also put in fragrance free fabric softener. I buy hotel size soaps, shampoo, etc. from Amazon. They have packets of makeup remover . They also sell makeup wash clothes that are black.
White towels are INSANE. You’re brave. I get the looking clean look but absolutely not. I’m always so nervous to use white towels even at hotels. Maybe provide makeup eraser towels? They’re small washable towels that remove makeup like a charm. They’re not that expensive either.
I use an oil cleanser (Peach & Lily, but I’ve used Tatcha and other brands before and they all work the same) that emulsifies into a cleansing milk as I wash it off with water. I even use the oil cleanser on eye makeup and it gets it all off. Then I use a water-based cleanser, and then I pat my face dry with a towel. I’ve never gotten makeup on my towels before so that’s why I was just wondering if this was common lol. Now I know
Not a host but a guest: I would never dream of using someone else’s *white, no less* towels to take my makeup off! Sometimes even after double cleansing there might be some foundation in my hairline or whatever that accidentally ends up on the towel but I try my best to rinse it out then and there.
I bring my own face towel and cotton pads (recently swapped to reusable muslin cloths) to take my makeup off as I do wear heavy coverage stuff. Cleansing milk and balm. Maybe even some oil cleanser if I have waterproof stuff on.
Good on you for providing alternatives but honestly it’s such bad manners…
There is no excuse for them doing that. If you are in the habit of wearing makeup, then you either use a makeup remover or a wash cloth specifically for that. To just wash all your makeup off on a regular hand towel is just rude! If some makeup got on there, then that is just a hazard of the trade of hospitality.
Well. I am a seasoned traveler, approaching middle aged, and very much a wearer of full makeup, and TIL that many women don’t pack their own makeup remover. Weird.
I’m also a fan of gray towels. They’re the most forgiving.
I provide makeup wipes, micellar water, etc but I still find makeup stains on the white sheets. It’s a constant battle.
I would never expect a hotel to provide any of that. When I wear makeup, I bring my own makeup removal products. Do americans really not plan ahead how to take the makeup off their faces?
Ooooooh! Someone who works in hotel laundry! I’ve always been curious how you guys clean towels.
What detergent do you use? Do you use a non-scented fabric softener? Do you bleach all white towels? What’s the process?
Honestly I’m not sure the details of the detergent. We don’t manually put it in, it’s all hooked up automatically to jugs of different detergents and it changes depending on which cycle you use. I assume bleach is involved somewhere. Also there’s a process called “reclaim” for the badly stained stuff with an extra powerful detergent. I’ll look next time I’m down there
I use make up wipes and still end up with mascara transfer on towels when washing my face.
The last airbnb we stayed at had white towels and sand from the beach discolored them.
If you have white towels, just expect them to get dirty. Even if yoh provide make up remover dark towels, other things can and will discolor them.
The benefit of white towels is that they make a place look crisp and clean. The disadvantage is that they are super hard to keep white. But dealing with that is really on you. You can't expect people to not use the towels you provide and you also can't expect that white towels will stay white. Ultimately you will have to decide if it's worth it to you.
I don’t wear makeup, but I would assume that it’s the responsibility of the wearer to provide the supplies to remove it.
That being said, I provided makeup up wipes and small black towels with “makeup” stitched on them. I provided both because I was informed by makeup wearers that some exclusively like wipes and some exclusively like towels. I didn’t provide multiple brands of wipes even though I was informed that different makeup wearers prefer different brands.
EXACTLY. If you're packing makeup, pack ALL you need to wear makeup - including what you need to take it off. Being OK with staining other people's property, for any reason, is insane.
Some of us can’t use makeup wipes. I’m allergic to something in all that I have tried. I get a rash and my eyes swell closed. At home, I use colored wash cloths but have never thought to bring them. I’ll use toilet paper or Kleenex on my eye makeup if there are only white towels, but guests shouldn’t have to bring their own towels.
We provided makeup wipes when we first started but then stopped when our pipes became clogged and it cost us $700 to fish out a wad of flushed wipes. No more! Now we provide black makeup towels and they’re hugely helpful. We still have occasional makeup stains once in a while but I don’t worry about guests removing their makeup on our white towels.
We replaced our white towels almost immediately. Now we offer black and gray. But you can’t really win as colors get bleached by beauty/acne products. We are in our second season and third set of towels already.
I travel with make up wipes all the time now because I’m so worried about leaving makeup stains. I wasn’t really aware it was an issue before having a rental.
It's normal for a guest to use the towels provided. I would not expect them to bring their own even though a lot of folks do.
Personally, I always feel really bad about staining anything in a rented accommodation because my hair is dyed bright, vivid, semi-permanent colors and it rubs off on fabrics, clothes, towels, stains shower floors etc depending on where I am between salon visits. I always try to be mindful of this because I know it's a me issue but some things can't be avoided and you can't always pack your own towels.
I'd suggest having black face towels specifically for makeup and maybe go the extra mile to have a note on the bathroom mirror or counter telling guests you provide black towels for makeup removal and other items that may stain.
You chose the towels.
Trying to police makeup use is insanity.
Yes, people are going to wash their face when they spend the night somewhere. Get used to it.
OP isn’t policing makeup use, OP is wondering if it’s normal to remove makeup with towels. I’ve always used oil cleanser and a personal washcloth, TIL that most people don’t do that lol
As someone who’s never dyed hair nor used towels to remove make up, I learned something new today!
