More and more people today are hosting guests in their own homes. Often, it’s friends or relatives who are staying with you. Many have found that renting out their spare bedroom or separate suite using Airbnb or similar sites helps them to earn money to maintain their homes and meet interesting people from all over the world.
But being a thoughtful host isn’t always easy.
You guest could be your mother or could be a complete stranger but no matter how well you know someone, for your guest there are some things you might need in the bathroom that are, quite simply, embarrassing to ask for. A delicate subject indeed but to avoid making your guests feel awkward, here are a few items that you should have in the bathroom that your guests are using.
A PLUNGER
Can you imagine being in the situation of having to ask your host for this? The reason might not even be your guests’ fault so don’t add to their embarrassment – make sure that your loo has a plunger right there if required.
TOILET BRUSH
You can get some very stylish versions these days – forget the horrible plastic cheapos. The benefit of having a brush is that it means that you won’t have to clean up. Doesn’t that make the small expense worthwhile?
GOODS FOR THE GIRLS
With the best will in the world, with menstrual apps and counting the days, there are sometimes incidents that can take a woman by surprise. Place a few sanitary items in a prominent place your bathroom cabinet so she won’t have to ask.
TRASH CAN & TISSUES
There was a time when I didn’t have a trash can in the bathroom. It was easier to just take any rubbish through to the kitchen bin. But remember that those ladies from the paragraph above – they may have things to dispose of and the tissues mean they can wrap them up and dispose of them discreetly.
And if your guests are a couple and you’ve neglected to provide a trash can in their bedroom, there may be additional items that will need to be disposed of. Don’t forget to use a plastic liner too (preferably not a supermarket grocery bag!)
AIR-FRESHENING SPRAY
If you’re hosting one person with an en-suite bathroom then this is a nice touch but if your guests share a bathroom, even with their partner, this is an absolute must.
WHITE NOISE
Unless your bathroom is far away from other rooms, and very few are, then a considerate host will provide something to muffle those bathroom noises. If you have a fan in there, that will probably do the trick. If not, then consider an inexpensive white noise machine.
PLENTY OF PAPER
If you’ve ever experienced running out of this, as guest or a host, it’s embarrassing!
A ‘DID YOU FORGET ANYTHING?’ BASKET
You want your guests to be comfortable. They want to be good guests and want to avoid troubling you if there’s anything they need because they have forgotten to pack an item. So keep a few useful items in a pretty basket in the bathroom. Try:
- A travel toothbrush and paste
- Make up wipes (which can also save your towels)
- Small bottles of shampoo, conditioner & body wash
- Miniature deodorant
- Disposable razor
- Cotton wool balls and swabs
Many stores sell hotel-like miniatures (or collect them yourself next time you’re in a hotel) or online, you can order ‘amenity packs’. If it’s summertime, or if you live in the tropics, sunscreen and bug spray are nice additions too. Wonderful extras are pump bottles of liquid soap and hand lotion.
Although those paper guest towels can be a little tacky, if more than two people are using a bathroom then they are a good way of preventing germs from being passed around if it’s the season for colds or flu.
ARTICLE BY:
Jackie
JJ is originally from the UK and has lived in South Florida since 1994. She is the founder and editor of JAQUO Magazine. You can connect with her using the social media icons below.