Whether you are already operating a vacation rental home or just in the “thinking about it” stage, laundry is likely on your mind! Moxie Girl has experienced a wide range of vacation rental homes here in the Phoenix area – we’ve seen what “works” and what doesn’t.

Today let’s delve into what is usually considered the biggest chore in getting your vacation rental home guest-ready…LAUNDRY! Here are five helpful hints to make this task easier!

1. Don’t Over-Supply Your Guests!

Be aware that guests tend to use whatever is made available to them, so don’t open yourself up to excessive and unnecessary loads of laundry.  One full set of bath linens (bath towel, hand towel and 2 washcloths) per potential guest should be plenty for short stays. One or two extra sets, stored in an accessible bathroom cabinet, should accommodate any “emergencies” that may arise.

We highly advise locking away an extra set (or two!) of all linens for your cleaning crew. If you have a same day turn, it will be a huge help for them to be able to make beds and reset the bathrooms, without having to wait on the washer and dryer.

2. Got Pool?

Who doesn’t love a pool in the Phoenix summer?  You can protect your bath linens by providing beach towels (one per potential guest, plus a few extras.) Place your rolled and attractively arranged beach towels in a basket or bin near the main door to the pool to be sure they are seen and used!

3. Be Proactive in Avoiding Stains

At first glance, it may seem like “another @#$% expense,” but Moxie Girl has noticed that vacation rental home owners who provide disposable make-up wipes to their guests tend to keep their linens looking fresh and new much longer than those who don’t.  Individually packaged, hypo-allergenic make-up wipes can be purchased by the case and are much less expensive in the long run than replacing stained linens! (Bonus – Your guests will see this as a thoughtful amenity, and as we mentioned in item #1, they DO tend to use what is made available!)

4. No-Hassle Bedding

For the sake of simplicity and ease of care, Moxie Girl always recommends white cotton linens in vacation rental homes. If your home has beds of different sizes, find the label on each sheet, both flat and fitted, and mark the size with a Sharpie.  No more guessing which sheet is a queen (Q) and which is a full (F)!

Also keep in mind that comforters are too large to wash in most residential washers and dryers.  If you are using comforters on your beds, Moxie Girl recommends duvet covers, which are easily removed and laundered between guests.

5. Supplies

Be sure to keep necessary laundry supplies stocked at all times.  If guests have access to a washer and dryer in your vacation rental home, it’s nice to leave enough detergent out for a load or two but keep the bulk of your supplies in a locked cabinet or area that is not guest-accessible.

Laundry Soap – Always have enough detergent stocked to handle the ‘between-guest” laundering to be done. Laundry pods are convenient and pre-measured, making it easy to keep an eye on the supply.  You may also want to consider dye and fragrance-free detergent, just to be on the safe side of any potential guest allergies.

Bleach – Just a small amount of this very inexpensive product added to the wash cycle helps remove stains and keeps your linens looking fresh and crisp!

Spot Treatment – Especially if you are not stocking make-up wipes for your guests, a spot treatment product is a must for removing tough stains.  Always be sure to follow the directions found on your product of choice!

Dryer Sheets – Actually, we don’t find them necessary, but Moxie Girl recommends that if you DO use dryer sheets, to use them only when drying bed linens, as they can negatively affect the absorbency of bath linens and pool towels!

If your vacation rental home is already up-and-running, do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to make sure you are following these time and money-saving tips.  If you are in the set-up phase, following these guidelines when purchasing and stocking your vacation rental home will ensure you are “doing it right” from the get-go!

Ask Moxie Girl if you have any questions to make your vacation rental, Airbnb and Vrbo to look ready and great.