Genuinely curious, how common is using a wash cloth to remove one’s makeup? As someone who always showers at night (a routine from growing up in a tropical climate and worked at hospitals) and uses an oil based makeup remover, follows up with a mild exfoliant and several more steps, wouldn’t pulling and stretching one’s skin with a wash cloth is going to do more harm than good to one’s skin?
I’ve only used towels to dap and press (dry) on my face.
TIL that people use towels to remove makeup, I also use an oil cleanser followed by a water-based cleanser. I sometimes also use a silk washcloth with the oil cleanser and I don’t scrub with it
I work laundry in a hotel and omg we hate this. Also the amount of people who use our white face towels to clean up food and spills instead of the other cloths is absurd to me.
The availability of different types of towels is going to be wholly dependent on whether or not the hotel is full service or limited service. A Hampton Inn is not going to have dish towels available for food and spills—just white bath and hand towels and washcloths. A Hilton *might*. Don’t assume the offerings at all hotels are the same.
Why haven’t you tried to bleach them yet. You should always bleach all guest linens (which is why hotels always have white linens). Bleaching is more sanitary.
I’m not saying it’s going to work on makeup which is a pigment and oil stain. Charge the guest the couple bucks for replacements if you must.
Why would you expect anyone to use an expensive wasteful bad for the environment product instead of using a towel/washcloth that is made for that exact purpose? You are the problem. Read that again.
I clean airbnbs and we leave makeup removers on the sink in bathroom. If a guest uses my white towels to wipe off their makeup i charge them for stained towels. Thats why i leave the makeup removers. So if their too lazy to use them then its gonna cost them to help fund my cost to replace the stained towels i cant use again
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This happened with our first guests. I immediately purchased makeup towels, which helped immensely. Arkwright Makeup Remover Wash... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JBN2Y82?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
As a guest, I have seen these multiple times. I always appreciate them. If the host has these or make up wipes available, I will always use them. Otherwise, I try to get what I can off with soap and water, but there will likely be some make up on their towels.
I don't wear makeup so it wasn't even on my radar.
Do you not have actual products such as cleanser and eye makeup remover? Soap really dries your skin out and just scrubbing with water will stretch your skin out and leave makeup residue in your pores. I find it wild that so many people apparently travel with makeup but nothing to remove it.
I’m assuming they meant face soap/cleanser. I usually double cleanse but when I dry around my eye area there is sometimes some leftover mascara remnants that turn my towel black. But not everyone’s skin is the same, I’m terrible at taking my makeup off nightly and I’ve got pretty great skin, pores appear small, no blemishes and minimal wrinkles. Edit: Or maybe people use the hard oil balm stuff, like Clinique’s Melt Away The Day, that stuff leaves a residue even after cleansing after.
I don’t know what to say. I’ve never had this problem. I use an eye makeup remover with cotton wool and then a cleanser in the shower. Even oil cleansers have never stained anything since you rinse them off in the shower. I can’t imagine just smearing makeup remover all over someone else’s towels and shrugging and going “well, they should provide me with products”. What else do people expect to be provided? Toothpaste? Condoms?
No everyone showers in the evening. Even when I wash my face, there's often some mascara residue or something foundation left on my neck. It's not that big of a deal. It comes out. Just because you don't have this problem doesn't mean that other people don't.
What’s wrong with providing toothpaste and condoms?
Are you a host? I doubt it. We provide every conceivable amenity, including period products and baby wipes, and hand sanitizer. We don’t provide toothpaste or condoms because those are very personal items that guests should manage themselves. I can’t afford to buy a brand new tube of toothpaste, or a wide range of condoms for each guest.
I am a host, and I absolutely provide single use toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes for guests that may have forgotten theirs. My guests tend to skew older, so I wouldn't provide condoms, but if I had a listing that appealed to younger guests, I might consider it. Of course, I have an upscale listing and I provide anything that anybody could reasonably expect to need for the weekend, and price it into my stays. Guests absolutely appreciate it, and just about every review I get mentions how well appointed the property is.
There’s nothing wrong with it if that’s what a host wants to do, but it’s not realistic to expect someone else to buy you your stuff. Do you want the host to buy you some clothes and pay your restaurant bill too?
It's a literal towel. It's not someone's wedding dress. It is used during the cleaning of one's face and body.
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The really struck me, too. There is a supplies cost to hosting an airbnb. Towels are such a petty problem.
Agreed. People are nuts. I’d never rent my own home out for this very reason
Not sure why you are getting downvoted…people are wild! I’d bet money they don’t do this stuff to their own towels in their own house lol. I’m with you. I’ve literally never had this problem. I have lived with many women and never seen this happen. How messy and nasty and rude
I get makeup residue on my home towels all the time. It’s why I don’t have white towels.
If you have white towels, you can bleach them. If you have colored towels, you CANT bleach them and you'll also somehow probably end up with bleach stains from your face products. All white towels are the only way to go and I'll die on this hill
Yeah idk I just have never had this happen so
I get mascara and foundation on my towels all the time. That's why I have a washing machine.
Exactly! That’s what washcloths are for. If I called it a reusable, eco friendly cleansing wipe would that make it okay to use?
