Have you ever stayed at an Airbnb where you expected certain items but they weren’t provided? Something as simple as shampoo maybe? Unless you’re looking at budget stays where that’s to be expected, it can really be a bummer to have to purchase extra supplies. And that’s why as hosts we want to provide the necessities so guests are happy. Happy guests lead to positive reviews, and positive reviews lead to more guests! Check out this list for the basic toiletries and supplies we provide in our Airbnb, as well as some items to think about.
Note: we’ll put together a full list of supplies down below our explanations. If you’re pressed for time, feel free to skip straight there!
Toiletries
We just wrote a whole post on Airbnb bathroom essentials, so if you want some additional ideas you can check that out. But essentially we provide our guests with the basic toiletries for staying clean. This includes a pack containing shampoo, conditioner, and a bar of soap. In addition to that, we provide makeup wipes. This helps us from having to replace our towels in case the makeup leaves stains. We also provide hand soap in a dispenser.
Some additional items you could provide are perfume or cologne, nail file, shaving cream, sunscreen, and hand sanitizer. Personally, there are some items I would recommend staying away from. For example, it may just be me, but I’d prefer not to take from a large jar full of Q-tips. If you can have it in a secure container or single-use package, then go for it! Otherwise it may turn guests off.
Cleaning Supplies
We don’t expect our guests to deep clean during their stay, but we do want to provide them with the opportunity to keep the place tidied up if they choose. To help with that, we provide basic cleaning supplies. They’re there if guests want to use them, but we certainly don’t expect a full clean (after all that’s what the cleaning fee covers!).
The items we provide are:
- Broom
- Swiffer – a small stack of about 5 pads and keep an eye on the bottle amount.
- Basic cleaner (no bleach, lightly scented in case some guests are sensitive to the smell)
- Dish soap and/or dishwasher pods
- Sponge
- Hand soap
- Plunger
- Toilet brush
One thing we didn’t provide that would be good to test is laundry detergent. We have had a guest ask if that’s something we provide, so there was at least a little demand for it. It may go unused most of the time, but it can save a trip to the store for those guests looking to do a load of laundry. To start, you can test out the laundry pods. This will also allow you to control how much detergent goes into the washer to save on any repair bills down the road.
Additional Linens
Going in the supplies section of this list is additional linens. Now you may be thinking this is obvious, since linens include things such as bed sheets and blankets. Which should clearly be on the bed! However, there’s more to it that goes into linens.
We like to supply guests with one bath towel each, and then two extra towels. We also provide more if guests will be staying longer. This helps guests to switch out towels if they want, but doesn’t bog down laundry for a normal stay.
On top of that, we provide one hand towel per bathroom plus one extra and one washcloth per guest with two extras.
We also started supplying guests with a beach kit, which includes two chairs, an umbrella, and two beach towels. Those towels not only make beach trips more comfortable for guests, but they also save us from losing our bath towels just in case!
Additional Supplies
This section of the list is kind of all over the place, and it’s because we’ve included little items throughout the house that help our guests to enjoy their stay. We’ve listed them with a short description. We recommend also taking a look at your competitors and seeing what they provide to meet or exceed them. You may find some easy wins here!
- Welcome kit – includes four K cups and two water bottles. Nothing crazy at all. Adjust depending on how much your guests are paying or if you are providing a more “luxury” stay. It’s not a necessity, but think of it as an easy win.
- Toilet paper – hopefully this one is obvious. For up to 5 guests, 4 rolls per bathroom with extra if guests are staying longer than 5 days. Adjust if there are more guests.
- Paper towels – we usually just keep whatever is on the holder plus one extra roll. Any more than that seems excessive!
- Spice rack – we got some great use out of the spice rack. Saves guests from having to make a trip to the store. This can include main spices, olive oil, and cooking spray.
- Pots, pans, and baking sheets – guests appreciate being able to cook at home. Could also include mixing cups here.
