The best towels for Airbnb are both soft to the touch and very absorbent. Finding the right linens for your customers means both touching the products before you buy them and reading about their materials, so you know they’ll work just right. Here’s how to do it.
How Are Towels Made?
Most towels are made with absorbency in mind. That’s why towel fabrics are made with a loose weave. A structure like this can hold plenty of water within the gaps. The fabric can also feel plush and soft to the touch since the loops compress under pressure.
Experts say most towels are made of cotton fibers to further increase their absorbency. Cotton fibers are negatively charged, so they attract the hydrogen atoms within the water. The cotton fibers are also hollow, so they can store water within them.
While cotton is ideal for absorbency, it can also feel rough or scratchy when it’s dry. For this reason, some manufacturers add silk or other softer fabrics to the mix so the towel feels plush. However, this addition can also make the towels less likely to pick up liquids.
How Are Towels Graded?
A towel’s softness can be measured. Grams per square meter (GSM) is a measurement of how thick a towel is. Think of it as similar to the thread count in sheets.
While GSM is a very useful metric, not all manufacturers will list it. No state or federal laws require this number on product labels or online listings. That means you could be shopping for towels and never see a GSM metric.
However, most towels will list the blend of fibers they’re made of. For example, you might see that the towels you’re considering are made of 50% cotton and 50% silk. A towel like this might feel puffier than a pure cotton towel. It might also be less likely to dry off guests who use it than a 100% cotton version.
Does Washing Matter?
Some towels feel warm and fuzzy the first time they’re used, but those qualities disappear after the product has been cleaned several times. You need to plan for a change in softness or texture over time.
In studies, researchers found that consumers notice the difference. When they touch towels that have been washed several times, they say the products don’t feel as soft and smooth as newer towels. The pile of the towel changes when it’s been pushed through a washer and dryer.
Hotels know this and use tricks to make towels more absorbent. For example, they might use things like vinegar and baking soda to remove surface oils and make towels fluffier. You could use these same techniques to remove the impact of several cleaning cycles.
How Much Should You Spend?
Airbnb says that rentals have generated more than $85 billion in the United States in 2023. The typical host earned about $14,000 in supplemental income in 2022. With so much money on the line, it makes sense to make your rental as comfortable as it can possibly be.
Towels are high-touch products for your guests. They’ll use hand towels multiple times during the visit, and they’ll use your bath towels at least once. Every time they touch these products, they are reminded of how much you care about them and their comfort. It makes sense to spend on towels. Don’t break your budget, but towels are worth the investment.
How to Shop for the Best Towels for Airbnb
Once you’ve identified how much you can spend, it’s time to start shopping. You can also look for these same features in the towels you rent from a commercial linen service. By focusing on the following, you can make a smart choice:
Touch: Researchers say that consumers can make better choices when they have several types of products to touch and compare. That means touch matters when you visit a shop that has dozens or more different types of towels to choose from.
Data: Some towel manufacturers will publish their GSM scores. If that’s available, look for GSM ranging between 600 and 800. You’ll get towels that are both soft and absorbent.
Ingredients: Look for towels that contain a mixture of both cotton and silk. A combination towel is both soft and absorbent.
What About Renting Towels?
Choosing the right towels and keeping them clean isn’t easy. The time you spend shopping could be better spent sprucing up your property and entertaining your guests. Using a towel rental service could save you time. You’ll get quality towels, and they’ll always be clean.
Let Alsco Uniforms help. Our linen rental services are used by business owners all across the country. We can provide you with quality products that are always clean, soft, and fresh. Contact us to find out more about how we can help your Airbnb today.
References
Materials Up Close and Personal: Towels. (May 2020). Institute of Making.
What Is GSM, and What Does It Mean for Towels and Linens? (April 2024). NBC.
What Does GSM Mean for Towels? (February 2024). New York Magazine.
Tactile Feel of Washed Towels and Their Compression and Surface Properties. (2020). Journal of Textile Engineering.
Travel on Airbnb Generated $85b in Economic Activity in the United States. (April 2024). Airbnb.
Hosts in the U.S. Earned $22 Billion in Supplemental Income Last Year. (March 2023). Airbnb.
To Touch or Not to Touch: Examining the Role of Choice Set Size. (November 2022). Psychology of Marketing.