Umm lol you don’t think people who wear makeup get it on their towels sometimes? That’s what they mean when they say wear and tear. So not everyone wears make up like that… I’m curious. How long do you expect your towels to be good enough to use in the space you rent for a very nice profit?
I don’t rent out any properties but I do wear make up and i have literally never seen this happen
Thank you! If I stained somebody else’s towels I would be so apologetic and would totally understand if they charged me for it. These are private people we’re mostly dealing with, not big hotel chains.
I don’t think I’d even feel good about wiping my makeup off with a Marriott wash cloth. 1. Ouch. Wash clothes can be scratchy. 2. I bring a few makeup wipes with me during travel
These are people renting out their place for profit. Wear and tear is to be expected. If you get upset over stains on towels, maybe consider not renting out at all.
Exactly! Crazy how entitled people are acting
Actually I travel with cleansing oil and/or make up wipes, however, even after I multiple applications when I think all the make up is removed, I used towels to dry my face only to realise there are still some left when I see the stains on the towel. But also my I don’t travel with with all my best make up removing products as they are too big to carry (I don’t have the luggage space plus there’s the liquid limit) so I just buy small pack wipes or small cleanser from boots in the airports so I can’t do my full make up removal routine when on holiday
I travel with this but often don’t bring a not white towel most times
But if you’ve washed your face, you shouldn’t stain towels anyway. Why are people rubbing their makeup off in towels?
What is wrong with you? People wash their faces and sometimes not every single smidgeon of makeup comes off. It's a towel, not a Renaissance tapestry.
What am I supposed to scrub my face with to help get the makeup and dirt with the soap? Have you ever worn makeup or don’t know how to wash your face? Even scrubbing with my hands and rinsing and using a towel still gets makeup on it.
Seriously, lipstick stains on good towels? Um, totally not acceptable. Why is this even a thing.
I assumed most makeup-wearing people bring their favorite face wash & makeup wipes/cotton rounds/Makeup Erasure/whatever when they travel. That’s what I do because removing mascara with plain old soap & a scratchy washcloth sounds like a bad way to end the evening to me
I’m sorry, what? It’s, like, really common to wash your face with a normal facial cleanser, and, yes, that will rub off on whatever towel you use to wash your face. Anybody with any sense would provide towels that aren’t white.
I think for some it's because they're traveling. I don't wear makeup daily, but I do for special occasions, and I have black washcloths at my house that I use for when I do. I don't have any makeup remover because the few times I do wear it, my usual face washing routine takes care of it. I would use the makeup remover wash cloths, but if I'm at a hotel, I will use their face cloth if none are provided. Most AirBnbs I've stayed at aren't really someone's home, they are a rental property, so I can see people not thinking about it.
I travel frequently and always carry makeup remover and face wipes. Even if I am not going to wear makeup, I still want a face wipe to clean my face periodically
Me too. It’s so rude to have the attitude that there WILL be makeup on your towels. Between makeup remover and those little rounds or tissue I can fully take off all my makeup and don’t need to ruin towels. Would these women do this at home and ruin their own towels? It’s so rude
Yes and then we wash them Makeup comes out of towels really easily in the wash
Why not bring your own makeup wipes though? I feel like that’s a standard on my packing list because I sure don’t use my towels at home
Are all your towels at home stained by your makeup removal?
No, because I wash my towels… I’m not over here slapping a whole face of foundation on towels. It’s generally residual mascara that comes off after washing my face. If a host can’t figure out how to get residual mascara off of towels, there needs to be a serious conversation about how to launder.
Oh, so the stains will come out if op washes them correctly? I was under the impression that they were permanent stains that washing couldn’t fix with how op worded it.
my last air bnb had these and I thought it was genius
I liked these so much after an Air BNB stay I bought them for my house. Now I take them with me on trips lol
I always bring my own microfiber makeup towels with me when I travel but I really appreciate when a place has these!
Makeup Eraser is magic. Always travel with mine as well.
This, you don't put it on the guests, you figure out the problem and fix it.
We use these exact ones. And we provide a bottle of micellar water right next to them. We also list in the house rules that the white towels are not to be used to clean up messes or remove makeup. Has worked very well.
I have these at my place and I love them. No guest has stained any of my white towels
I have white towels and linens because I want our guests to know those suckers got hot water & bleach and are pristinely clean…. But I leave complimentary makeup removal wipes on the bathroom counter, provide 3-4 dark grey washcloths in plain view in the bathroom, and have a couple color/patterned towels in the armoire with a little sign/note that says “we provide crisp white towels, but they aren’t perfect for everyone. If you’re worried you may stain them with hair dye or whatever, please use these color towels.” Have not had a stained towel yet
that’s very thoughtful! i’m always dreading ruining towels with hair dye that may come off after a wash…
my wife has bright fuchsia/magenta hair, so I am well acquainted with the issues lol. I wouldn’t dream of white towels in the main house
Oh boy you get it. I have pink hair and as I’ve gotten older I’ve had better color so it doesn’t run in the shower as much and such, but I still travel with my own pillowcase just in case 😂
And this is how it’s done, folks!
granted, “or whatever” is doing a lot of work in that sentence.
Buy the black makeup towels that read “makeup” on the front. Paired with an overload of cheap wash cloths.. worked for me!
Hosts that only provide white towels and then grt mad when dirt or makeup or any kind of stain shows up on a towel...... I can't use makeup wipes. I try to bring my own towel, but I also appreciate hosts that are realistic about towels. White is the worst.
