Bleached towels and pillow cases - would you charge??

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Kate24
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Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2015 10:27 pm

Bleached towels and pillow cases - would you charge??

Post by Kate24 »

In our second bedroom we have green/blue coloured bath towels and matching sheets and pillow cases. We have lost 3 bath towels and 2 pillow cases over the past couple of months (over two sets of guests) due to discolouring - I am assuming because of hair bleaching of some sort? Would you charge for these from their deposit? I am a little fed up as the pillow cases and sheets are no longer available, so we have to change the whole set as now have no spares. Or is it my own fault for not having white towels? I wrongly thought a coloured towel would be more forgiving!
Thank you :)
Joanna
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Post by Joanna »

If it happened to us I wouldn't charge, but then we have gradually gone over to all white towels and linen so we can replace odd items easily. That's partly because we had similar issues back in the early years and had to replace 2 complete sets of single linen because 1 duvet cover got stained.

If you decide to charge I think you can only reasonably charge for the damaged items and not the cost of replacing the whole set - it's not their fault that it's been discontinued.

Would you be able to get plain coloured pillow cases that complement the duvet colours so you don't have to replace the whole set?
Jo

Joint owner of Baker's Cottage in Chester & Chandler's Cottage in Sidmouth
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

Could be acne cream that is doing it?
kg1
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Post by kg1 »

Hells Bells wrote:Could be acne cream that is doing it?
More likely than bleach I would have thought. If I found the stains after a departure, so I knew who it was, I would charge. Maybe if you know teenagers are going in you could add a bit to your T&Cs. I have a bit in ours about suncream stains.
GillianF
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Post by GillianF »

I'd go with it being acne cream. We had similar staining/bleaching on towels some years ago. Mother owned up it was her teenage daughter and said it happened all the time at home and even added that she couldn't believe her daughter had managed to inflict the damage on so many different towels. I charged them.

Sunscreen stains are another, on-going matter and I put information in the house book and a warning in the T&Cs that damage caused to bedding and towels by it will be charged - extra laundry or replacement. I haven't had so many problems since doing so.
COYS
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Post by COYS »

Almost certainly acne treatment. My daughter was prescribed something similar when younger & it was fatal for any coloured fabrics it touched.
I'd think a charge is fair, but you realistically could only do so for actual items damaged rather than complete matching sets.
Answer: White towels that are easily replaced/matched. I'm not a fan & don't know many who are but it's simply practical.
This time next year Rodney, we'll be millionaires.
Kate24
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Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2015 10:27 pm

Post by Kate24 »

Thank you everyone, it's really useful to hear about different experiences and points of view. Yes it probably is an acne cream - both groups had young adults/teenagers.

Thanks again :)
loveka
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Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2016 10:32 am

Post by loveka »

I use plain pillowcases with patterned duvets, and think it looks rather nice. Would this be a way to not have to buy a whole new set?
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