Should you avoid booking Airbnb rentals that use printed or colored bedding? A pair of TikToks has viewers pondering that question.
The first TikTok was created by an Airbnb host, for Airbnb hosts.
“Pro tip, if you are hosting an Airbnb, pick fabrics that have prints on them ’cause it’ll hide stains and dirt more easily,” the host recommends in the video. “If you do something solid color, stains are gonna show up a lot more, but prints hide it.”
TikToker @covington.house, who is also an Airbnb host, reacts to this advice in her own video. Needless to say, she doesn’t think it’s sound advice.
“No,” she repeats in her short but punchy response while showing her solid white bed sheets.
She added in the caption, “One thing is for sure, I will never be choosing my bedding at my [short-term rental] based on hiding dirt and stains.”
@covington.house One thing is for sure, I will never be choosing my bedding at my STR’s based on hiding dirt and stains. What do y’all think? Does what the bedding look like influence whether or not you’ll book that property? #shorttermrental #airbnb #covingtongeorgia #covingtonga #covingtonairbnb #covingtonvrbo #vrboowner ♬ original sound – Covington.House
Her video was viewed more than 257,000 times. And viewers agreed with her, saying that they won’t even book rentals that feature printed sheets.
“Everytime I look for Airbnb’s if the sheets and comforter aren’t solid colors it makes me feel dirty so I don’t book them,” one viewer wrote.
“If I see printed sheets I’m not booking,” another agreed.
“My big one rule is I won’t stay anywhere that doesn’t have white bedding,” a third commented.
TikToker @covington.house, in a follow-up video, elaborates on why she only uses white bedding in her short-term rental.
“I do that because I want to see stains; I want to see the dirt. I don’t want anything on the bed,” she says.
She adds that she wants “to ensure that I am providing the cleanest bedding for them.”
“This host is saying, like, ‘Hey, let’s cut corners.’” she says. “We’re not looking at saving money on bedding. We’re not gonna cut corners, not on my watch.”
@covington.house Replying to @KaShonna🤣🧡 Just my thoughts… #shorttermrental #airbnb #covingtongeorgia #covingtonga #covingtonairbnb #vrbo #vampirediaries #mysticfalls #airbnbtop1 ♬ original sound – Covington.House
What other hosts say
On the Airbnb community discussion forum, other hosts advocated for white bedding, too.
“White sheets only. They can be bleached and have stain remover used on them without discoloring. And they somehow look cleaner and crisper!” one said.
Another shared their tip for keeping white sheets in tip-top shape. “I do like using the white sheets but they need extra care. Sometimes bleach is not enough so I use a product called ‘Rust Stain Remover’ and it works wonders on all kinds of stain,” they wrote.
Why white sheets?
There are several reasons why an Airbnb host should want to consider white sheets.
HostGPO cited studies that showed “the color white provides a feeling of cleanliness.” It also noted that white sheets are easier to clean. If you use bleach or other heavy-duty cleaners on printed or colored sheets, they will likely get discolored.
So it makes sense that customers will be more inclined to book spaces they feel are clean. They will likely also be more inclined to factor cleanliness into their positive reviews if the sheets are white and stain-free.
The Daily Dot reached out to @covington.house via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment.
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