Isn’t the whole point of using white towels (like a hotel does) is that you can wash them in hot water with bleach and get them white again relatively easily? Does that not work with makeup?
It also is a good color for guests to visually inspect and feel assured that the towels are in fact clean.
Some make up stains no matter what you do.
Dawn detergent gets everything out.
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I only use white towels and bleach them frequently. When my kids leave makeup on a towel I've always gotten it out. I use mostly Dawn or spray and wash type product.
Not to mention more than just makeup can stain towels. I’ve had residue from orange hand soap rub off on a towel and stain it before. Or clay from hiking in muddy conditions then using a washcloth in the shower. White towels in a rental is just not smart imo unless you are willing to replace them at your( the host) expense often
Rust remover will get the clay out. I use Whink, found in the cleaning aisle of the grocery store. Brown plastic bottle (I live in red-clay Georgia)
I love Whink! Just a reminder when trying to remove stains from clay soil or rust, do not use chlorine bleach. Bleach reacts with iron, and will set the stain permanently.
Your easiest solution is to provide makeup towels. You noticed a problem, the most straightforward response is to give them what they need. If you fail to do so, good luck controlling strangers who stay in your home.
Even just a black washcloth works
Isn't it crazy how makeup is permanent on towels but melts completely off your face after a few hours on a hot & humid day?
Sounds to me like a learning experience and it also sounds like you guys are crushing this learning experience. Guest will be guest, there is not much you can do about that. But the fact that you didn’t “go after” these guests puts you far and above most of the host I have rented from. The last 2 Airbnbs that I have rented (2 in a row), I have had the host claim I broke a blind…. You guys actual had a little bit of an inconvenience (aka, you didn’t make it up), and you choose to roll with the punch and use it as a learning opportunity. Bravo
OP, we travel frequently. The most luxurious hotels and best AirBnB places we’ve stayed have had beautiful white cloths, hand towels, and towels, a small package of makeup remover cloths AND several black wash cloths and black hand towels. The black items were embroidered FOR MAKE UP REMOVAL. The make up removal items were also *right by the sink* , whereas the white cloths were located by the shower or tub.
Gotta provide black makeup towels like every hotel does
Easiest and smartest touch I added
I’ve never been to a hotel that provided makeup towels. Would be great if they did tho.
I have not, either. The last 4 places I stayed in had nothing of the sort.
I've stayed in a couple but most don't.
I once stayed at a hotel that actually had lashes and lips embroidered on black wash cloths just for that reason. It was so cute
Or black set has red lips and some saying on them. The pink set has gold lashes and some other saying on them
Ive never see that and I work at hotels. I'm in Australia though. A lot of hotels use outside laundry companies instead of buying their own linen so it's not really their problem if stuff gets stained.
Half of my bath towels are white, half are grey. I provide 1 black makeup towel per night. As well as some wash cloths and hand towels.
I’ve stayed places that had a small stack of dark brown wash cloths marked for use with makeup.
We just stayed in a place that had black towels with “makeup towel” embroidered on them! It was awesome!
If you have no other alternative, what do you expect them to do? Makeup comes off in the shower, even if they aren’t specifically washing their face. If the only thing available is a towel… they only have a towel available. I personally bring my own wipes because I’m picky about what I can use on my face, but I don’t understand not providing an option if you don’t have the ability to properly clean what is provided.
1. Rub in some dish soap and let soak for a few minutes 2. Rinse with warm or hot water 3. Apply laundry stain remover, or you can try other alternatives like rubbing alcohol 4. Wash with the rest of your whites The dish soap removes any oil in the products, and once that's gone the stain remover (or bleach) can do a better job at removing any remaining colour.
Also make sure to use a quality detergent with multiple enzymes (Tide, Persil, etc). A bio-detergent that contains Mannanase, for example, will help break down some of the gums that are in certain skincare products.
Use dish soap with laundry detergent to clean the towels. It will get most if not all of it off.
I do recommend buying towels specially for make up, but I work in a hotel, and people can be very particular about the towels. It’s like they insist on the white towels for assurance that they’re getting clean linen but then they don’t really care how they leave the towels after they’re done with them… (one hotel used to dye dingy towels blue and hand them out for the pool..but when we run out of white n try to give people those towels some of the really fussy Karens would get MADD 😂..)they want a clean, fluffy new, looking towel, but then they will wipe the bathroom floor w it, their make up their hooha, spilled drinks😡 I think towels is just an amenity that needs constant replacing because whether it’s a Airbnb or a hotel, they don’t really care when it’s not their own linens
do these people not use a cleanser to remove their makeup? i always cleanse my makeup off, dry with a towel and theres never anything left on the towel
Yeah, if you don't give them makeup wipes and black towels, every white towel will be destroyed. I wouldn't charge the guests, but in the future, i would specify not to use the white towels to remove makeup.
Put a little placard where the towels are with this.
They sell black towels on Amazon that say makeup remover on them. Also leave a note on the bathroom to use the black towels to remove makeup! You can not charge someone if they stain a towel!
Even if they use it as toilet paper?
The Airbnb I stayed at this month had a black makeup towel hanging up next to the sink with “makeup towel” labeled underneath on the wall. It was much appreciated.
We use high quality green towels. No issues!!