- Pair of scissors – you never know what a guest might need, and personally if I don’t have scissors I’m using a knife. Get a pair to help prevent that.
- Extra pillows – some guests prefer sleeping with multiple pillows. We provide 3 full size pillows per bed with one extra if a guest is sleeping on the couch.
- Throw blankets – helps guests get cozy on the couch!
- Books – on days in, having things to do can get you some real bonus points.
- Board games – same as above. Having stuff for groups is great!
- USB blocks for chargers – with how many cables there are we didn’t think it was necessary to provide them, but we did get lamps for the nightstands that include USB ports for charging. You could also have cables as well, but be aware that they may not stay in the house!
- Wine glasses – yes, this is an actual amenity on Airbnb!
Our Complete List
So there you have it, a breakdown of all the toiletries and supplies we provide for our Airbnb guests. With it, we were able to get over 40 positive reviews. And we’ll be using this list as well as the next to furnish our Airbnbs with little things that make a big difference. So, as promised, here’s the list in full for easy reference!
Note: any item marked with an (A) is a selectable amenity within your Airbnb listing. These items are filterable for guests, so consider using them!
- Shampoo (A)
- Conditioner (A)
- Soap (A)
- Makeup wipes
- Hand soap
- Bath towels
- Hand towels
- Washcloths
- Broom
- Swiffer – a small stack of about 5 pads and keep an eye on the bottle amount.
- Basic cleaner (no bleach, lightly scented in case some guests are sensitive to the smell) (A)
- Dish soap and/or dishwasher pods
- Sponge
- Hand soap
- Plunger
- Toilet brush
- Beach kit – two chairs, two beach towels, and one beach umbrella (A)
- Welcome kit – includes four K cups (an easy Airbnb amenity!) and two water bottles.
- Toilet paper – for up to five guests, four rolls per bathroom with extra if guests are staying longer than 5 days. Adjust if there are more guests.
- Paper towels – whatever is on the holder plus one extra roll.
- Spice rack – can include main spices, olive oil, and cooking spray.
- Pots, pans, measuring cups, and baking sheets (A)
- Pair of scissors
- Extra pillows – three full size pillows per bed with one extra if a guest is sleeping on the couch. (A)
- Wine glasses (A)
- Throw blankets (A) ← under ‘extra pillows and blankets
- Books (A)
- Board games (A)
- USB blocks for chargers
- First aid kit (A)
- Hair dryer (A)
- Iron (A)
- Hangers (A)
Items To Try
In addition to the list above, we wanted to provide some ideas for things to try. We still recommend looking at competitors to see what they offer, but these items may not be listed. Similar to above there are items marked with (A) that count as amenities in Airbnb. This is also not a complete list and there are many more amenities to choose from for your Airbnb listing!
Additional Toiletries
- Perfume/cologne
- Nail file
- Shaving cream
- Sunscreen
- Hand sanitizer
- Shower gel (A)
Additional Cleaning Supplies
- Laundry detergent
- Drying rack for clothing (A)
Household Items Commonly Left At Home
- Charging cables
- Beach essentials (A)
- Portable fan (A) ← a lot of people like sleeping with the noise of a fan. Could be an easy win!
Cooking Gear
- Baking sheet (A)
- Barbecue utensils (A)
- BBQ grill (A)
- Blender (A)
- Hot water kettle (A)
- Rice maker (A)
Baby/Children’s Gear
- Baby monitor (A)
- Baby safety gates (A)
- Children’s books and toys (A)
- High chair (A)
- Changing table (A)
- Travel crib & crib (both separate amenities)
- Table corner guards (A)
Things To Do
- Game console (A)
- Life size games (A)
Don’t Forget The Small Stuff!
So there you have it: our list of Airbnb toiletries & supplies along with some things to try. If you don’t already have some of these and would like to test them out, we recommend starting with the Airbnb amenities. That way your listing gets better with each item you add. A lot of these are small things that might not seem like much but make the difference between a good and a bad Airbnb review. So don’t forget the small stuff!