It’s the Great Debate – Linen Colors

Deciding if you should use white or colored sheets and towels can be one of the hardest decisions to make as a vacation rental owner.  You want to please your guests, but there are pros and cons at every angle.

Once a week, in every vacation rental social media group around the world, someone will ask the question, “Should I use white or colored sheets and towels?”  And each time the question is asked, it sparks a huge debate.

Here is the CORRECT answer:  there is NO correct answer.  Everyone has an opinion…and sometimes that opinion is so strong that the conversations get heated. 

Regardless of all the varying opinions, I’m going to brave the subject.  You see, there is a difference between what I prefer and what I chose to use in our vacation rental.  I’ll explain further in this article.

There genuinely are pros and cons to using white or using colored linens.  I’ll give you some things to keep in mind as you’re purchasing linens for your vacation rental.  Then, it’s up to you to decide what’s best for your business.

Popular Opinion of Hosts & Guests

If you’re basing your purchasing decision on popular opinion, the choice is easy.  White. (period.)  Just push the “easy” button and be finished with it.

When these questions come up in the vacation rental groups, the vast majority say they have chosen to use white linens for all their sheets and towels.

The reason:  the look of cleanliness.  As the saying goes, perception is reality.  The guests see that the sheets are crisp and bright white, with no visible stains, so they must be clean.  

Perhaps this stems from what we have been accustomed to seeing in hotels and hospitals for years.  White is traditionally associated with a sterile environment.  Therefore, that perception of white=sterility is embeds into our brains.

Nonetheless, we want our guests to have immediate thoughts of cleanliness.  White is the obvious choice if guests’ perception is the overarching factor in selecting your linen color.

However, if you’re using white, they better be spotless.  There is nothing that will provoke a phone call from a guest and a bad review more than visibly stained linens.  Seriously, is there anything more disgusting than picking up a white towel and seeing a yellow stain on it?  Big or small, it doesn’t matter.  It’s gross!

If you’re using white linens, do frequent checks to be sure they are spotless.  There are no exceptions when using white.

White – Pros & Cons

Pros

• • Perception of cleanliness
  • Easier to see and treat stains before laundering
  • Compliment any other color scheme
  • Classic look
  • No fading
  • Can use chlorine bleach
  • No sorting
  • Replacements are easier to match

Cons

• • Set-in stains cannot be hidden
  • Generally, a higher replacement rate due to set in stains since laundering may not take place immediately after the stain has occurred
  • Any hair, speck of dirt, or lint will be visible
  • Bleaching may cause yellowing

The Argument for Colored Linens

I started my vacation rental using all white linens.  White is, by far, my personal preference.  Yep, hands down – white. (period.)

However, as time wears on, I have caved to the pressure of cost containment.  It’s frustrating.  I’m not happy about it.  But here’s why I relented…

First of all, sheets and towels aren’t cheap.  Some say it’s just a cost of doing business.  True.  Although when the cost of doing business is getting out of hand, it’s time to look for alternative solutions.  

We were replacing sheets and towels nearly every month.  Blood and makeup stains were a frequent problem.  Stains are more easily removed if found and treated quickly.  However, in the rental business, laundering sometimes doesn’t occur for several days afterward.  Stains set in and that makes the linens unusable.  The replacements add up and eat into the profit.

If guests would only be more courteous to treat the stains and launder immediately.  Or use soap when rinsing out the washcloth they used for removing their makeup.  But they won’t.  

So we now use gray in one rental and brown in the second one. 

Brown?  Yes.  Our rentals are in the Smoky Mountains and with the wildlife/mountain/outdoor themes, brown coordinates perfectly.  

Our other property has a rustic farmhouse theme.  The gray sheets and towels coordinate well with that decor.  Below are photos of our recently renovated master bath.