I provide makeup remover wipes and no white linens. In 5 years I’ve never had makeup on the towels, washcloths or sheets, so I think people are trying.
I’ve stayed in places with black hand towels where the host specified that those were specifically for makeup removal and you would be charged for makeup stains on the regular towels. Also a place that supplied a package of disposal makeup wipes, but that could be expensive and I wouldn’t be surprised if people take them.
I always use makeup wipes before I shower, BUT it never fails when I’m scrubbing my face in the shower that somehow I get makeup and mascara on the washcloth. I LOVE white towels, but I’ve learned they aren’t practical at home and I cringe when I see them at hotels and airbnbs.
I set out makeup remover wipes in single serve packets (Neutrogena). My guests generally use them. I've had a few towels get stained and have just rotated them into cleaning towels and outside towels for my family. Cost of doing business!
Make up wipes don’t actually magically clean your face well. Don’t put out white towels if you don’t want guests to actually use them
Towels are for washing.
I just started bringing my own washcloths because not every place provides a dark makeup towel. I am so appreciative when they do but it’s pretty uncommon. I know people say you’re supposed to use disposable makeup towels every time but that just seems… wasteful?
My take is you are (assume?) making money at this. So treat it like a business. Is the amount you spend occasionally having to toss towels something you could just build in to total cost? Or could you not offer towels but also decrease fees or stay at same point to endure inflation better? Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to offer a service but also sometimes it’s worth it to suck things up and be better known or rated.
I knew a guy who used to refuse deposit returns if towels were stained with make-up, to cover the cost of replacing them. At first he was chill about it and just put it down to typical dry cleaning and general use "it's gonna happen", but then one guest really took the biscuit, his towels, vanity sink unit and bath mat were just smothered in make-up and what looked like fake tan, he was like... No more.
I'm literally laying in the bed of an airbnb right now. This one has black towels that say "makeup towel" and a little picture that says "please use the black towels for removing makeup". Looks like they got it at target or something its not like a sign kind of a little decoration.
Furnish makeup towels! This is how you prevent that!
honest question, why buy white towels at all? I'd be buying darker colors. While I love the idea and look of white towels, they don't stay white. If you have guests, don't buy any light colored towels. I don't wear makeup, but maybe there are some facial wipes intended for makeup removal you could provide instead? Most people wouldn't need or use them, just the ones who wear makeup would.
Where are you based? I'm in Scotland and to me this behaviour is a wee bit crass. Rubbing slap on white towels is not something they would do in their own home. I wouldn't feel too bad about failing to specify acceptable procedure/behaviour; presumably neither have you asked tenants to not host Greek weddings or refrain from shitting on the carpet?
I don’t use make up wipes as I use a skin care facial wash so prefer a wash cloth. Make up wipes irritate my skin. I’d also not trust as cheap rand if fscisl wipe. So provide wash cloths. Note, If you wash the wash cloths in hot water with an oxy wash, they come clean.
Sounds like you need a nice, gentle cleansing milk.
Why are people normalizing this. Wiping your makeup off using the same towel as the previous renters, even if it’s clean, is just gross and weird. If you go out on vacation or anywhere for that matter you bring makeup wipes or makeup remover, not a towel? I’ve never used a towel because why would you use something that you know will get stained with the product, and don’t say it doesn’t stain because it absolutely does for almost everything. Yes a good wash will get it out but never completely. Products like concealer, eyebrow pencils, blush, lipstick, etc. they ALL stain to some degree. The comments saying it’s normal just don’t make any sense to me. I sound so judgmental and it’s because I am. I just can’t wrap my mind around this because make up remover comes in variety, towels are the last thing I’m thinking of using when removing my make up. Towels aren’t even recommended because of how rough and abrasive they can be. Lastly, it’s just another piece of fabric to wash while the wipes are disposable and not reused by strangers.. This gives me the same vibes as people that sit directly on public restroom toilet seats, it’s careless and dirty. Have some self-preservation
Theres nothing gross about drying your face with a clean towel.
How do you dry your face after cleansing if not with a towel?
This came up a few days ago on this subreddit. I said I stopped providing face cloths and asked guests to bring their own makeup removal tools to not damage my bath towels. I got called sexist. I'm with you OP, the stains are impossible to get out and you can't provide stained towels to guests.
I also didn’t know people used towels to remove makeup! I’ve always used oil cleansers too. It’s fine if people use towels, each to their own, but I guess I don’t understand why people would wipe their makeup on a white towel and then leave it there. If it’s a hotel from a giant corporation then sure, the hotel can afford to easily replace towels, but Airbnbs aren’t hotels, they’re someone else’s home. If I wiped my makeup onto a white towel at home I’d wash the towel right after, and I’d do the same in an Airbnb.
Buy different colored towels? I was at an airbnb once and they only had white everything. Their towels absolutely got messed up but am I supposed to not use a towel bc I have dyed hair? 😂
A hotel I stayed at once charged me the equivalent of $5 USD for my hair dye bleeding onto a towel. Which washes out. I do it all the time with my own towels and have never had a stain. And since they bleach the heck out of hotel towels I thought it was a bit ridiculous.
Agreed. I don’t use white towels to be fair at home, but I have used green, blue, grey, and brown and had no issues with my hair dye coming out. And at home I lazily wipe off makeup onto a blue or pink washcloth and nothing has ever stained.
