First STR and need help with linens

[Megan OConnor]

We are prepping our first STR and I've never thought about linens so much in my life! We have a 3/2 that sleeps 9 (one king, three queens, one twin). We are in New England with our primary rental season being summer and fall (30-90 degrees). What are your recs for linens? Colors, how many, brand recs? Do I need bed bug covers? Do I need dark makeup facecloths? What sort of things did you find you needed that never crossed your mind?

[Michael Baum]

Hey @Megan OConnor! Gratz on the new place! Post some pics once it is all setup so we can check it out.

Ok, so I have posted many times on linens and others have taken my advice and bought some of the stuff.

Sheets - I use the Big One's 60/40 cotton/poly blend sheets from Kohl's. They are reasonably priced, especially when they are on sale. I use only white. They are tough as nails and reasonably soft but crisp. They take bleach well (spot clean only). We still have some sets in rotation after 8 years. No pure cotton IMHO. They shrink and wrinkle plus they trap stains. A good poly/cotton blend sheet is the way to go. We have about 6 sets per bed. 

Twin sheets, microfiber is fine. Mostly for kids and they don't care. Hard to stain and they wash well. 3 sets of these for each bed and we have 4 twins (2 bunk beds)

Quilts/Blankets - I use the Charisma/Berkshire summer weight quilts from Costco. They are awesome. They wear like iron, wash well and are a nice big size. They hang of the beds really well. We have a large selection of extra blankets. Like Velux and some others that are poly. In addition we provide a thick comforter for each bed if needed.

Some folks use a comforter with a duvet cover. That is cool as well but requires more work from your cleaners. We have at least 3 of each size for the queen and king beds. Easy to simply swap them out.

Pillowcases - Buy extra. Go to eBay and get some white cotton/poly blend and have them in stock. They take the greatest amount of abuse and the main thing we have to toss out. If you ask some of the sellers, they will send a sample so you can match them to the Kohl's sheets. Sellers change regularly so I can't simply point to a listing that works.

Towels/Washcloths - Grandeur Hospitality at Costco. White. They are cheap when they are on sale. They wash well, take bleach OK and don't create a ton of lint. You can get a bunch on sale and have plenty. We have a TON of towels. Guests will trash them so be prepared.

Beach Towels - Just about any will do. Best time to get them is after the summer season. They get real cheap all over. Mix and match with fun ones from Walmart that are thin for kids and watch Costco for overstocks. I get them from 2 - 5 dollars each. These are the most taken from the house. Kids being told to hustle up just toss them in their bags is my theory.

MakeUp Cloths - My wife is an embroidery person so we bought cheap grey washcloths and she embroidered Makeup on each one. They get used all the time and work well. Keep guests from using the white cloths.

Sheet/Pillow Protectors - So I would use some kind of padded waterproof cover on all the beds. There are bunch of different kinds but I use the Serta Black from Costco. They come and go in stock. Kohl's has the Big One version and they are OK as well. We us a 1.5" memory foam topper on the mattress then the cover. Makes for a comfy bed. Get 2 for each bed so they can rotate. They are a PITA to clean/dry. They take time to dry.

Dog Towels -  If you allow dogs, get some cheap colored towels for their feet. Put them in a basket near the door. People use them and it keeps the house cleaner. My wife embroidered Wipe Yer Paws on each one.

Bath Hand Towels - In addition to the white, I put in a complimentary colored hand towel in each bathroom. Usually hanging from the towel ring near the sink. Pops of color are nice. Get them at Burlington or TJ Maxx, Homegoods. The clearance area usually has some nice ones for a couple bucks each. We have quite a few Nautica ones the were 2 bucks each. Last a long time and look classy.

Kitchen Towels - So you just get a standard 12 pack from Costco or wherever. I find the Costco ones to be better overall. I have about 4-6 out at a time. I have an extra pack ready to swap as they get worn out.

Cleaning Towels - We provide a ton of cleaning supplies for guests and cleaners. I get the white bar towels from Costco Business. They are pretty cheap and nothing wipe up messes like a bar towel. Hair as well. I would get brown if I could find them cheap enough to match the quality of the Costco Business ones. 

These are just some of the things to look for when planning your STR.