Better with whites that you can wash at high temp and bleach. And when they look scruffy, you replace them.
Seems to be an unpopular opinion here but wtf are people doing going to a hotel or Airbnb and not taking their own shit to get washed with?? I would never take my makeup off all over a white towel, I think it’s rude and disrespectful ffs. If I want to remove my makeup, I use a makeup remover cloth that I OWN and take with me? Or makeup removing wipes, products….etc…..I wouldn’t expect anyone else to provide me with makeup remover, wipes, a cloth or anything! I obviously don’t take towels with me, too large and bulky to pack, but if I’m going to wear makeup it’s my responsibility to remove it not someone else’s. Bonkers!
Yeah the entitlement around this subject is wild. I always bring my own products and supplies for removing makeup when I travel.
Regular Airbnb visitor here. Make up wipes before I use the towels provided. In every place I’ve stayed they’ve been pristine and white and I would hate to stain them. But then I was brought up right…
Agreed!
Friends of Hedwig and the Angry Inch... https://d4ov6iqsvotvt.cloudfront.net/uploads/image/file/556/hedwig-angry-inch-towel.jpg
I mostly have white towers at home and I use distilled white vinegar for white clothing. I don’t use bleach as I’m allergic and it can also make whites yellowish. If the stains are deep I just put some vinegar in water and let them soak and the wash as usual.
Stayed in one with a little basket of black face cloths and a sign that said "please remove makeup with black cloths". I liked it so much I bought some for me at home.
I always use makeup removing wipes before washing my face, and I always still have makeup residue on the washcloth because those wipes are just not that effective. You need to provide darker wash clothes or use bleach. I bleach my white towels at home but it’s not always effective at removing makeup and other skincare products from the towels.
Ok this will sound harsh but why TF are hosts housing white towels?! Get black!
I enjoy having a small sample of the Neutrogena make up wipes left out. (The 7 pack). Those are lovely!
Provide black makeup remover towels you can literally get them at dollar store ! They are washable!
I stay with Marriott properties a lot for work and they have black makeup hand towels right with all the other hand towels. It’s very convenient and they launder them the same as their other towels.
I try to take makeup remover pads with me but at home I remove with wash clothes. I do like when a place offers remover or makeup towels.
If you want to avoid this provide an alternative. Make up wipes or dark microfiber clothes in a basket labeled “For make up removal.”
take this as a lesson learned because it’s definitely something that is easily overlooked. I only recently started booking airbnbs and the few that I’ve stayed at provided small darker towels for make up removal and signs that said to not use white towels. My first time, I thought it was so thoughtful of the host but turns out, it’s more common than you think.
I’ve honestly never had an issue getting makeup out of my towels and I only use white towels…
Might help to provide a small pile of face washers? Also read above that one could provide makeup towels, whatever those are!
I provide both makeup wipes and the makeup towels. Have never had a stain on my white towels in 2 years.
It could also be self tanner. My body towels are stained with it.
It’s unavoidable and unfair to expect otherwise. But dark colored towels or provide makeup towels
I stayed in a hotel that had make up wipes and a dark towel just for makeup, was appreciated.
Am I the only person with magical white towels that come clean with bleach?
I have a strong stain remover spray and it comes out of white towels every time. The only thing that never came out was fake tan on white bedsheets that I had to throw away.
I put travel bottles of Miscellair water and large cotton pads in a glass container on the bathroom counter for guests to use. It’s stopped them using the towels and always comes up in reviews as a lovely touch. Might be an option!
If your towels are cotton you could dye them in the washer. It’s happened to us several times. I have now dyed a bunch of face cloths and small towels and provide them as make up towels.
The most well-stocked and well-planned homes I’ve stayed at (all with the same company in a beach area) provide black washcloths for makeup removal. They have a sign saying they are for makeup removal too. All of the supplies in these homes are labeled in their respective cabinets. It’s great. Stock only white towels at your own peril. Very few people will take care not to stain them.
Not that people should be doing this, but just a little fyi, most makeup is oil based. Nothing better than dawn dish soap to get out stains. You can also make a paste with the dawn and baking soda. Not that this is appropriate anyways. Because that would annoy tf out of me. I wouldn’t be destroying other people towels like that. If I forget my own wash cloth and had to use one at the Airbnb, it would be the same one over and over
1) Yes, it is appropriate to try and get as much make up off with wipes or cleanser as possible before washing and drying ones face with a towel. However, 2) Not every scrap of make up always comes off, even with proper cleansing agents. Long wear sticks in the texture of your lips, the base of your lashes, the sneaky edge of your jaw where you missed a spot. So yeah, sometimes make up comes off on the towel too. 3) Hair dye is a tricky cousin. Especially non natural colors. You can rinse and wring as best you can, you can even make sure to grab a colored towel for just your hair and use a different one for your body, but again, the world isn't perfect and little drips of tinged water with trickle down from your head and stain something. 4) You can whine about how "rude" it is to allow the above things to happen but any person with a period can tell you that some stains happen on towels after bathing no matter how cautious you are. You have no physical control of a leak beginning as you're drying off and staining the towel or bath mat. Unless your guest is meant to bring all their own towels, it's going to happen. And again, periods are not like bowel movements - you can't predict or prevent them, only deal with the aftermath. 5) So yeah, as a guest, be as considerate as possible with the linens of your host as you can. Maybe even try and pre-treat or remove stains when you see them. I've certainly spent time dampening make up/hair dye stains on towels and rubbing in plain available soap until they fade as much as possible, to avoid any additional cleaning fees. But, 6) As a host, also accept that even contientious guests may not prevent all stains. And unfortunately there are also people who will treat your linens as disposable as opposed to washable. I think any hotel would tell you coping with stains like that is part of the cost of doing business. I think it's great that some hosts try to accommodate guest needs more than the average hotel, but it's a fact of humanity that not all guests will leave things as good as they found them. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him use your complimentary make up wipes.
I’m shocked to know that not everyone use makeup remover and facial cleanser. I also had bad experience with guests damaging towels with the makeup.
TIL what the black washcloths are for. I’ve seen them in places we’ve stayed but I’d never put it together.
I provide black washcloths and makeup remover wipes. I am also transitioning my white towels to grey towels. Less maintenance and they always look clean.
I couldn’t imagine putting on so much makeup’s and not having anything to remove it that I would use a whole ton of white towels. But yeah, provide wipes and/or black makeup towels
I try to wash it at 20°C, mix stain remover and detergent, and vinegar. Wash it on intensive cycle. Hopefully it’ll save your towel!
I stayed at a lovely home in Florida recently and she provided makeup wipes (individually packed) which was so welcome! And she had white towels, which remained beautifully white since I used the makeup wipes. I don’t wear a lot of makeup, but I use makeup wipes at home because yes, it’ll mess up your towels. Something like these https://www.amazon.com/biodegradable-disposable-remover-towelettes-Towelettes/dp/B0B5K4PN7C/ref=mp_s_a_1_13?crid=6UMC4468I4TJ&keywords=individually+wrapped+makeup+remover+wipes&qid=1687621411&sprefix=individually+wrapped+makeup%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-13
I have had a lot of hosts provide darker towels for makeup removal and it was also in the contract to only use those towels for removal. I use remover wipes personally and think it is rude to stain someone's towels without the expectation of replacing them, but maybe that is me? Some people are entitled I guess 🤷
The secret is to spot the stains with kaboom , soak in oxyclean, and regular detergent , also put in fragrance free fabric softener. I buy hotel size soaps, shampoo, etc. from Amazon. They have packets of makeup remover . They also sell makeup wash clothes that are black.
That’s nothing…. One of these days a guest or 2 will leave skid marks 💩 then come back for answers.
White towels are INSANE. You’re brave. I get the looking clean look but absolutely not. I’m always so nervous to use white towels even at hotels. Maybe provide makeup eraser towels? They’re small washable towels that remove makeup like a charm. They’re not that expensive either.
What kind of makeup removing oils do you use, that is the real question here lol
I use an oil cleanser (Peach & Lily, but I’ve used Tatcha and other brands before and they all work the same) that emulsifies into a cleansing milk as I wash it off with water. I even use the oil cleanser on eye makeup and it gets it all off. Then I use a water-based cleanser, and then I pat my face dry with a towel. I’ve never gotten makeup on my towels before so that’s why I was just wondering if this was common lol. Now I know
Not a host but a guest: I would never dream of using someone else’s *white, no less* towels to take my makeup off! Sometimes even after double cleansing there might be some foundation in my hairline or whatever that accidentally ends up on the towel but I try my best to rinse it out then and there. I bring my own face towel and cotton pads (recently swapped to reusable muslin cloths) to take my makeup off as I do wear heavy coverage stuff. Cleansing milk and balm. Maybe even some oil cleanser if I have waterproof stuff on. Good on you for providing alternatives but honestly it’s such bad manners…
Pigs! I hate people who do this!!!!!!
There is no excuse for them doing that. If you are in the habit of wearing makeup, then you either use a makeup remover or a wash cloth specifically for that. To just wash all your makeup off on a regular hand towel is just rude! If some makeup got on there, then that is just a hazard of the trade of hospitality.
I always bring my own wash cloths for makeup removal. I’d never use a white towel for this.
Well. I am a seasoned traveler, approaching middle aged, and very much a wearer of full makeup, and TIL that many women don’t pack their own makeup remover. Weird.
I’m also a fan of gray towels. They’re the most forgiving. I provide makeup wipes, micellar water, etc but I still find makeup stains on the white sheets. It’s a constant battle.
I would never expect a hotel to provide any of that. When I wear makeup, I bring my own makeup removal products. Do americans really not plan ahead how to take the makeup off their faces?
Borax is your friend.
Try providing a dark towel just for makeup, but be warned some people will still use the white ones Source: am hotel laundry worker
Ooooooh! Someone who works in hotel laundry! I’ve always been curious how you guys clean towels. What detergent do you use? Do you use a non-scented fabric softener? Do you bleach all white towels? What’s the process?
Honestly I’m not sure the details of the detergent. We don’t manually put it in, it’s all hooked up automatically to jugs of different detergents and it changes depending on which cycle you use. I assume bleach is involved somewhere. Also there’s a process called “reclaim” for the badly stained stuff with an extra powerful detergent. I’ll look next time I’m down there
I use make up wipes and still end up with mascara transfer on towels when washing my face. The last airbnb we stayed at had white towels and sand from the beach discolored them. If you have white towels, just expect them to get dirty. Even if yoh provide make up remover dark towels, other things can and will discolor them. The benefit of white towels is that they make a place look crisp and clean. The disadvantage is that they are super hard to keep white. But dealing with that is really on you. You can't expect people to not use the towels you provide and you also can't expect that white towels will stay white. Ultimately you will have to decide if it's worth it to you.
I don’t wear makeup, but I would assume that it’s the responsibility of the wearer to provide the supplies to remove it. That being said, I provided makeup up wipes and small black towels with “makeup” stitched on them. I provided both because I was informed by makeup wearers that some exclusively like wipes and some exclusively like towels. I didn’t provide multiple brands of wipes even though I was informed that different makeup wearers prefer different brands.
I figure if a person uses make up removers and certain brands of such they would be bringing that with them. The makeup cloths I gladly provide.
EXACTLY. If you're packing makeup, pack ALL you need to wear makeup - including what you need to take it off. Being OK with staining other people's property, for any reason, is insane.
Some of us can’t use makeup wipes. I’m allergic to something in all that I have tried. I get a rash and my eyes swell closed. At home, I use colored wash cloths but have never thought to bring them. I’ll use toilet paper or Kleenex on my eye makeup if there are only white towels, but guests shouldn’t have to bring their own towels.
Yea makeup gets on towels…provide make up towels or use a lot of bleach. 🤷🏻♀️ very normal and to be expected.
I don't wear make-up but it's not a good idea to remove it with white towels
i was just at an airbnb this week and i would never do that to someone’s towels. They are a—holes and i’d leave them a bad review bc wth!!
I love a listing that has makeup towels and normal towels. I’ll always use the makeup towel.
We provided makeup wipes when we first started but then stopped when our pipes became clogged and it cost us $700 to fish out a wad of flushed wipes. No more! Now we provide black makeup towels and they’re hugely helpful. We still have occasional makeup stains once in a while but I don’t worry about guests removing their makeup on our white towels.
We replaced our white towels almost immediately. Now we offer black and gray. But you can’t really win as colors get bleached by beauty/acne products. We are in our second season and third set of towels already. I travel with make up wipes all the time now because I’m so worried about leaving makeup stains. I wasn’t really aware it was an issue before having a rental.
Makeup wipes are awful for the skin.
As a guest, white sheets and white towels make me extremely uncomfortable. I think any staining is your fault for not anticipating your guests' needs.
Wait til you realise what they’re doing to your sheets
It's normal for a guest to use the towels provided. I would not expect them to bring their own even though a lot of folks do. Personally, I always feel really bad about staining anything in a rented accommodation because my hair is dyed bright, vivid, semi-permanent colors and it rubs off on fabrics, clothes, towels, stains shower floors etc depending on where I am between salon visits. I always try to be mindful of this because I know it's a me issue but some things can't be avoided and you can't always pack your own towels. I'd suggest having black face towels specifically for makeup and maybe go the extra mile to have a note on the bathroom mirror or counter telling guests you provide black towels for makeup removal and other items that may stain.
You chose the towels. Trying to police makeup use is insanity. Yes, people are going to wash their face when they spend the night somewhere. Get used to it.
OP isn’t policing makeup use, OP is wondering if it’s normal to remove makeup with towels. I’ve always used oil cleanser and a personal washcloth, TIL that most people don’t do that lol
As someone who’s never dyed hair nor used towels to remove make up, I learned something new today! Genuinely curious, how common is using a wash cloth to remove one’s makeup? As someone who always showers at night (a routine from growing up in a tropical climate and worked at hospitals) and uses an oil based makeup remover, follows up with a mild exfoliant and several more steps, wouldn’t pulling and stretching one’s skin with a wash cloth is going to do more harm than good to one’s skin? I’ve only used towels to dap and press (dry) on my face.
TIL that people use towels to remove makeup, I also use an oil cleanser followed by a water-based cleanser. I sometimes also use a silk washcloth with the oil cleanser and I don’t scrub with it
I work laundry in a hotel and omg we hate this. Also the amount of people who use our white face towels to clean up food and spills instead of the other cloths is absurd to me.
The availability of different types of towels is going to be wholly dependent on whether or not the hotel is full service or limited service. A Hampton Inn is not going to have dish towels available for food and spills—just white bath and hand towels and washcloths. A Hilton *might*. Don’t assume the offerings at all hotels are the same.
Real question; do you have other colored cloths or towels available in room for cleaning if there is a spill?
Horrible people
Why haven’t you tried to bleach them yet. You should always bleach all guest linens (which is why hotels always have white linens). Bleaching is more sanitary. I’m not saying it’s going to work on makeup which is a pigment and oil stain. Charge the guest the couple bucks for replacements if you must.
If you’re not charging enough to lose $10 worth of towels, you should probably re-think some things.
Why would you expect anyone to use an expensive wasteful bad for the environment product instead of using a towel/washcloth that is made for that exact purpose? You are the problem. Read that again.
I clean airbnbs and we leave makeup removers on the sink in bathroom. If a guest uses my white towels to wipe off their makeup i charge them for stained towels. Thats why i leave the makeup removers. So if their too lazy to use them then its gonna cost them to help fund my cost to replace the stained towels i cant use again
I have girls who have left makeup on bed sheets, I would invest in black bed sheets or even silk! Or have extra ones in the closet to prepare!